I love the escapism of reading an excellent piece of fiction — from a magic-filled fantasy, to a sweet or steamy romance, to a spine-chilling thriller — but I also love sinking my teeth into an excellent nonfiction book. When I was younger, I didn’t think liked reading nonfiction, until I discovered that “nonfiction” as a classification is quite broad, and within it, there are scores of amazing writers who explore fascinating topics that we can relate to our everyday lives, and even learn from. 

With the perception of being “informative” and “educational” (at times), reading nonfiction can seem daunting, especially for someone who’s just starting out on their reading journey, but it doesn’t have to be! I’ve read nonfiction books that read like thrillers or unputdownable pieces of character fiction. I’ve read nonfiction that inspires me, challenges me, teaches me, shapes my viewpoints, helps contextualize what I’m going through, and galvanizes me.

I LOVE to read nonfiction, but I know that not everyone does, or maybe they just don’t know where to start! So, to help guide you to your next favourite nonfiction read, I’ve pulled together this list of great nonfiction books for ALL readers, even those who don’t normally like nonfiction!

Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talaga

Tanya Talaga’s Seven Fallen Feathers is one of the best books I’ve read. It’s a powerful piece of writing and reporting about seven Indigenous high school students who died in Thunder Bay, Ontario, between 2000 and 2011, miles away from their families and their communities. This book explores the racist systems and attitudes that led to these tragic losses, as well as Canada’s legacy of violence and mistreatment against Indigenous people. This book is equal parts educational resource; tribute; and demand for justice, and it will take your breath away. 

Body Work by Melissa Febos

From the award-winning author of Girlhood, Melissa Febos, comes Body Work — part memoir, part craft masterclass in the emotionally laborious work of writing intimately, this is a book about the radical power of personal narrative. It offers a fresh insight into the storyteller’s life, and the questions it presents — encouraging readers to capture on page the relationships that have formed us, articulating the desires and traumas of our bodies, and asking questions about who our most intimate stories belong to. Melissa Febos draws on her own path from aspiring writer to acclaimed author and writing professor, and through vulnerability and creativity, has created a captivating guide to writing and the life of a writer. As someone who loves to write, and finds power in turning the personal into prose, I was drawn to the idea of Body Work, which empowers readers and writers alike in finding truth and power in the art of storytelling. 

Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey

Written by Tricia Hersey, the founder and creator of the popular Instagram account The Nap Ministry, Rest is Resistance is a manifesto and guidebook for the tired and the hopeful. Rooted in spiritual energy, and centered on themes of Black liberation, Afrofuturism, and womanism — this book is part battle-cry, part map of a movement, all aimed at challenging the myth of capitalism, that our worth is in how much we produce. Hersey offers an alternate suggestion — that rest, in its simplest form, is an act of resistance, and a reclamation of power, thanks to the ways it challenges and disrupts capitalism and white supremacy. This book is a revelation in the power of rest, and an antidote to hustle culture.

The Big Freeze by Natalie Lampert

Egg freezing is something that myself and many of my friends and family members have talked about, especially in the last few years, as we’ve gotten older. It has always seemed to me like a magical insurance policy, a way to freeze time, and possibility, and postpone the decision or chance to have biological children. I’m kind of embarrassed to say that I knew very little about egg freezing, so when I heard about this book, immediately, I knew I needed to read it, and I’m so glad I did.

Natalie Lampert’s The Big Freeze is a deep dive into egg freezing, embryo freezing, and a slice of the fertility industry, especially in the US. It’s also a reporter’s deeply personal journey as she tries to decide whether or not she should freeze her eggs. It’s meticulously researched, but written in a really accessible and fascinating way, so even when the author is writing about cervical mucus or hormonal changes, the reader is able to understand and contextualize what is being described. Written with thoughtfulness, compassion, and hard facts, this book turned so many of my perceptions on their head, over and over again. As with so many other “gimmicky” healthcare treatments and procedures, I learnt about who egg freezing can really work for; barriers to access; and the science and history behind it. Ultimately, this book gave me a lot to think about — and did so in an engaging, accessible, and informative way. This book is a resource and a guide — while it may or may not tell you what decision is right for you in the end, it will give you incredibly valuable perspectives, insights, information, and tools, so that making the decision for yourself may be just that much easier.

The Quiet Damage by Jesselyn Cook

Jesselyn Cook’s The Quiet Damage is a compassionate and thoughtful book that follows five families and their experiences when a member of each family becomes radicalized by Q-Anon. It’s compulsively readable — harrowing and moving as it highlights the slow and subtle descent into indoctrination for people across different walks of life, and with various lived experiences. It takes an empathetic and careful perspective as it dives deep into the rabbit hole behind these individuals and their family members. It explores the damage of Q-Anon, both from the point of view of the person who became indoctrinated, and the family members they “leave behind”.

It’s a fast read, almost paced like a true crime book or thriller, but with the caveat that it comes from a place of no judgment and clear compassion for everyone involved. It highlights the descent down the rabbit hole for ordinary (often vulnerable) people, who — whether searching for community, or understanding, or even a clear source of blame for their circumstances — found what they needed through Q-Anon. This was such a compelling and heart-wrenching read, that feels more timely than ever, in this epidemic of fake news, indoctrination, anti-government viewpoints, coming in after years of a deadly, mass-disabling pandemic that was poorly managed and handled by the “powers that be”.

The Chain by Chimene Suleyman

You already know I *loved* Chimene Suleyman’s The Chain. It’s a vulnerable, tender, sharp, thoughtful, and deeply human account of one man’s betrayal of many, many women, told from the perspective of the author. In 2017, Suleyman chose to have an abortion, and was taken to the clinic by her loving boyfriend. She went into the procedure alone, and when she came back out, he was gone, and not responding to her messages or calls, and when she returned home, she discovered he’d taken all of his stuff (and some of hers). Grieving, confused, and desperate for answers, she stumbles onto a social media post through which she discovers that she is not the only woman he did this to. Part harrowing memoir, that reads almost like a thriller, and part powerful exploration of sisterhood: the chains that connect us, and the ways we look out for one another, this is an excellent, and unputdownable read that you won’t be able to stop talking about.

You Just Need to Lose Weight by Aubrey Gordon

Aubrey Gordon is the creator of Your Fat Friend, and the co-host of the Maintenance Phase podcast. Her book You Just Need To Lose Weight: And 19 Other Myths About Fat People should be required reading, because of the ways it challenges perspectives and dispels myths related to diet culture and anti-fatness, in order to try to get you to reframe the way you think and dismantle any long-held anti-fat bias. This book is full of research and history, coming together in an accessible and engaging tool and guide, to help you navigate discussions on fatness, fatphobia, and diet culture. It’s a short and quick read for anyone who has felt challenged by society’s perceptions of fat people, and wants to equip themselves with the knowledge they need to better understand what is myth and what is fact. 

Some of My Best Friends by Tajja Isen

Tajja Isen’s Some of My Best Friends is one of my favourite books. Whip-smart, witty, thoughtful and compelling, this essay collection covers topics ranging from the unbearable whiteness of the publishing industry; to the ways people of colour so often have to pander to the white gaze; to the author’s own experiences as a child voice actor; to the personal essay industrial complex, and so much more. This book had me highlighting constantly, and also had me wishing I could write even half as well as Isen. Essay after essay was a hit, and it’s the kind of book that you’re going to be texting your friends blurry photos of your favourite passages as you read them. This book sticks with you, and I can’t wait for more from the author. 

Halal Sex by Sheima Benembarek 

Halal Sex is Sheima Benembarek’s debut, and it’s a tender, intimate, and deeply human look into the lives and sex lives of six different Muslim women and nonbinary people. Each chapter is short and engaging, welcoming us into the lives of these subjects, and their relationships with their selves, their faiths, and their sexualities. This is a bite-sized and deeply human vignette of six people, perfect for someone who loves personal storytelling.

Hey, Hun by Emily Lynn Paulson

Emily Lynn Paulson’s Hey, Hun is a compulsively readable memoir and “tell-all” about the author’s own experiences joining, and finding great success within an MLM (or Multi-Level Marketing Scheme). It reads almost like a thriller, and I didn’t expect how engaging it would be. This is a smart exploration of MLMs, breaking down the many structures (not just pyramids ;)) that make these companies possible and successful. From the commodification of sisterhood to white supremacy to predatory behaviours, Paulson explores these in a way that’s salacious and fascinating, while also carrying tones of humanity and empathy. This is the kind of book you’ll read in just one sitting, then pass it along to your friends so you can talk about it. 

Toxic by Sarah Ditum

Sarah Ditum’s Toxic is a fast-paced read that profiles and reviews the way several high-profile women celebrities were treated by the media in the early 2000s. The women profiled in this book include: Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Aaliyah, Janet Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Kim Kardashian, Chyna, and Jennifer Anniston. This was especially enjoyable in audiobook format, where it read like a series of podcast episodes, each highlighting someone different, albeit tied together with some overarching themes. Toxic was compelling and fast, although not necessarily providing groundbreaking new information. If you were around, and even remotely consuming celebrity culture in the early aughts, much of this will be familiar to you, although that did not necessarily take away from the enjoyability of the read.

Black Friend by Ziwe 

Black Friend is a delightful essay collection by the comedian, television personality, and icon, Ziwe. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, smart, and challenging, but you’d expect nothing less from the woman famous for asking her interviewees “How many Black friends do you have?” Ziwe is so funny, and it comes through in this collection of essays that covers topics like cultural phenomena, racism, whiteness, femininity, and more. My only wish was that it had been longer!

Scam Goddess by Laci Mosely

Coming in early September, Laci Mosely’s Scam Goddess is a hilarious and compelling essay collection about the scams, frauds, and schemes that make up our world, as well as how the scammer mindset has impacted her own life, career, and relationships. From an early age, the actress and comedian knew her life would be full of scams, cons, frauds, and robberies… little ones, of course, ones that didn’t hurt anyone, but they did help her get to where she needed to be. In this book, Mosely insightfully and hilariously chronicles the scams that took her through life, as well as the true crime scams and stories that inspired her. Full of great advice, wisdom, and hilarity, this book is sure to con its way into your heart.

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Ameema Saeed (@ameemabackwards) is a storyteller, a Capricorn, an avid bookworm, and a curator of very specific playlists and customized book recommendations. She’s a book reviewer, a Sensitivity Reader, a book buyer at Indigo Books & Music, and the Books Editor for She Does the City, where she writes and curates bookish content, and book recommendations. She enjoys bad puns, good food, dancing, and talking about feelings. She writes about books, big feelings, unruly bodies, and her lived experiences, and hopes to write your next favourite book one day. When she’s not reading books, she likes to talk about books (especially diverse books, and books by diverse authors) on her bookstagram: @ReadWithMeemz