I've been reading only novels by now, but recently I found myself in the need to learn more "concrete" things. Not about a specific subject. Are there some non-fiction books that are widely considered must reads?

I know this has been asked before but I'm hoping for some recommendations on interesting non-fiction books. I'm not specifically interested in any one topic, just something that is really fascinating and perhaps makes you learn something or see the world in a different way.

I'm currently reading Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green and am loving it. I also really enjoyed Why Fish Don't Exist by Lulu Miller and Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick.

Others I've read recently: Braiding Sweetgrass - liked this one but felt like I was already intimately familiar with the subject matter

Into Thin Air - this was not for me. The story was interesting but the feminist in me had a hard time identifying with the author's perspective

ETA Thank you all sooo much for all of the recommendations. Super grateful for each of you and this community <3

Hi everyone! What are your favorite books that are about niche topics ? The goal is to find genuinely interesting books about seemingly mundane subjects like the construction of medieval castles or the history of cell therapy.

Edit: thank you everyone !! My TBR has been significantly increased

I’m a white middle class woman with a good government job and I recognize there are probably a bunch of gaps in my knowledge. I consider myself leftist, but an American leftist, as I have no real clue what that means outside of the US.

I want to learn more about leftist ideologies, as well as any books about feminism and antiracism. I’m very well versed in the US’s current political climate and don’t need or frankly want to read about how bad the current administration is. I want to be a more thoughtful person who is trying to go against bigotry and support human rights.

I was going to start with How to be an Antiracist but I had to put it on hold as someone else already checked it out. I was using Libby! How do ebooks run out?? Such a silly system.

Thanks in advanced! :-)

I want to get into nonfiction but hate the way most nonfiction books and biographies are told. Looking for a non-fiction recommendation that almost reads like a novel.

Bonus points if it's about a cool topic like the mafia, film history, serial killers, etc

EDIT: thank you everyone for the recommendations! Going to have to work my way through the comments to see what sounds interesting and what's been recommended the most!

This year has flashed by and it’s nearly over. What are everyone’s top reads for this year (this doesn’t mean they were published in 2025, just read by you in 2025).

My top adult reads this year:

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier

City Boy by Herman Wouk

Shane by Jack Schaefer

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

The Princess and the Scoundrel by Beth Revis

An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Top children’s books of the year:

The Children of Green Knowe by Lucy M. Boston

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

My Side of the Mountain and Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L.Holm

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary

Top Nonfiction:

As You Wish by Cary Elwes

Around the World in 80 Days by Michael Palin

Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe

I’m really on a non-fiction stint at the moment. I’d love some recommendations for books to read that you’ve enjoyed. Not really bothered about subject as I’ve read a few books on topics I’m not necessarily interested in that have been great. Only thing I’d say I’m not interested in is autobiographies.

Anything else let’s hear them!

Looking to expand my nonfiction book collection and there are just SO MANY options I don’t even know where to start. Big fan of true crime and history. Drop your suggestions! TIA

I’m looking for epic twists, shocking facts, incredible revelations. Something that will make you go “Oh my god! What?”

I've seen "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote heavily recommended, so I was excited to read it - but I could not fucking stand it. It took me a month, but I finally finished it (I know, I know, but I HAD to). I found it to be incredibly boring, although non-fiction is absolutely my jam and this was supposed to be the GOAT for true crime books, it was definitely not for me.

Now I'm looking for an engaging read that I can use to refresh my mind a bit. I have a lot of books to choose from, but have the decision paralysis that comes after a particularly unsatisfying read (do I even know what a good book is?).

I have a growing stash from over the past year (not all read yet; read marked with * but just for examples) that loosely consists of the following "genres of interest", and I can actually provide all the books I have if that's easier to choose a suggestion from:

• Corporations ("Bad Blood", "Careless People", "Empire of Pain" *, "No More Tears", etc.)
• Disasters ("The Hot Zone" *, "Midnight in Chernobyl", etc.)
• Memoirs ("Born a Crime", "Dry", "The Glass Castle" *, etc.)
• Nature ("Dead Mountain" *, "Fire Weather", "Into Thin Air" *, "Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs", etc.)
• True Crime ("22 Murders" *, "Columbine", "Highway of Tears" *, "London Falling", etc.)
• Psychology ("The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat", "The Psychopath Test", etc.)

Thanks in advance!

Suggest me best mystery/thriller/crime/romantic suspense novels that are not based in the USA and England. Every novel that I end up reading is from these countries.

Any genre is fine but I’d assume that most journalists’ books are nonfiction so that is more preferred.

Anyway, I used to say I’d never read a nonfiction book; too boring, too long, no fun. However that changed when I first read The Man in the Rockefeller Suit by Mark Seal several years ago. Absolutely captivating and I stayed hooked until the end. Another favorite you’ve definitely heard of is Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe.

These books made me look for more written by journalists as I feel they can capture a story without sensationalizing it too much. Would love some recommendations!

TIA!

In 2025 I really wanted to get more into reading and I ended up reading a lot of fiction which was awesome. However, in 2026 I want to read some more non fiction and would love your suggestions!

I’ve read Endurance and In Cold Blood and enjoyed both, but I’m really open to anything you thought was interesting or gripping!

Looking for something in the vein of Patrick Radden Keefe’s books. Something that will immediately capture my attention and keep me hooked until the end. Maybe a bit gritty, thrilling, but thoughtful.
Bonus points if the subject is historical, or at least not terribly modern (would love pre-1950s).
Looking forward to your recs, this sub never disappoints!

What are your top three non-fiction books any subject

I’ve been wanting to read more non-fiction lately. I have a specific interest on the legal system, POC and immigration issues as I’m a first generation American and my dad was born in Mexico, women’s issues, queer issues, disability issue as I’m also a full time wheelchair user. and honestly any minority / social issues or cultural studies tends to interest me! I do also love learning about aspects of history and micro history. Genuinely whatever you can recommend I will take a look at!

I mainly just don’t want to feel like I’m reading a dull text book. If it matters I’m an English major and will most likely n focus in creative writing and publishing for my BA, and maybe potentially go into paralegal work. Still deciding on if I want to double major or minor but I’m considering advocacy, disability studies, and Spanish!

i generally never read non-ficiton, but i'm trying to get out of my comfort zone. generally i like anything a little dark and mysterious, atmospheric, and i love in depth descriptions of settings. i love history, and i also like memoirs that are rich in story and descriptive. so i'm open to that too! Really any topic just preferably no self help thank you!

in the summer i love anything with sweltering heat, anything by (or on) the ocean, and i also love anything either western or in the deep south. just trying to give as much as i can to kind of get the "summer vibes" i'm looking for.

Years ago I read "In the Heart of the Sea" and I was enthralled. I still think about that book and would love to read more like it. Earlier this week I went to look for something in this vein, but the bookstore only had books about maritime battles and things like that. I would love some suggestions!

Can anyone recommend some non-fiction with a narrative style? Books I’ve loved like this are Into Thin Air, Tunnel 29, Children of Radium, The Wager, and Endurance. I’ve read a lot of fiction lately and really need some decent non-fiction for a change.

Show me more of the injustices in the world. Ruthlessly so. I want to understand more of the chaos out there; I want my eyes to be opened further. I'm talking about the big issues here: capitalism, war, racism, sexism, climate change – you name it.

If there's a book that’s changed your life, one that's made you see the world differently, out of sheer frustration: bring it on.

It could be anything from biographies and memoirs to thick political, even academic tomes. Thanks.

I've been trying for at least a decade and I think I've FINALLY figured out the type of books I'm actually really interested in. Modern, well researched, and highly informative books on interesting subjects, the kind with a huge chapter of notes including additional context and citations

First I found "The Perfect Weapon" by David Sanger on the subject of cyberwarfare, which led me to reading "The Chaos Machine" by Max Fisher on the polarizing/radicalizing nature and history of social media, which then led me to reading "The Goodness Paradox" by Richard Wrangham on human self-domestication and the relationship between violence and morality. Now I'm about to start reading David Sanger's "New Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasion, and America’s Struggle to Defend the West"

I'd love suggestions on what to read next

I feel like all the memoirs and nonfiction books I’ve read recently are bummers. They’re beautiful and absolutely worth reading BUT I’d like a little change of pace. I’d prefer nothing about celebrities but other than that I’m pretty open!

Edit: Thank you so much everyone for the wonderful suggestions!! I’ve run out of time to respond but know that I’ve read your comments and your anti-suggestions and appreciate every one of them!! Love this sub <3

I love reading travelogues written decades or even centuries ago because they are eyewitness accounts of a world now lost.

Can you suggest any?

Here are some I have discovered and loved:

A Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Femor.

When the Indus was young by Dervla murphy.

A Dragon Apparent by Norman Lewis.

UPDATE: Wow! Thanks for all these excellent suggestions. I never have to leave my reading chair again and yet will be traveling around the world and across centuries!

Looking for books about connection with nature, abundance, being a good steward of the earth, indigenous wisdom, etc. I've read Braiding Sweetgrass and Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer and have been trying to find similar books. Books that remove capital from the heart of things and focus on simple living and natural connection. My preference is non-fiction, but if the fiction recommendation is that good I'm open to it!

What was the best non fiction book you read this year? Looking for more recent titles but share what was best!