Nonfiction Essentials
-
Mood Machine
Liz Pelly’s essential look at Spotify shows a company aiming to manipulate customers and artists to enrich shareholders and major labels. Even if you think you know, you’ll learn something here.
-
H is for Hawk
Helen Macdonald’s memoir of the period after her father’s death is so much more and hit me so much harder than I expected.
-
The Fire Next Time
Nothing I say about The Fire Next Time is going to be original or insightful. It’s essential, full stop.
-
Falling Back in Love with Being Human
Falling Back in Love with Being Human is gentle, warm and beautiful. I don’t know how it found me, but I’ll be forever grateful it did.
-
The Recovering
Part engrossing addiction memoir, part meticulously researched profiiles of historical and literary figures, The Recovering is an unforgettable and transformative read.
-
Consent
Consent is the second memoir from Jill Ciment, but it’s also an incredible, incisive look at how we tell our stories, and how evasive objective truth really is
-
The Making of the Atomic Bomb
Richard Rhodes’ The Making of the Atomic Bomb is one of the most difficult and rewarding nonfiction books I’ve ever read.
-
Challenger
Challenger is essential reading. As much about human tragedy as about institutional hubris and corner-cutting.
-
Hearts on Fire – Six Years that Changed Canadian Music
Essential for those who were around the scene. I didn’t always love reading this book, but I love having read it.
-
Happening
It’s less than 100 pages long and shook me to the core. Absolutely essential and unforgettable.
-
Conscientious Objections
This is a gateway drug for Neil Postman’s work. If you don’t know him, this is a good starting point.
-
Meet Me in the Bathroom
If you’re a music fan of a certain vintage, this book by Lizzy Goodman is absolutely essential.