It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas: Adult Nonfiction

I’ve already uploaded posts with some suggestion for great picture, middle-grade, and YA books (click on the colored word to read those posts). Now I’m moving on to nonfiction. It’s a genre that I’m just dipping my toes in, but I’ve come across several nonfiction books that I enjoyed. Here goes:

For the Love of Books: Stories of Literary Lives, Banned Books, Author Feuds, Extraordinary Characters, and More by Graham Tarrant

The only thing I don’t love about this book is its ridiculously long title. It’s full of the most interesting facts about everything literary. For example: apparently, Norman Mailer feuds with almost everyone. This is a book I’ll come to again and again. It would make an excellent gift for any reader.

The Monk of Mokha by Dave Eggers

This is the story of a Yemeni man who learns the history of coffee and how his people are involved. He leaves the U.S., traveling to Yemen, to see the roots of this history with the end goal of becoming a coffee entrepreneur. However, he becomes trapped in Yemen as war engulfs his homeland. This book read like a thriller and I was engrossed. This is one worth reading!

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

In 1986, the Los Angeles Public Library caught fire. Thousands of books were destroyed, including one-of-a-kind treasures. This book examines the tragedy. What happened? Was it purposeful? While the book-lover in me winced over the loss of all those wonderful books, it was an absolutely fascinating book. It was written with such enthusiasm that I couldn’t tear myself away. This would be a great gift.

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: a Sortabiography by Eric Idle

This book is so much fun! It’s full of possibly-true reminiscences by the hilarious Eric Idle. He does drop names liberally, but it’s very true to brand. If you want a nonfiction that will give you a laugh, this is a good choice.

Dragon Art: Inspiration, Impact, and Technique in Fantasy Art by Graeme Aymer and John Howe

In case this book doesn’t give it away, I love dragons. If you have a fantasy-lover in your life, this would be an amazing gift. The art is incredible and many fantasy art greats have been included in this book: John Howe and Larry Elmore, to name a few.

Well, here you have it. Are you planning on giving some nonfiction books this year? Do any of these catch your fancy?