Nonfiction Books For People Who Only Read Fiction
For years, I avoided reading nonfiction unless I needed something to put me to sleep. Then I found narrative nonfiction and realized that I’d been missing out on a whole genre due to preconceived notions.
The books I’m recommending are full of suspense, mystery and human (and animal) stories that will tug at your heart strings.
From a man who stole feathers from a museum to sell on the fly-fishing black market to the victims of a notorious killer, these books will draw you into worlds you never knew existed and introduce you to people who could easily be forgotten by time if not for these authors.
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack The Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold
This is a book about the victims, not the killer. Rubenhold is very clear on that fact. She has written this for them because they have been maligned, misunderstood, and misrepresented for far too long.
You will come away from this book with a greater understanding of these five women, and what it was like to live in 19th-century England. The homeless population of England at this time was staggering. Rubenhold meticulously researched the abject poverty that overwhelmed so many.
I was reminded, of course, of Charles Dickens and his work exposing the underbelly of England during this era. Rubenhold’s book digs deeply into primary sources to give us a day in the life of these women.
Whatever you think you know about these victims, you will put aside as the author shares with you the truth of life in Victorian England for the destitute.
The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston
Rumors of a lost city nestled deep in the Honduran wilderness have crept through the tales of explorers and scientists for years. As with many of the world’s secret places holding untold treasures, this one comes with a curse that anyone who enters will fall ill and die.
In the 1940s, a journalist staggers out of the rainforest with tales of the White City or the City of the Monkey God, but he commits suicide before revealing its location.
In 2012, Douglas Preston and a team of scientists flew over the rainforest with a new technology—lidar. This ground-penetrating radar revealed what was beneath the canopy, a long-forgotten city.
Now Preston and his team must brave the uncharted and dangerous terrain to find the Lost City of the Monkey God and see what treasures it has been keeping. They must also face the curse that is lying in wait for them.
You may also like my review of The Lost Tomb: And Other Real-Life Stories of Bones, Burials, and Murder by Douglas Preston
The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson
When Edwin Rist broke into the Tring Museum in England and stole rare and exotic bird skins and feathers, I wonder if he knew the irreparable damage he would do to the scientific world.
When greed and obsession take over, you lose sight of any broader repercussions. Kirk Wallace Johnson was out fly-fishing when he first heard the story of the heist. Someone had stolen bird feathers to sell on the black market of salmon fly-tying.
Who knew bird feathers would be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars?
As Kirk himself becomes obsessed with this story, he helps to investigate and ultimately uncovers the truth about the heist. As fascinating as this story is, true crime isn’t always wrapped up in a nice bow at the end.
I still recommend reading the book and delving into the strange world of bird feathers.
The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery
When Sy Montgomery wants to research a topic, she fully immerses herself in that world. The world of the octopus was no different.
These creatures have fascinated me ever since I learned about how easy it can be for them to escape these constructed habitats. Often they only need a hole the size of a quarter to squeeze through and they are out.
Sy Montgomery gets to know the octopus and its many emotions including friendship. Of course, some would say Montgomery and I are anthropomorphizing these cephalopods, but read the book and decide for yourself.Â
Whether or not animals have emotions can be debated by others, but the fact that they can draw such strong emotions from us should be enough to say they have a soul. You will get attached to these creatures when you read this book. And when you are done, I highly recommend you watch My Octopus Teacher.
If you want more Sy Montgomery, I also enjoyed The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood.
Series: The World of Lore by Aaron Mahnke
Should I listen to the podcast, read the books, or watch the show? Why not all three? Aaron Mahnke weaves eerie tales of folklore, legend, and fact together to create this series.
Creepy, eerie, and atmospheric, this series explores the hidden recesses of the mind that makes us wonder if werewolves, vampires, and the like are real.
Mahnke’s stories are haunting. The first in the series plunges into the world of monstrous creatures and the series continues with wicked mortals and dreadful places.
These books invite you into the darkness if you aren’t afraid to go.
The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel
Christopher Knight left his job, got in his car and drove to Maine. When his car ran out of gas on an out of the way road, he simply walked away into the woods.
For 27 years, Christopher would live in the wilderness, stealing from summer cabins and camps. When he is finally discovered, he is sentenced for his thefts and eventually returns home to live with his mother.
The story of the last true hermit, has Finkel examining hermits throughout history in a quest to discover why people choose this life. Knight obviously did everything he could to disappear from society.
Finkel doggedly chases this story, contacting Knight numerous times with Knight and his family begging to be left alone. Just as some of the other books in this list, all the questions are not answered, but this is a story about a real person and there is no all-knowing narrator. There is only human nature and the questions that come with it.
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Cozy up with a good read and hope to see you
in the middle of a book,
Amy
