I’ve read a fantastic assortment of fiction books this year, but I think my nonfiction reads have surpassed those. It was difficult to build this list. There are a couple of books in particular that I wanted to include, but I’m not ready to start incorporating ‘top 10’ posts. Nonfiction is what got me back into reading as an adult, so it’s no wonder I have learned how to pick books I know will appeal to me. (However, a couple on this list were not ones I picked myself!)
#5 – Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green
The title of this book caught my eye when I started seeing it pop up online, but I hadn’t seriously considered picking it up until it was chosen as The Global Book Nook’s nonfiction group read. I’ve never been particularly interested in books about health and medicine, so I was shocked to find myself enjoying this as much as I did.
Though a hefty topic, John Green manages to capture a long and complicated history of a complex disease in a couple of hundred pages. I never gave much thought to tuberculosis. I never realized that there were different forms and manifestations of it, or that it even had a cultural impact, especially in literature. Fascinating!
#4 – The House of My Mother by Shari Franke
I wasn’t familiar with the Franke family until Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt’s arrests. Like many, I was taken in by the story, in complete disbelief at what those children endured. I was eager to hear Shari’s perspective as the eldest child.
I appreciated that this book wasn’t a tell-all book and that Shari is allowing her younger siblings the autonomy to tell their own stories. This is very much Shari’s story and her experiences with her mother, father, and later, Jodi. I was shocked by how much I found myself relating to some things Shari wrote about. Not her home life (thank God), but her personality and ways of coping.
#3 – Nagasaki: Life After Nuclear War by Susan Southard
I’ve read several nonfiction books that have churned my stomach, but this one takes the cake. Not only due to the depictions of burn victims and radiation poisoning, but also the inhumanity of the attacks. Not that any war is humane, but nuclear weapons are a particular brand of evil.
Although I think this is an important read, I do not recommend it lightly. The book sheds a brutal light on the reality of atomic weapons and the lasting devastation they cause (for everybody). Another sad reality is how the devastation was actively covered up while so many victims were dying the most painful and horrifying deaths imaginable. What stuck with me more than this, however, was the faith of so many of the Nagasaki citizens and their determination to rebuild.
#2 – Night by Elie Wiesel
This book was gifted to me a couple of years ago by my friend Skylar. I was surprisingly unfamiliar with it, but as soon as I read the synopsis, I knew it was going to be fantastic. I don’t know why it took me so long to pick it up.
The first book of a trilogy, Elie Wiesel reflects on his life before and during the Holocaust. It’s a poetic and honest account, not shying away from the hard truths of survival. I don’t remember why I didn’t write a full review about it. I can only assume I was at a loss for words. (Or I might have been planning on reviewing the trilogy together after I read the other two books. I had planned on reading them long before now, so that’s likely.)
#1 – Confessions by Saint Augustine
This book was a long time coming for me, especially after reading Saint Augustine’s City of God last year. I read this throughout Lent, and it had a deep impact on me, but the events in the Church that followed after Easter have made this reading experience even more profound. When Pope Leo XIV was elected, I was dumbfounded to hear not only that he was born in America, but also an Augustinian.
I’d been intimidated by this book for years. In a way, picking up City of God and it’s 1000+ pages had felt less daunting. I’ve heard it quoted and referenced my entire life, but sitting down and reading Saint Augustine’s personal account of his conversion and the spiritual/moral struggles he faced felt so approachable. Sometimes I think of some other saints who lived such holy and pure lives and feel sad knowing I could never measure up, but reading about the imperfect life Saint Augustine led before his conversion filled me with hope for not only myself, but every person.
I would love to hear about any nonfiction recommendations you might have! Do you have a favorite you’ve read this year?
Here are some of my other top reads of 2025 (so far)!*
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