Unbroken The boys in the boat The immortal life of Henrietta lack The killers of the flower moon The Johnstown flood Autobiography of a yogi by Paramahansa yogananda On writing by Stephen king
The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson is really interesting. I also really enjoyed the Lost City of Z by David Grann. Oh and Mark Thomas’s 100 Acts of Minor Dissent…it made me laugh! And if you are into Graphic Novels then Maus by Art Spiegelman…it’s a harrowing, but incredible, read.
The other is less well know, it’s about “an American family in Hitler’s Berlin”. They’re both amazing books, challenging reads not because they’re boring but there are a lot of less used words to decipher
I loved Devil in the White City but was less impressed with In the Garden of Beasts. Well written as usual, just rather slow for me. If you haven’t read his Dead Wake, about the sinking of the Lusitania, I highly recommend it. Excellent writing, fascinating subject, and well-paced.
@Annabel that’s my next one. I’m almost done with In the Garden of Beasts, I’ve been waiting for an exciting incident for the whole book! It’s well written I agree, but I’m glad I’m not thinking it’s slow and just missing something! Dead Wake is next
Not mentioned thus far: Just Kids, by Patti Smith Making Toast, by Roger Rosenblatt Godforsaken Sea, by Derek Lundy The Color of Water, by James McBride Enduring Courage: Ace Pilot Eddie Rickenbacker.., By John F. Ross A Pearl in the Storm, by Tori Murder McClure
OMG. Colour: travels through the paintbox by Victoria Finley…how could I have forgotten about that? It’s a history of colour featuring a different one per chapter. Awesome book.
Becoming Justice Blackmum: Harry Blackmum’s Supreme Court Journey by Linda Greenhouse…The Search For God at Harvard by Ari L Goldman…This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession by Daniel J Levitan…
It surprised me but I really enjoyed this book: Seaworthy: A Swordboat Captain Returns to the Sea by Linda Greenlaw. I love reading about females in “unexpected” careers 😉
I have several non-fiction books on my To Read List (that I found through http://goodreads.com/ ) about intriguing, strong women . This is one: Bold Spirit: “Helga Estby’s Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America” by Linda Lawrence Hunt.
“Behave” by Robert Sapolsky, “Undaunted Courage” by Stephen Ambrose, “Band of Brothers” by Stephen Ambrose, “Personal History” by Katharine Graham, “Killers of the Flower Moon” by David Gran, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot, “Unbroken” by Lauren Hillenbrand, “Empire of the Summer Moon” by S.C. Gwynne, “War” by Sebastian Junger, “Guns, Germs, and Steel” by Jared Diamond, “Gates of Fire” by Stephen Pressfield, “Where Men Win Glory” by Jon Krakauer, “Seal of Honor:Operation Red Wings” by the Naval Institute, “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” by Dee Brown, “When Breath Becomes Air” by Dr. Paul Kalanithi, “Being Mortal” by Dr. Atul Gawande, “Astrophysics for People in a Hurry” by Neil deGrasse Tyson, “Cosmos” by Carl Sagan. (I have dozens more non-fic faves.) ☮️??
Has anyone here ever read, or even heard of, The Survival Of Jan Little. Written around 1990, it’s one of the most inspiring biographies I ever read. Unbelievable what that poor woman endured.
Your comment got me interested! This book didn’t have a huge amount of reviews on Goodreads but the ones that were posted all gave high praise and/or stated that this book basically haunts them to this day. I hope to get my hands on a copy sometime. Thanks for bringing it up, Wandy!
I read tons of nonfiction. I loved Seabiscuit and Boys in the Boat. A great read about London during WWII is Citizens of London about Edward R Murrow, Averil Harriman and Ambassador John Winant. For something totally different, I also loved We Two about Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and Born to Rule about the five of Victoria’s granddaughters who went on to be reigning monarch. Other nonfiction favorites include Freedom at Midnight about the separation of India and Pakistan from the British empire, The Children about the college students who fueled the civil rights movement, and a classic – In Cold Blood.
@Patti Thanks. This book should be on the reading list of any Sociology class for sure. But anyone interested in America’s evolution should check it out.
Desert Solitaire was written in 1968. Goodreads review of it comments that it is as relevant today as when it was written. Coincidentally I recently read of a book written in the 1930s that was a call to environmental stewardship and warning that the current day practices (1930s) would lead to dire circumstances for our environment. Just poignant. :-\
This is a wonderful resource to pile up my To Read list! Many very intriguing books in these replies. Thanks to all who have posted. My To Read list is going to last me well into retirement. ☺️?
Good list! My pick for this year would be Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime. There’s another one I liked years ago – Kaffir Boy (similar, but not as humorous).
The Importance of Living – Lin Yutang
Istanbul – Orhan Pamuk
Books I Have Loved – Osho
Unbroken
The boys in the boat
The immortal life of Henrietta lack
The killers of the flower moon
The Johnstown flood
Autobiography of a yogi by Paramahansa yogananda
On writing by Stephen king
The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson is really interesting. I also really enjoyed the Lost City of Z by David Grann. Oh and Mark Thomas’s 100 Acts of Minor Dissent…it made me laugh! And if you are into Graphic Novels then Maus by Art Spiegelman…it’s a harrowing, but incredible, read.
“The Gift of Fear” by Gavin de Becker.
Killers of the Flower Moon (’cause I just finished it), Undaunted Courage, Into Thin Air, Seabiscuit, and The Stranger Beside Me.
The Stranger Beside Me was great.
Agree!
A River in Darkness
Truman
Undaunted Courage
Under The Banner of Heaven
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee
Empire of the Summer Moon
Killers of the Flower Moon
Into the wild, into thin air
Agree! Krakauer is a fantastic writer.
A Child Called It
Oh gosh, read this years ago. I still think him and what he went through.
At Home By Bill Bryson
The Black Count by Tom Reiss
The know it all by aj jacobs
Seabiscuit
Alexander Hamilton, anything by Anne Rule.
So far The Baby Thief by Barbara Raymond
Swimming to Antarctica
Anything by Oliver Sacks or VS Ramachandran (neurology), Mary Roach (medical writing), or Neil deGrasse Tyson (astrophysics)!
Educated by Tara Westover
The Devil in the White City and In the Garden of Beasts! Both by Erik Larsen
I’ve heard that devil in the white city is good and been meaning to read It! Haven’t heard of the other though
The other is less well know, it’s about “an American family in Hitler’s Berlin”. They’re both amazing books, challenging reads not because they’re boring but there are a lot of less used words to decipher
Oh wow, that sounds really interesting.
I loved Devil in the White City but was less impressed with In the Garden of Beasts. Well written as usual, just rather slow for me. If you haven’t read his Dead Wake, about the sinking of the Lusitania, I highly recommend it. Excellent writing, fascinating subject, and well-paced.
Loved The Devil in the White City!
@Annabel that’s my next one. I’m almost done with In the Garden of Beasts, I’ve been waiting for an exciting incident for the whole book! It’s well written I agree, but I’m glad I’m not thinking it’s slow and just missing something! Dead Wake is next
Yes, I was waiting for more interesting things to happen, and they just didn’t for me! I think, and hope, you will like Dead Wake more. Enjoy!
Radical Candor
Not mentioned thus far:
Just Kids, by Patti Smith
Making Toast, by Roger Rosenblatt
Godforsaken Sea, by Derek Lundy
The Color of Water, by James McBride
Enduring Courage: Ace Pilot Eddie Rickenbacker..,
By John F. Ross
A Pearl in the Storm, by Tori Murder McClure
Loved Just Kids too!
OMG. Colour: travels through the paintbox by Victoria Finley…how could I have forgotten about that? It’s a history of colour featuring a different one per chapter. Awesome book.
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Wells
The Log from the Sea of Cortez, by John Steinbeck.
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
I rarely read nonfiction but On Writing by Stephen King is my favorite.
Devil in the White City
Becoming Justice Blackmum: Harry Blackmum’s Supreme Court Journey by Linda Greenhouse…The Search For God at Harvard by Ari L Goldman…This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession by Daniel J Levitan…
Intriguing list.
Mary Roach writes great nonfiction; I especially liked Stiff.
‘The Boys in the Boat’
It surprised me but I really enjoyed this book: Seaworthy: A Swordboat Captain Returns to the Sea by Linda Greenlaw. I love reading about females in “unexpected” careers 😉
I have several non-fiction books on my To Read List (that I found through http://goodreads.com/ ) about intriguing, strong women . This is one: Bold Spirit: “Helga Estby’s Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America” by Linda Lawrence Hunt.
I have been wanting to read her books! I will definitely put this on my list!
Devil in the Freezer, Stiff, devil in the White City,
I read The Devil in the White City. Fantastic.
Anything by Mary Roach. Far From The Tree by Andrew Solomon is my very favorite.
Running with sissors
Any book by Malcolm Gladwell!
Yes. His books elevate my thinking tremendously.
Mary Roach and A.J. Jacobs!!
“Behave” by Robert Sapolsky,
“Undaunted Courage” by Stephen Ambrose,
“Band of Brothers” by Stephen Ambrose,
“Personal History” by Katharine Graham,
“Killers of the Flower Moon” by David Gran,
“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot,
“Unbroken” by Lauren Hillenbrand,
“Empire of the Summer Moon” by S.C. Gwynne,
“War” by Sebastian Junger,
“Guns, Germs, and Steel” by Jared Diamond,
“Gates of Fire” by Stephen Pressfield,
“Where Men Win Glory” by Jon Krakauer,
“Seal of Honor:Operation Red Wings” by the Naval Institute,
“Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” by Dee Brown,
“When Breath Becomes Air” by Dr. Paul Kalanithi,
“Being Mortal” by Dr. Atul Gawande,
“Astrophysics for People in a Hurry” by Neil deGrasse Tyson,
“Cosmos” by Carl Sagan.
(I have dozens more non-fic faves.) ☮️??
Has anyone here ever read, or even heard of, The Survival Of Jan Little. Written around 1990, it’s one of the most inspiring biographies I ever read. Unbelievable what that poor woman endured.
No, but will be looking it up. Thanks.
Your comment got me interested! This book didn’t have a huge amount of reviews on Goodreads but the ones that were posted all gave high praise and/or stated that this book basically haunts them to this day. I hope to get my hands on a copy sometime. Thanks for bringing it up, Wandy!
Thanks for the rec. I just ordered one of several copies available on eBay.
Hands down – Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. Absolutely riveting.
I read tons of nonfiction. I loved Seabiscuit and Boys in the Boat. A great read about London during WWII is Citizens of London about Edward R Murrow, Averil Harriman and Ambassador John Winant. For something totally different, I also loved We Two about Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and Born to Rule about the five of Victoria’s granddaughters who went on to be reigning monarch. Other nonfiction favorites include Freedom at Midnight about the separation of India and Pakistan from the British empire, The Children about the college students who fueled the civil rights movement, and a classic – In Cold Blood.
Wonderful reading list – thanks for posting!
The one that comes to mind at the moment was Unbroken. I could not put that book down.
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Freakanomics, The Four Agreements
Unbroken
Memoirs, personal essays, poetry
Sons of Mississippi.
Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne–the best thing I have ever read about the west, Comanche their history, and a lot of more.
Great book!
A New Earth, My Stroke of Insight, Dying to be Me, Just Mercy and The Food Revolution…
– oh, and The Warmth of Other Suns!
@Patti Thanks. This book should be on the reading list of any Sociology class for sure. But anyone interested in America’s evolution should check it out.
The Endurance; Touching the Void
Forgot about Touching the Void. Great book!
Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey.
Evicted by Matthew Desmond.
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald.
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
Desert Solitaire was written in 1968. Goodreads review of it comments that it is as relevant today as when it was written. Coincidentally I recently read of a book written in the 1930s that was a call to environmental stewardship and warning that the current day practices (1930s) would lead to dire circumstances for our environment. Just poignant. :-\
Flags of our fathers
The Long Shadow of Small Ghosts by Laura Tillman, Not My Father’s Son by Alan Cumming, After Visiting Friends by Michael Hainey to name just a few.
Also Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann was excellent!
Radium Girls
I had no idea this had ever happened before I read it. Great book.
Home is a Roof Over a Pig by Aminta Arrington and Invisible Girls by Sarah Thebarge.
Radium Girls
THE THIRD WAVE, WINSTON CHURCHILL MEMOIRS
My most favorite lately is Educated by Tara Westover. A confused father and family. A strong young girl that circumstances didn’t hold her back!
Sounds great. Would it be appropriate for a 10-year old? I’m looking for books to send my granddaughter.
@Laura how about The Diary of Anne Frank? It really touched me when I was in my young teens, and I still hold her tragic story close to my heart.
Thanks. Yes – I believe her class read that this past year. It is an important and impressive story indeed.
Bill Bryson! Especially “In a Sunburned Country” (about Australia and hilarious), and “A Walk in the Woods”.
In a Sunburned Country had me laughing out loud, again and again.
@Peg me too!!!
This is a wonderful resource to pile up my To Read list! Many very intriguing books in these replies. Thanks to all who have posted. My To Read list is going to last me well into retirement. ☺️?
Good list! My pick for this year would be Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime. There’s another one I liked years ago – Kaffir Boy (similar, but not as humorous).
Born a Crime is a wonderful story….heartbreaking on many levels, but also inspiring, uplifting and beautifully written.
Devil in the White City
I’ve read 3 Erik Larson books and liked them all a lot.
From recent years I’d say Alexandra Fuller’s Don’t Let’s go to the Dogs Tonight. Also loved The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman.