Nonfiction November: The Top 5 Nonfiction Books I’ve Read This Year

Well, it's that time again, folks. It's the one month of the year when I convince myself that I can definitely make up for the lack of nonfiction books I've read so far. Of the 56 books I've finished since January 1st, only 16 of them have been nonfiction. Suffice to say, I'm slacking. If you're in the same position as me and looking to branch out, I've got a list of the Top 5 nonfiction books I've read so far this year! I hope this helps you reach your goals for this month!

#5: Burdened: Student Debt and the Making of an American Crisis by Ryann Liebenthal

I read Burdened as an ARC, but it officially came out back in September. It chronicles the history of student loan debt and the beginning of the crisis we find ourselves entrenched in today. Liebenthal does a fabulous job of describing a system that is so broken and so harmful to the individuals who come into contact with it, striking a balance between journalistic integrity and an honest bias. This topic is very clearly personal to her, and she does a wonderful job of keeping this part of the story out of it until the very end. At this point, there is a very powerful final discussion of how student loans have impacted her life that really brought it all home. If you are interested in the history of student loan debt, or are a debt holder like myself who is curious about the people in the past who went through the same struggles that you did, this may be the book for you!

#4 Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

This book made me cry thinking about the women in my life and how lucky I am to have them. Dolly Alderton has lived a lot of lives and she knows how to tell her stories in a way that is both funny and moving. These memories and her “Everything I Know About Love at _____” chapters worked so well for me. There were other parts that I didn’t quite understand the merits of, such as the satirical emails and recipes, but the emotional appeal remains undeniable. If you are struggling to find yourself, spiraling over the idea of aging, or just really love your friends, this is a great book to read. While it is centered on the life, experienced, and perspectives of a woman, I think there is something in here for men too!

#3 - Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein

Doppelgänger came to me at the perfect time - a moment entrenched in such political upheaval that it can be hard to separate my thoughts from it. Part memoir and part cultural analysis, Naomi Klein uses this book to explore her obsessive and one-sided relationship with Naomi Wolf, a fellow author who spreads political ideology that Klein finds abhorrent. Despite their vastly different platforms and beliefs, they share a name and a history, and that is enough for many people to mix the two up, leading to an identity crisis for Klein. Outside of this very personal account, Klein also explores doppelgängers in culture more broadly. She discusses COVID, health, social media, global conflict, and more. This book was strong in many ways, but I think its largest strength was its undeniable relevance and the way that I was able to connect its contents so strongly to the lives and experiences of my friends and family. I found myself wanting to give Doppelgänger to others to read a chapter or two, and I believe that that is the mark of a book that is meant to be read by many!

#2 - The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl

A love story written for the natural world, The Comfort of Crows contains the memories, observations, and thoughts of Margaret Renkl over the course of one year. As she watches the world change around her, she grounds herself by exploring nature in her own neighborhood. With 52 weeks of essays about plants, animals, fungi, and also about climate change, aging, and experiencing major life changes, Renkl’s style shines through. She writes with such admiration and depth that I often found myself tearing up. The book also contains absolutely gorgeous drawings and praise songs for nature woven in. While a lovely work in and of itself, it also contains somewhat of a book list by including quotes from other works that focus on the beauty of nature. One of the quotes was from one of my all time favorite books, World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, and that definitely earned this one a few bonus points from me.

#1 - Three Women by Lisa Taddeo

Lisa Taddeo, the author that you are. I started out reading her fictional book Animal. I loved her writing style, her unflinching willingness to explore difficult topics, and the honesty within her words. I knew that I had to read more of her work. This book is harsh, distressing, and downright gross. That is unfortunately reality for some women. The stories within chronicle women who experience the innate human need for love and desire, and people who recognize this as an opportunity for advantage. I found this book resonating deeply with me, as I have both experienced and witnessed my fair share of damaging relationships. These experiences took a strong woman to put them down on the page, and even stronger women to live through them and willingly tell the tale. If these are sensitive topics for you, this may not be the right book for you, but it was the right book for me because of its ability to be simultaneously powerful and vulnerable while giving space to women whose stories demand to be told.