I use Grammarly’s grammar check because although you might not be able to tell from the way I look when I drop Meredith off at daycare right now or the frequency of baths taken around here, I DO have some standards.

I read a whole lot more fiction than nonfiction, so when I do read it I try to make it the good stuff. A lot of the nonfiction books I read are faith-related, but since I’ve already written about my favorite books on faith I didn’t include any of those on this list. Here are the ones I absolutely loved.

Nicholas & Alexandra by Robert K. Massie – This biography of the last Tsar of Russia and his wife really is a case where truth is stranger than fiction. So much drama and intrigue and I loved every word.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand – The subtitle says this is “A World War II story of survival, resilience, and redemption,” and that’s a perfect way to describe it. I cannot even believe what this man went through and the way that his life was transformed.

And the Sea Will Tell by Vincent Bugliosi – My husband is a true crime fanatic, so that means I don’t have to wade through all the junk (because a lot of that genre really is terrible) and can go straight to the good stuff. He says this is the best true crime book he’s ever read, and it was completely riveting to me too. It’s unique in that the author was also the defense attorney and the evidence was seemingly insurmountable.

Great With Child by Beth Ann Fennelly – In a different vein, this is a memoir about motherhood in the format of letters written to an expectant mother that is gorgeous and poetic and just perfect.

Columbine by Dave Cullen – An account of the Columbine shootings, the boys that did it and their families, and the community. It was researched for ten years, the story is fascinating and in-depth, and the author is even witty. My eyes were opened.

The Hot Zone by Richard Preston – This might have been the first real nonfiction book I ever read. It’s the retelling of a near-outbreak of a strain of Ebola virus in the U.S. and I felt like it could have been the screenplay to a movie. It was intense and thrilling and for a long time afterward I was terrified of this disease.

Your turn! I have more fiction books on my to-read list than I know what to do with, but I’d love more nonfiction recommendations. What are your favorites?

***

This post was sponsored by Grammarly, but all opinions are my own.