Ten Nonfiction Books on My TBR List

I don’t read a lot of nonfiction, but for some reason I have a growing pile of it on my TBR list, and every day I’m hearing about something new I want to read.  So I enjoyed Nonfiction November, because it gave me even more good reading ideas.   This week’s topic was ten nonfiction books we’ve added to our TBR list.  I’m cheating a little, posting two books I just read, and a few I’ve been meaning to read for a while.  I’d love for you to weigh in about what you recommend or what you’d like to hear more about.

1) Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. I just finished this book about a U.S. World War II pilot who is first stranded in a raft in the Pacific, then captured and held in Japanese prison camps. There’s a movie version coming this winter.

2) The Confidence Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman. These two journalists researched how women hold themselves back because of lack of confidence (and how to stop). Did anyone see the recent “I’m sorry” Pantene ad? If this book (like that ad) doesn’t resonate with a lot of women out there, I’ll be surprised.

3) Wild by Cheryl Strayed. About a woman who picks up and walks the Pacific Crest Trail to deal with an emotional crisis.   This one’s also coming soon in a movie. It’s also been highly recommended by my sister and good friends.

4) The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore. Along the lines of reading about empowered women is this book about the origins of our favorite (and underappreciated) female super hero.

5) The Wild Truth by Carine McCandless. A follow up to one of my favorite books, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, only this is the story of Chris McCandless told by his sister.

6) Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed by Meghan Daum. Sixteen writers talk about their decision not to have children. The title alone makes me want to read this book.

7) How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran. Okay, this is clearly a very woman-centered list. I’ve heard great things about Moran. Feminism and humor, what’s not to like?

8 and 9) Half the Sky and A Path Appears by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. I saw some of Half the Sky on PBS and it was fantastic. Kristof and WuDunn are doing amazing work informing people about the struggles women and girls face around the world. The first book focuses on the problem, and the second book is about what we can all do about it.

10) The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan. A very highly rated book about the Dust Bowl, which I’m fascinated by (but woefully ignorant of). The most interesting part of the recent movie Interstellar was when they showed real footage of Dust Bowl survivors.

For other great nonfiction reads, check out Nonfiction November.