TheBookSwarm
Ask Question

Looking for non fiction recommendations. Memoirs or non fiction that reads like fictions. Thank you and happy new year

Looking for non fiction recommendations. Memoirs or non fiction that reads like fictions. Thank you and happy new year

Laura #recommend #memoir #nonfiction

6
Reply

96 Answers

Emily

F

0
Reply
Emily

Andre Agassi’s Open. It’s amazing and I never even liked him!

3
Reply
Heather

Spillover by David Quammen is one of my favorite books. It does get super science detailed at times though.
Dopesick by Beth Macy

0
Reply
Erina

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

6
Reply
Vanessa

seconded.

1
Jennica

Agreed

1
Kaci

My favorite book of 2018

1
Vanessa

If you have any interest in space at all Scott Kelly’s memoir Endurance is fantastic. He is the twin astronaut who stayed in the space station for a year. Also any of Erik Larson’s books are great historical nonfiction books that read like fiction.

1
Reply
Heather

@Vanessa I loved Endurance!

1
Aimee

Mademoiselle Chanel by C.W. Gortner, Frida- A Biography of Frida Kahlo, by Hayden Herrera, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

0
Reply
Paula

@Aimee I loved Henrietta Lacks! One of my all time favorite books ever!

3
Aimee

@Paula Such a touching story isn’t it? I learned a lot from this book. ?

1
Robin

If you like funny travel memoirs, Free Country by George Mahood is a favorite of mine.

0
Reply
Erika

Image may contain: phone and text
0
Reply
Erina

That looks interesting

0
Stephanie

@Erika loved this one!!

0
Lita

That looks intriguing.

0
Stephanie

Love With a Chance if Drowning by Torre DeRoche. One of my favs! It’s a memoir but reads like fiction.

0
Reply
Barbara

Brain on Fire

8
Reply
Barbara

From the Corner of the Oval Office

1
Reply
Barbara

We Were the Lucky Ones is historical fiction, but based on the author’s own family experiences.

4
Reply
Jennifer

Barbara Khan We Were the Lucky Ones was amazing!

1
Barbara

Jennifer Rogers Julian yes! I got to hear the author speak and she had pictures from her family and her mom was in the audience. It was very moving.

0
Jennifer

@Barbara oh wow, that would amazing to hear!

0
Kelley

Manhunt: The 12 Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer by James Swanson

3
Reply
Meridith

Great choice! Along those same lines, Hellhound on His Trail by Hampton Sides is fantastic. It’s about the FBI’s hunt for James Earl Ray after the death of Dr. King.

0
Kelley

Thanks for the recommendation! I haven’t read that one, but it sounds interesting. Another to add to the list ?

1
Michelle

How I Got a Horse Out of a Toilet by Alanna Christine is a quick read with all emotions. Lots of humor.

0
Reply
Sherry

I found Margot Potter’s book funny – Fifty and Other F-Words: Reflections from the Rearview Mirror.

0
Reply
Patti

84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

2
Reply
Nicole

“I’ll Be Gone In The Dark” is true crime and “Unbroken” and “Beneath A Scarlet Sky” are both true stories from WWII.

2
Reply
Kristin

Anything by Daniel James Brown

0
Reply
Carrie

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah or Brain on Fire by Susannah Calahan.

2
Reply
Madalene

Boys in the boat.

1
Reply
Ann

I second this!

0
Madalene

@Ann loved it.

0
Stacey

Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo.

2
Reply
Irram

So good!!!!

0
Meridith

River of Doubt by Candice Millard.

1
Reply
Jenny

https://goo.gl/images/q3vv5e

0
Reply
Jenny

Tina Fey Bossy Pants

2
Reply
Jordana

The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton.

2
Reply
Rebecca

I haven’t read this yet but Just Mercy the story told from his attorneys perspective is so good and so frustrating that it’s true.

1
Jennifer

The Breakdown by BA Paris

0
Reply
Kelly

Educated, Glass Castle, Becoming, The Bright Hour

3
Reply
Lyndsay

Image may contain: text
0
Reply
Kaci

Wild Swans: Three Daughter’s of China, The Heart is a Shifting Sea: Love and Marriage in Mumbai

1
Reply
Her

IN COLD BLOOD by Truman Capote

3
Reply
Carol

@Her it’s been years since I read this but it has always stuck with me. Great book.

1
Her

just read last month

0
Jenny

Ooh also The Song Poet. May be difficult starting, but it’s worth reading.

0
Reply
Dawn

Bringing Home the Birkin is one of my all time favorites.

1
Reply
Dawn

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer IS my all time favorite.

4
Reply
Christi

http://rebeccaskloot.com/the-immortal-life/

6
Reply
Jenn

Blowing My Cover by Lindsey Moran

0
Reply
Mandy

Another vote for Brain on Fire. Paris Letters by Janice MacLoed is also really good.

1
Reply
Jen

I Was Told to Come Alone by Souad Mekhennet

0
Reply
Lisa

The boys on the boat

1
Reply
Jerri

The Boys in the Boat

0
Christy

I’m in the thick of this memoir and my heart rate is skyrocketing with anxiety.

Image may contain: text
0
Reply
Julie

A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson. Hilarious.

2
Reply
Jennifer

@Julie loved this book soooo much! So funny!

2
Jill

@Julie one of my faves!

2
Jerri

“AWITW”, also a great movie.

0
Denise

Adoring “Savage Beauty” by Nancy Milford

0
Reply
Connie

I enjoyed “I Heard You Paint House’s”. Story of the mob and Jimmy Hoffa

1
Reply
Tracey

The glass castle, out from the underworld, educated

2
Reply
Tracey

Etched in sand

0
Tracey

A happier hour. Also a good one

0
Rebecca

Hillbilly Elegy, Educated and Killers of the Flower moon were all my 2018 non-fiction/memoir mind benders

4
Reply
Jen

Killers of the Flower Moon ?

6
Reply
Liz

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, Landwhale by Jes Baker, You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me by Sherman Alexie, The End of your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe

1
Reply
Madalene

@Liz just mercy was an eye opener.

1
Meli

And the Band Played On: politics, people, and the AIDS epidemic. I’m on my second read through and still can’t put it down.

2
Reply
Heather

@Meli adding to my list!

1
Cheryl

Empty Mansions

2
Reply
Jen

I loved this one.

0
Jody

If you’re at all interested in WWII or Cold War spies, everything by Ben McIntyre reads like fiction but isn’t. Operation Mincement is probably my favorite, but they’re all good (well, haven’t read his latest yet, but I’m assuming it is since the others have been!).

1
Reply
Minzi

Educated

2
Reply
Kathi

In the Enemies House… Code breakers, Russian spies

0
Reply
Amy

All Over But The Shouting

1
Reply
Kristen

Everything Kelly Corrigan has ever done is gold.

3
Reply
Tina

Bad Blood- a start up business scam. Really good

0
Reply
Jerri

https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Michelle-Obama/dp/1524763136/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546373624&sr=8-1&keywords=becoming+michelle+obama

1
Reply
Samantha

Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah

0
Reply
Samantha

Also, Robin by Dave Itzkoff.

0
Reply
Laura

Several years ago I read The Great Deluge by Douglas Brinkley about Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans and found it to be very informative and very engaging. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown was another one that I couldn’t put down.

0
Reply
Bernice

The Radium Girls!

0
Reply
Leslie

Laura Melnik Joelson: Mitchell Zuckoff: Frozen in Time; Joe Simpson: Touching the Void; John Vaillant:Tiger; Susan Casey: The Devil’s Teeth; Diana Athill: Somewhere Toward the End; Daniel James Brown: The Indifferent Stars Above; Dee Brown: Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee; Susan Hill: Howard’s End is On The Landing; Mary Norris: Between You & Me…. I could go on but I won’t!

0
Reply
Alyson

When Breath becomes Air

6
Reply
Preslava

In the shadow of the Banyan

0
Reply
Rachel

Same kind of different as me

0
Reply
Cathy

Mrs. Astor Regrets

0
Reply
Sheri

Have you ever read any Erik Larsen? I think Devil in the White City is one of the best non-fiction books I’ve ever read.

1
Reply
Becca

I really enjoyed Loving Frank. Not one I would have normally picked up and would even call it an eye opener.

https://www.amazon.com/Loving-Frank-Novel-Nancy-Horan/dp/0345495004

0
Reply
Amy

The Rainbow Comes & Goes by Anderson Cooper & Gloria Vanderbilt

0
Reply
Leave a Answer Cancel

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Loading Please wait
Log in
Register
Categories
  • get the book
  • questionnaire
  • recommend
  • review
Genres
animal art biography business chick lit classics comics contemporary cookbooks crime detective fantasy fiction gay and lesbian graphic novel historical fiction history horror humor and comedy kids languages manga memoir music mystery nonfiction novel paranormal philosophy poetry psychology religies religion romance scary science science fiction self help spirituality sports suspense thriller travel young adult young adults
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

2019 © TheBookSwarm