Week 1 (10/27-11/2) Your Year in Nonfiction: Celebrate your year of nonfiction. What books have you read? What were your favorites? Have you had a favorite topic? Is there a topic you want to read about more? What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November? (Hosted by Heather at Based on a True Story.)
What books have you read?
I've read 94 nonfiction books out of a total of 251 books. That's 37%.
That's a little less than last year, but this year I read a lot of big nonfiction books, a couple of which were over 900 pages.
What were your favorites?
My Favorite Nonfiction of 2025:
The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
The Day the World Came to Town:
by Jim DeFede
Genes, Germs, and the Curious Forces That Make Us Who We Are
by Bill Sullivan
The Journal of a Japanese Physician, August 6-September 30, 1945
by Michihiko Hachiya
The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life
by Ed Yong
by Dorianne Laux
by Amy Tan
A History of Europe Since 1945
by Tony Judt
by Chloe Dalton
A Day in the Life of Abed Salama:
Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy
by Nathan Thrall
I also enjoyed these books of nonfiction for children: How to Write a Poem by Kwame Alexander; The Scraps Book by Lois Ehlert; Turtle Watch by George Ancona; The Universe in You (or anything by this author!) by Jason Chin; Slow Down and Be Here Now by Laura Brand; The Little Book of Little Activists; and Growing Green: A First Book of Gardening by Daniela Sosa.
Have you had a favorite topic? Is there a topic you want to read about more?
I've read a lot of books in 2025 about books and writing; happiness; nature, especially birds; Paris; baking; and history. I'm always on the lookout for more good books about these topics.
What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?
I hope to find more good nonfiction. I hope you will share your favorites with me.
Loved your favourite list....read Team of Rivals (excellent) and I Contain Multitudes (fascinating). I'll investigate the other books and look at your archive. Your percentage NF vs total reading is impressive. I had a very low 19% and must do better next year.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous = NancyElin!
DeleteThat's a lot of books to have read.
ReplyDeleteGreat list! I read some nonfiction but definitely lean more towards fiction. I did read the Amy Tan and I think I discovered that I'm not as interested in birds as I would like to be. I really want to read The Day the World Came to Town. Lately I've been picking up some historic true crime. I read a book recently on a Victorian jewel theft that was absolutely fascinating. Enjoy nonfiction November!
ReplyDeleteThat's an impressive amount of reading -- nonfiction and otherwise! And, a nice blend of history, science, and more.
ReplyDeleteImpressive! I haven't read any of your list, but Tan's is on my TBR.
ReplyDeletehttps://wordsandpeace.com/2025/10/27/nonfiction-november-my-year-2025-in-nonfiction/
I always enjoy your lists. Good books, not always exactly the same as my choices, but always interesting. And I love how carefully you keep track of everything you read. I have no idea how many books I’ve read this year or any year!
ReplyDeleteHi Deb, this is such an impressive list of good books! My favourite would be Postwar. Thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWow that is quite the number, a great list.. I don't read much.. or any non fiction really.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great list! I still want to get to a couple of these on your list. Finding them and making time are the two issues.
ReplyDelete94 is an impressive number! I love the sound of The Backyard Bird Chronicles and Raising Hare.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your wonderful year of nonfiction, and for your many recommendations
ReplyDeleteHappy Nonfiction November
It would be good for all Americans to read "The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland, as Trump pursues his demented campaign against us. I have signed into your "Get posts by email." It doesn't seem to work because I am not being notified.
ReplyDeleteIf I would pay for a service, the service would notify people better. However, I am a retired teacher, living on a budget, and I scrimp.
DeleteI love your lists. So many titles I've enjoyed or have my eye on. When I read for nonfiction november all I want to do it read nonfiction -- darn book club selection is fiction!; when I read for novellas in november all I want to do it read novellas or short books...hmm, I should combine the two. I spent all last night looking though lists of short nonfiction books I want to read. We'll see how I do.
ReplyDeletehttps://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2025/10/nonfiction-november-week-one.html
Anonymous = NancyElin: I can't stop thinking about your preference for books about birds! I've only read one and it was wonderful. I learned how clever birds are and bird psychology ! Have a look at this Australian book...perhaps you would like it! Kaplan, Gisela, author.
ReplyDeleteBird minds: cognition and behaviour of Australian native birds/Gisela Kaplan. (2015) ISBN: 9781486300181
Great list Deb! I loved When The World Came to Town too. I’ve already got a few of these on my TBR list. But I added Pleased to Meet Me to the TBR list.
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