Favorite non-fiction books
In all honesty, I have to offer a disclaimer: I love books. I love to read. This is not an exhaustive list because I have too many favorites. Okay, moving on to a FEW of my favorite non-fiction books.
This list includes those I’ve read over the past year, but you can find my entire list here.
All My Knotted up Life is a memoir by Beth Moore. Beth has been a well-known Christian speaker and author for years. I listened to her read her story and it showed me what a heart she has for people, her family and those who are hurting in this world. If you’re someone who enjoys memoirs, don’t miss out one this one!
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a true story and “yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave. Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells—taken without her knowledge—became one of the most important tools in medicine: The first “immortal” human cells grown in culture, which are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years.” I had never heard of Henrietta or HELO prior to reading this book that was recommended by one of my favorite African-American writers, Jasmine Holmes. For authentic African-American history lessons, follow Jasmine and support her writing.
Educated is a memoir written by Tara Westover. “Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Her family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education, and no one to intervene when one of Tara’s older brothers became violent. When another brother got himself into college, Tara decided to try a new kind of life. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge University. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far, if there was still a way home.” I couldn’t put this memoir down. For some, or maybe most, we cannot fathom going through a childhood like Tara. Most of the memoirs I read have a similar theme: a nightmare childhood with a bit of good scattered throughout that leads to adulthood, where these writers have fought their way through trial after trial and are now on the other side. They show bravery in giving us glimpses into the darkest places of their lives, and they teach us how to be brave and keep moving forward even in the worst of times.
Surprised by Oxford is a memoir by Carolyn Weber. This is one of my favorite reads of 2023! “Carolyn Weber arrives at Oxford a feminist from a loving but broken family, suspicious of men and intellectually hostile to all things religious. As she grapples with her God-shaped void alongside the friends, classmates, and professors she meets, she tackles big questions in search of truth, love, and a life that matters. From issues of fatherhood, feminism, doubt, doctrine, and love, Weber explores the intricacies of coming to faith with an aching honesty and insight echoing that of the poets and writers she studied.” I LOVED this book and highly recommend listening to it on Audible if that’s your thing! If you don’t have an Audible account, CLICK HERE and you can sign up and get your first 3 months for $5.95 per month for the first 4 months and you can cancel anytime!
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis is a memoir by JD Vance. “The Vance family story began with hope in postwar America. J.D.’s grandparents were “dirt poor and in love” and moved north from Kentucky’s Appalachia region to Ohio in the hopes of escaping the dreadful poverty around them.” J.D.’s story takes place in my home state of Ohio and I think that’s what first drew me to this book and the idea that we have no idea the lives some are living right around the corner from us. Vance does a beautiful job of sharing his family history and how it shaped who he has become today.
Yellow Star is a “true story of Syvia Perlmutter―a story of courage, heartbreak, and finally survival despite the terrible circumstances in which she grew up. A timeline, historical notes, and an author’s note are included. In 1945 the war ended. The Germans surrendered, and the ghetto was liberated. Out of over a quarter of a million people, about 800 walked out of the ghetto. Of those who survived, only twelve were children. I was one of the twelve.” For more than fifty years after the war, Syvia, like many Holocaust survivors, did not talk about her experiences in the Lodz ghetto in Poland. She buried her past in order to move forward. But finally she decided it was time to share her story, and so she told it to her niece, who has re-told it here using free verse inspired by her aunt.” I have been reading Holocaust survivor stories for as far back as I can remember. I’ve never read one that didn’t leave me wondering how. How could men (and women) be so evil? How did those who survived do it without faltering under the crushing weight of the German regime and survive to tell their story? This book was different in the sense that Syvia was a child survivor. I could see me own children as I read her story and my heart broke over and over again until Syvia and the other eleven children were finally rescued.