| Many nonfiction writers are creating
books that read like novels, with
similar pacing, character development,
and narrative. Nonfiction authors have
found great success this way, following
in the footsteps of Joan Didion, Norman
Mailer, Hunter S. Thompson, and Tom
Wolfe. For example, Ann Rule reigns in
true crime nonfiction, David McCullough
excels in biography and David Sedaris
keeps people laughing with short essays.
Peter Mayle’s stories make France come
alive and Stephen Ambrose makes American
history accessible to all readers.
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| Check out these nonfiction titles with
wide appeal: |
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Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story
of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer. Author
of Into Thin Air,
Krakauer turns his
attentions to a chilling murder by
Mormon fundamentalists. The intriguing
history of the Mormon Church (one of the
world’s fastest growing religions) and
the details of fundamentalists’ beliefs
will keep you turning the pages. |
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Crossing Over: A Mexican Family on
the Migrant Trail by Ruben Martinez. The
story of three Mexican brothers killed
while trying to cross the U.S. border is
the centerpiece of this book. Martinez
follows the family of the brothers
killed and puts a human face on those
who emigrate and those left behind. |
|
Bringing Down the House: The
Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who
Took Vegas for Millions by Ben Mezrich.
Follow a 20-something's double life as a
member of an exclusive club of MIT grads
taking card counting to another level.
The close calls and casino wrath will
liven up your water cooler
conversations. |
|
The Meaning of Everything: The
Story of the Oxford English Dictionary
by Simon Winchester. Begun in
1857, many people worked to complete the
Oxford English Dictionary project
seventy-one years later.
Winchester describes this massive
endeavor and the passions of people
involved with wit and perfect pacing. |
A Short History of Nearly Everything
by Bill Bryson. Bryson writes a broad
overview of general scientific theories
about how humans went from nothing to
something and what happened in between.
His distinctive voice makes his facts
and observations original. |
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Longitude: The True Story of a Lone
Genius Who Solved the Greatest
Scientific Problem of his Time by Dava
Sobel. In the 18th century, English
Parliament offered a huge sum of money
to anyone who could figure out how to
measure longitude. Self-educated John
Harrison invented the chronometer, then
fought politics and injustice to get the
prize. |
|
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human
Cadavers by Mary Roach. Roach makes the
subject of human cadavers hilarious, in
an informative and respectful way. She
turns the historical uses of dead
bodies, how bodies decay, and
cannibalism into captivating topics. |
|
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in
the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony
Bourdain. New York chef Bourdain serves
up a fast-paced account of his training
and the gritty details of the restaurant
life. This opinionated chef can be
amusing and disgusting, but he creates
an entertaining read. |
|
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an
Unfair Game by Michael Lewis. Who knew
baseball statistics could be so
exciting? Michael Lewis tells how the
Oakland A’s created a great team with
little money through negotiation, luck,
and the use of statistics that other
teams had ignored. |
|
On Writing by Stephen King.
Part writer’s manual, part memoir, this book
entertains and instructs. It’s a fresh
and funny look at writing and the
writer's life. |
|
Ice Bound: A Doctor’s Incredible
Battle for Survival at the South Pole by
Jerri Nielsen. In the South Pole,
unreachable for nine months of the year,
Dr. Jerri Nielsen finds a lump in her
breast. Nielsen’s riveting story goes
beyond the typical survival tale with
her account of self-discovery in a
fascinating place. |
|
Carry Me Home: Birmingham, Alabama:
The Climactic Battle of the Civil Rights
Revolution by Diane McWhorter. In 1963,
Birmingham was divided by the struggle
for racial justice. McWhorter weaves
history with memoir as she chronicles
the struggles within both the Movement
led by Martin Luther King, Jr., and the
segregationist resistance, while on a
personal quest to determine if her
father was a Klan member. |
| Many nonfiction books have stayed on
the bestseller lists for weeks and
caused fiction readers to head to the
nonfiction aisles. Here are some of the
most popular titles that read like
novels:
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