We’ve all had to drag ourselves through a dreadfully dull nonfiction book, whether it be for school or work, or just because we had the urge to learn something new. Oftentimes, one bad experience with a dense or tedious nonfiction read can ruin us from ever attempting the genre again.
We’re here to assure you that not every nonfiction book is too dense or too dull for you to enjoy. Here we give ten nonfiction recommendations that read like fiction. Whether it be with unique, but true storytelling techniques or a narrative and lyrical tone, these books come in a wide range of topics and techniques, but they all make for a great story. Keep reading if you’re ready to give the genre of nonfiction another try!
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer is well known for his book Into the Wild another nonfiction sensation that was adapted into a movie. In Into Thin Air, Krakauer uses his captivating storytelling skills to tell a more personal tale of tragedy in the wild. He gives a brutally truthful account of his expedition up Mt. Everest and the storm that caused devastation for his fellow climbers, which still haunts Krakauer.
Krakauer’s books never fail to engage readers with suspenseful and dangerous stories of adventurers. Both Into the Wild and Into Thin Air serve as a harsh reminder that the power of nature is not to be taken for granted.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is a nonfiction book that explores significant issues in science, history, racial relations, and bioethics, presenting an incredibly engaging story of the unknown woman behind numerous medical advances. Henrietta Lacks was a poor Black woman working on a farm in the ’50s. Her cells were used for decades without her consent and became the keys to scientific breakthroughs, including cancer research and the development of the polio vaccine.
With this riveting nonfiction, Skloot dives into the personal history of Henrietta Lacks and her family, as well as the science behind how her cells became more remembered than the woman herself. It is a book that captures the story of a life while also documenting history.
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
Another popular nonfiction title that reads like fiction is Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. This book tells the chilling true story of the murders of members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. With the discovery of oil on their land, the Osage became some of the wealthiest people in the world, but they also became targets, as more and more members were killed.
Killers of the Flower Moon is the perfect read for fans of true crime, as the story details one of the first cases of the newly formed FBI and the investigation into who was killing the Osage, which has become one of the largest American conspiracies. It has also been adapted into a film.
The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery
Naturalist Sy Montgomery immerses herself in the studies of octopuses, traveling around the world, befriending octopuses, and telling their story in The Soul of an Octopus. In this nonfiction novel, Montgomery writes a playful story about the different personalities and undeniable intelligence of each of her favorite creatures.
Montgomery’s storytelling is funny and heartwarming as she aims to change the way the world sees this underrated creature. Through her own firsthand experiences with what she has learned about octopuses and what octopuses can teach the world.
The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater
With The 57 Bus, Dashka Slater writes an incredibly thought-provoking nonfiction book that explores themes of gender, race, and class, centering on a crime that forever changed the lives of two teenagers. The 57 Bus tells the stories of two teenagers who live entirely separate lives, which only ever overlap on the 57 bus.
The story, as we know it, ends with Sasha, an agender middle-class white teen, set on fire by Richard, a lower-class Black teen who faces life imprisonment for his hate crime. Slater dives deeper into this story and, through ingenious investigative journalism, reveals that there may be a different, even more heartbreaking truth behind this story.
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating is a book of quiet observation. In this nonfiction book, Elisabeth Tova Bailey tells the story of how her struggles with a chronic illness that kept her bedridden allowed her to observe and become infatuated with a snail that appeared on her nightstand.
Bailey’s account of this snail is much more than a personal experience; she delves into the biology and behavior of the snail, as well as contemplating the meaning that this strange little creature has brought into her life. Both Bailey and the snail demonstrate a resilience in life that Bailey recognizes as the connection between all living things, which reminds us that we are not all that different.
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson
Isabel Wilkerson writes a narrative nonfiction story of the Great Migration in The Warmth of Other Suns. She captures the American historical event of the Great Migration, when millions of Black citizens moved north and west to escape the racial violence and segregation of the South.
Through the true stories of Ida Mae Gladney moving to Chicago, George Starling’s move to Harlem, and Robert Foster’s journey to California, Wilkerson paints a vivid picture of historical events. With this unique nonfiction storytelling technique, she stitches together these accounts to shed light on the unrecognized lives of those who took part in the Great Migration and how it has contributed to the tapestry of America.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari is an epic tale of how humankind emerged, grew, and developed into the species we are today, a feat that no other species has achieved. Harari starts from the very beginning, back when Homo sapiens weren’t the only human species on earth. He delves into how Homo sapiens came out on top and how our primitive ancestors formed cities and empires, each with its own religions, art, and politics.
Harari presents a fascinating story of mankind, blending history and science with engaging storytelling to make readers question where we came from and how our past shapes everything about us.
The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson
Another readable true crime nonfiction book is The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson. This book tells the true story of a strange crime: the theft by a burglar who broke into the Tring outpost of the British Natural History Museum, which housed one of the largest ornithological collections in the world. The thief stole hundreds of bird skins and became one of the elusive crime mysteries of history.
Johnson explores this strange case in depth, learning what ever became of the crime and trying to understand the motive. The Feather Thief is a fascinating account of a little-known story, delving into man’s obsessions with the beauty of the natural world and the pursuit of justice.
The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot by Robert Macfarlane
With The Old Ways, Robert Macfarlane crafts a lyrical, introspective account of his journey as he walks through the ancient lands of the British Isles, from England to the Scottish islands, and through Spain, Palestine, and Tibet. As he makes his journey, Macfarlane charts the history of the lands, along with the cartography and geology that all come together to create such beauty.
In this nonfiction book, readers will learn not only about geology and how lands have been sculpted and changed throughout history, but also how these lands have shaped history. Macfarlane writes beautifully about the stories of the land, blending his personal experiences with those of men from five thousand years ago who walked the same paths.
These books prove that nonfiction isn’t this old, dense, boring genre that it’s often perceived as. Like all the best fiction books, these stories transport us to different times and places with inspiring characters and beautiful writing, but unlike our favorite fictional read, they are true. This small fact makes these books all the more powerful.
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Find these books and more on our Fascinating Nonfiction Reads You Can’t Miss bookshelf on Bookshop.org.
