Recommended for you
Maybe it’s the years you spent reading books about history that you hated for school assignments. Maybe it’s the fact that some non-fiction titles look so long and intimidating. Or maybe it’s just because there are so many good novels out there jockeying to be at the top of your reading list. Whatever the reasons, if you’ve found yourself a lot less likely to read non-fiction than fiction, maybe it’s time to make a change.
The non-fiction world is only getting more interesting and diverse, and the category has come to include a huge variety of true-story titles that may just draw you in as much as your favorite fiction tale. Keep scrolling to find your next read.
<em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Glass-Castle-Memoir-Jeannette-Walls/dp/074324754X/" target="_blank">The Glass Castle: A Memoir</a> </em>
If you’re looking for a way to ease yourself into the world of non-fiction reading, memoirs are a great way to go. The Glass Castle is the fascinating account of author Jeannette Walls’s pseudo-nomadic upbringing. Her dysfunctional family manages to be oddly appealing in spite of its many flaws, and you’ll find yourself crossing your fingers (and toes!) that she manages to overcome the odds and achieve her goals.
<em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Paperback-Crush-Totally-Radical-History/dp/1683690788" target="_blank">Paperback Crush: The Totally Radical History of ’80s and ’90s Teen Fiction</a> </em>
Remember the days of The Baby-Sitters Club, Sweet Valley High, and The Saddle Club? If not, Paperback Crush will jog your memory in the loveliest possible way. Find yourself steeped in Lisa Frank-style nostalgia with Gabrielle Moss’s exploration of all things late-20th-century fiction. You may even find yourself feeling inspired to pick up some of those old favorite books!
<em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/You-Couldnt-Ignore-Tried-Generation/dp/0307716600" target="_blank">You Couldn’t Ignore Me If You Tried: The Brat Pack, John Hughes, and Their Impact on a Generation</a> </em>
If you’re anything like us, you were raised on The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and Pretty in Pink, and this book delivers on all the BTS dirt you could ever want about those movies. Find out how they were made, how their stars really felt about each other, and how deeply they’ve influenced the pop culture and love stories that followed.
<em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Designing-Your-Life-Well-Lived-Joyful/dp/1101875321/" target="_blank">Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life</a> </em>
If you prefer to dip into non-fiction of the personal development variety, Designing Your Life may just be the perfect choice. Written by two top-notch designers, the book explores the ways in which we can all apply the principles of design to our everyday lives.
<em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Superficial-More-Adventures-Cohen-Diaries/dp/1250145716" target="_blank">Superficial: More Adventures from the Andy Cohen Diaries</a> </em>
Pop culture buffs, rejoice! You’re never going to find another book that feeds your appetite for insider gossip and celebrity insight quite like Superficial. Spend a year with the Bravo exec and Watch What Happens: Live host by reading his hilarious, brutally honest diary.
<em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Text-When-You-Get-Home/dp/110198614X/" target="_blank">Text Me When You Get Home: The Evolution and Triumph of Modern Female Friendships</a> </em>
If you’re lucky enough to be surrounded by solid female friendships, it’s easy to take them for granted, but journalist Kayleen Schaefer’s deep dive into the history of this unique relationship will open your eyes to the true significance of our BFFs.
<em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Garlic-Sapphires-Secret-Critic-Disguise/dp/0143036610" target="_blank">Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise</a> </em>
Take a peek into the fascinating life of a food critic with the world-renowned Ruth Reichl. A former restaurant critic for The New York Times and former editor-in-chief of Gourmet, Reichl knows all about food and — even more juicily — the business of reviewing the hottest restaurants in New York City. Garlic and Sapphires gives you the chance to live vicariously, and deliciously, through her.
<em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1476740186/" target="_blank">The Library Book</a> </em>
New Yorker writer Susan Orlean investigates a 1986 fire in the Los Angeles Public Library in The Library Book, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick. You’ll learn the details of the fire itself — and reflect on the importance of libraries in our lives and culture.
