Best Nonfiction 2017Like this list

25 items

• You Don't Have to Say You Love Me

  a Memoir

  Alexie, Sherman, 1966-

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  In poetry and prose, Alexie reflects on his complicated relationship with his mother, who passed away in 2015. The result is a raw, heart-wrenching memoir that explores Alexie's childhood, his mother's volatility, and the complex processes…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• American Wolf

  a True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West

  Blakeslee, Nate, 1970-

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  Following the life of O-Six, a wolf matriarch, Blakeslee examines the introduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park and the clashes - cultural, environmental, and political - that followed. Thoroughly researched and compulsively…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Nomadland

  Surviving America in the Twenty-first Century

  Bruder, Jessica,

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  Journalist Bruder examines the phenomenon of "houseless" older Americans who migrate around the US in search of temporary work. Extensive interviews and deep reporting create an intimate portrait of the people living a nearly invisible…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Best We Could Do

  An Illustrated Memoir

  Bui, Thi,

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  The birth of her son leads artist and writer Bui to reflect on her childhood as a Vietnamese refugee in California in this affecting memoir. Entwined with her story are the stories of her parents' lives before they immigrated to the United…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• We Were Eight Years in Power

  An American Tragedy

  Coates, Ta-Nehisi,

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  Previously published essays - one from each year of Obama's presidency - and new pieces illuminate Coates' evolution into one of the country's most influential writers. His searing analysis of race in America is insightful and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Stranger in the Woods

  the Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit

  Finkel, Michael,

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  For 27 years, Christopher Knight lived alone in a tent in the woods, only returning to society after a 2013 arrest for theft. In this vivid account, based on interviews with Knight, Finkel examines the how and why of his flight from…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Locking Up Our Own

  Crime and Punishment in Black America

  Forman, James, 1967-

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  Forman offers a nuanced, candid look at the role of elected Black officials, Black police officers, and others in positions of power in shaping the policies that lead the US's astonishing incarceration rate, especially of young Black men.

• Norse Mythology

  Gaiman, Neil,

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  Perennial favorite Neil Gaiman's unforgettable voice shines in these retellings of Norse myths. The centuries-old tales feel both fresh and timeless when recounted in Gaiman's playful, witty prose.

• Ghosts of Seattle Past

  An Anthology of Lost Seattle Places

  Garbacik, Jaimee,

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  In the face of our region's astonishing growth and development, Garbacik gathered local artists and writers to reflect on Seattle's change. Interviews, essays, photos, and drawings come together in this punk-rock ode to a city in flux.

• Hunger

  a Memoir of (my) Body

  Gay, Roxane,

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  With ferocity, candor, and heart-wrenching vulnerability, Roxane Gay writes about living in a "wildly undisciplined body," the act of violence that haunts her, and learning to care for herself in a world where a body's size impacts…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Killers of the Flower Moon

  the Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI

  Grann, David,

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  In the 1920s, dozens of members of the wealthy Osage tribe were murdered. The investigation was among the first for the fledgling FBI. Grann's tenacious research pays off in this riveting true crime thriller.

• Wild Things

  the Joy of Reading Children's Literature as An Adult

  Handy, Bruce,

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  In a series of essays about the classics of children's literature from Goodnight Moon to Charlotte's Web, Handy elegantly combines memoir, criticism, and history. A fond, engaging tribute to some beloved reads.

• We Are Never Meeting in Real Life

  Essays

  Irby, Samantha,

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  Hilarious, frank, and forthright, these essays from comedian Samantha Irby give readers an inside look at her life. Irby writes about her experience as a Black lesbian, but many of the topics - depression, adulting, relationships - are…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• No Is Not Enough

  Resisting Trump's Shock Politics and Winning the World We Need

  Klein, Naomi, 1970-

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  Klein argues that Donald Trump represents the culmination of corporation-driven politics and outlines a way for progressives to move from resistance to proactive action. For all sides of the political spectrum, a guide to community-lead…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?

  and Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House

  Mastromonaco, Alyssa, 1976-

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  Part memoir, part self-help guide, this charming and funny book from Obama's director of scheduling and deputy chief of staff combines an insider's look at life in the White House with cheerful, practical career advice.

• The Radium Girls

  the Dark Story of America's Shining Women

  Moore, Kate (Writer and editor),

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  During WWI, watch-dial painters routinely shaped their brushes with their lips - not knowing the dangers of the radium used to make watch faces glow. Moore's account of their work, illness, and the trial that followed is engrossing and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Code Girls

  the Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II

  Mundy, Liza, 1960-

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  During WWII, nearly 10,000 women worked as cryptographers for the US military; because their work was secret, it went unrecognized for decades. In this compelling history, Mundy highlights their indispensable contributions to the Allied…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Playing With Fire

  the 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics

  O'Donnell, Lawrence,

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  The 1968 presidential election represented a sea change in American culture and in how elections are run. TV host O'Donnell's conversational style and extensive knowledge make for an edifying, engaging read.

• The Photo Ark

  One Man's Quest to Document the World's Animals

  Sartore, Joel,

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  Satore hopes to capture images of every living species on the planet for National Geographic's Photo Ark project; with this stunning, arresting collection of photographs, he's off to an impressive start.

• Daring to Drive

  a Saudi Woman's Awakening

  Sharif, Manal, 1979-

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  Saudi activist al-Sharif recounts her transformation from religious fundamentalist to champion of women's rights. Seamlessly blending history with memoir, she paints an astonishing portrait of women's lives in Saudi Arabia.