Looking for nonfiction books that are light and uplifting
I like nonfiction, but I’m tired of books that are about death, war, crime, and/or historical injustices. So: can anyone recommend me nonfiction books that are light, hopeful, funny, etc? Thanks!
It Ended Badly: Thirteen of the Worst Breakups in History by Jennifer Wright
Fantastic on audio, too.
SuurAlaOrolo on
I hear you. You might like The Best American Science and Nature Writing series—obviously they do deal with some downer scientific themes (climate change, covid, etc.), but overall they’re about scientists doing important work to improve things, interspersed with some lovely descriptions of nature. You feel hopeful after reading them.
If you haven’t read **All Creatures Great and Small** and its sequels, I can’t recommend them highly enough. Especially the audiobooks read by Nicholas Ralph—he’s a gifted performer.
Other ideas:
– The Expectation Effect by David Robson
– The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
– Chip War by Chris Miller (not a war; about computer chips)
– The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson
– The Swerve by Stephen Greenblatt
ModernNancyDrew on
I second the All Creatures sequels and will add In a Sunburned Country and A walk in the Woods.
moonlightmantra on
All of Chelsea Handler’s memoirs are laugh out loud hysterical, if you wanted to go the memoir route for some nonfiction.
ilovelucygal on
* *Summer at Tiffany* by Marjorie Hart
* *The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio* by Terry Ryan
* *Marley and Me* by John Grogan
* *All Over But the Shoutin’* by Rick Bragg
* *The Animals Came in One by One* by Buster Lloyd-Jones
* *Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World* by Vicki Myron
* *The Thread That Runs So True* by Jesse Stuart
* *Where the Wind Leads* by Vinh Chung
* *Running on Red Dog Road* by Drema Hall Berkheimer
* *Measure of a Man* by Martin Greenfield
NancyNimby on
Longitude, by Dava Sobel
Metalstorm413 on
1. I don’t need therapy and other lies I’ve told myself by Toni Lodge. Some sad parts but mostly she’s ridiculous and hilarious.
2. Dewey: The small-town library cat who touched the world by Vicki Myron. I thought this was adorable and an interesting look at small town life.
3. Catch me if you can by Frank W. Abagnale.
4. The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do.
5. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah.
Please forgive formatting, using mobile app.
dicentra_spectabilis on
Yours Cruelly by the one and only Elvira was a lot of fun!
Also, Secret Lives of the US Presidents by Cormac O’Brien is full of weird trivia that I found entertaining, but I love that kind of stuff. I think W was president when it was published, so I’m not sure if there’s an updated version.
9 Comments
Stiff by Mary Roach.
It Ended Badly: Thirteen of the Worst Breakups in History by Jennifer Wright
Fantastic on audio, too.
I hear you. You might like The Best American Science and Nature Writing series—obviously they do deal with some downer scientific themes (climate change, covid, etc.), but overall they’re about scientists doing important work to improve things, interspersed with some lovely descriptions of nature. You feel hopeful after reading them.
If you haven’t read **All Creatures Great and Small** and its sequels, I can’t recommend them highly enough. Especially the audiobooks read by Nicholas Ralph—he’s a gifted performer.
Other ideas:
– The Expectation Effect by David Robson
– The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
– Chip War by Chris Miller (not a war; about computer chips)
– The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson
– The Swerve by Stephen Greenblatt
I second the All Creatures sequels and will add In a Sunburned Country and A walk in the Woods.
All of Chelsea Handler’s memoirs are laugh out loud hysterical, if you wanted to go the memoir route for some nonfiction.
* *Summer at Tiffany* by Marjorie Hart
* *The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio* by Terry Ryan
* *Marley and Me* by John Grogan
* *All Over But the Shoutin’* by Rick Bragg
* *The Animals Came in One by One* by Buster Lloyd-Jones
* *Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World* by Vicki Myron
* *The Thread That Runs So True* by Jesse Stuart
* *Where the Wind Leads* by Vinh Chung
* *Running on Red Dog Road* by Drema Hall Berkheimer
* *Measure of a Man* by Martin Greenfield
Longitude, by Dava Sobel
1. I don’t need therapy and other lies I’ve told myself by Toni Lodge. Some sad parts but mostly she’s ridiculous and hilarious.
2. Dewey: The small-town library cat who touched the world by Vicki Myron. I thought this was adorable and an interesting look at small town life.
3. Catch me if you can by Frank W. Abagnale.
4. The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do.
5. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah.
Please forgive formatting, using mobile app.
Yours Cruelly by the one and only Elvira was a lot of fun!
Also, Secret Lives of the US Presidents by Cormac O’Brien is full of weird trivia that I found entertaining, but I love that kind of stuff. I think W was president when it was published, so I’m not sure if there’s an updated version.