2025 Staff Picks: NonfictionLike this list

29 items

• Forest Euphoria

  the Abounding Queerness of Nature

  Kaishian, Patricia Ononiwu,

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  Part memoir and part science writing, this is the story of a nature-loving kid who grows up to find a passion in mycology. Interspersed with scientific examples of nature’s queerness (intersex slugs, for example), it’s a wonderful tribute to the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This

  El Akkad, Omar, 1982-

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  With a fierce moral clarity coupled with eloquent, righteous anger, author and journalist Omar El Akkad reckons with a massive collective grief with wisdom, vulnerability, and a justified sternness and anger at those who turn away from colonialism…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Everything Is Tuberculosis

  the History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection

  Green, John, 1977-

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  An enlightening and eye-opening exploration of the history and current reality of tuberculosis around the world. We learned a lot from this engaging book, but what strikes us most is the prevalence of social injustices that perpetuate the spreading…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Serviceberry

  Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World

  Kimmerer, Robin Wall,

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  Recently we have been thinking quite a bit about community building and support. Robin Wall Kimmerer’s latest came at the perfect time. Through examples from the natural world, she discusses gift giving and reciprocity, questioning our current…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Mood Machine

  the Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist

  Pelly, Liz,

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  A fascinating read on Spotify's vibes-ification of music and the changes in our music listening habits since the company launched in 2006. This read gave me a lot to consider: what I use music for, what artists get out of me interacting with music…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Dead and Alive

  Essays

  Smith, Zadie,

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  I love Zadie Smith’s novels, and her nonfiction writing is especially beautiful and striking. In her new essay collection, she writes about art, writers, aging, politics, history, and cruelty, but also humanity and hope. A must-read collection for…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Intermediaries

  a Weimar Story

  Schillace, Brandy,

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  When the Nazis came to power, the first books on their bonfires were from the library of Berlin’s Institute for Sexual Science. The Institute had become a community of what cofounder Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld variously called “transvestites” and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Project

  How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America

  Graham, David A. (Journalist),

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  This highly readable, succinct, and digestible overview of Project 2025 by "Atlantic" contributor David A. Graham is compulsory reading for all citizens regardless of political affiliation. He provides a thoughtful and even-handed analysis of the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Dealing With Feeling

  Use Your Emotions to Create the Life You Want

  Brackett, Marc A.,

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  Social-emotional expert Marc Brackett is back with an equally sensitive follow-up to his award-winning "Permission to Feel." As someone who has been told she has "feelings about feelings," this gentle and humorous, but ultimately helpful, title…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Medicine River

  a Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools

  Pember, Mary Annette,

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  With elements of both a memoir and research about boarding schools in the U.S., this is a powerful read about Indigenous history. The author, an Ojibwe journalist whose mother attended a boarding school in Wisconsin, reckons with the generational…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Between Two Rivers

  Ancient Mesopotamia and the Birth of History

  Al-Rashid, Moudhy, 1982-

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  Does a collection assembled in the 6th century B.C.E. by a Babylonian princess-turned-priestess count as the world’s first museum? The author is skeptical, but she does think it shows Ennigaldi-Nanna was conscious of being part of a civilization…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Somebody Is Walking on Your Grave

  My Cemetery Journeys

  Enriquez, Mariana,

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  As a seasoned cemetery tourist, I was excited to see we were receiving a new translation of Mariana Enriquez's essay collection about cemeteries and graves. She looks at final resting places from a multitude of angles: sociological, political,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• On Muscle

  the Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters

  Tsui, Bonnie,

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  I loved this book for its perfect mix of science, physiology, metaphor and memoir. Suggested by Megan.

• The Next Conversation

  Argue Less, Talk More

  Fisher, Jefferson,

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  Accomplished trial lawyer to viral conversation coach, Jefferson Fisher literally has a way with words. I enjoy his charming and matter-of-fact-approach to tackling tough subjects and building confidence with a simple turn of phrase. Suggested by…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• All Consuming

  Why We Eat the Way We Eat Now

  Tandoh, Ruby,

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  Ruby Tandoh is, in a word, cool. She's a great, compelling, funny, and insightful essayist, and her holistic view of food as culture, nourishment, family, and status symbol comes with an amazing depth of knowledge. If you've ever eaten food or are…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Change the Recipe

  Because You Can't Build a Better World Without Breaking Some Eggs

  Andrés, José, 1969-

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  I really liked this book because it makes me really reflect and examine my own life and what I can learn from the author's life lessons. It's also touching to hear about his aid work through the World Central Kitchen. Suggested by Nabila.

• Toni at Random

  the Iconic Writer's Legendary Editorship

  Williams, Dana A., 1972-

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  A fascinating and revealing exploration of Toni Morrison as a brilliant editor, indefatigable champion of Black writing, committed friend to many, and the most iconic writer of the 20th century. A pure inspiration! Suggested by Megan.

• Human Nature

  Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet

  Marvel, Kate,

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  I really love reading books about climate futures that can balance being realistic with creating a space for hope. Chapter by chapter, we see that the ways we react to the changing climate are like the stages of grief. While there is shared grief in…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Waste Wars

  the Wild Afterlife of Your Trash

  Clapp, Alexander,

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  Trash may not sound like the most exciting topic, but this expose of the deeply troubling global garbage trade is an engrossing deep dive. From Ghana to Turkey to Indonesia, Alexander Clapp examines the way wealthy nations export trash around the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Who Is Government?

  the Untold Story of Public Service

  Lewis, Michael (Michael M.),

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  In 2024, "The Washington Post" asked prominent authors to write profiles of U.S. government employees they deemed particularly interesting or inspiring. But as I read Dave Eggers on the planet-hunters at JPL, John Lanchester on the Consumer Price…Read moreRead more of this annotation