My 3 Must-Read Nonfiction Books Right Now

Something I’ve been getting into this year is reading a ton of nonfiction books. I’ve mostly been a fan of fiction for as long as I can remember while my nonfiction offerings were rather far and few between. However, this switch-up has been a nice breath of fresh air, to say the least.

I have to admit, I’ve only read a handful of nonfiction books as of right now that I truly adore. That’s why I decided to narrow it down to just three of my must-reads. Perhaps once I’ve read several more, I’ll make a top 10 list of my all-time favourite nonfiction books. But for now, here’s just three of them that I love.

1. The War of Art – Steven Pressfield

I’ve been wanting to read this gem ever since Lauryn Evarts Bosstick of The Skinny Confidential plugged in on her and her husband’s podcast. I was hoping that a book about writing and triumphs and struggles that come from this particular art would be intriguing, to say the least. But that would be a huge understatement. I couldn’t stop dog-earring page after page after page, and I also kept underlining riveting and helping pieces with a black pen. This book not only showed me the importance of being a writer but also opened my eyes to just how beneficial nonfiction books are as a whole. Needless to say, I’m eager to get my hands on Pressfield’s other two books on the subject matter- Do the Work and The Artist’s Journey.

2. Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered – Karen Kilgradd & Georgia Hardstark

To be perfectly honest, I had never listened to a single episode of the super-popular true crime podcast, My Favorite Murder, prior to reading it. But since true crime is one of my many guilty pleasures, I had to give it a shot- and I’m so glad I did! I read this book in about two days, which should give you a clue as to how much I enjoyed it. The stories told by both Kilgradd and Hardstark were always honest, raw and unapologetic. I found myself feeling disheartened, happy or saddened, depending on which anecdote I was reading. This is one nonfiction book that really sucked me in, making it so much fun to read.

3. #GIRLBOSS – Sophia Amoruso

I had this book on my shelf for many years before I decided to give it a try. I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect from it; I’ve never bought anything from Nasty Gal and had never followed Sophia Amoruso on social media. This nonfiction book isn’t a traditional memoir or business advice book whatsoever. It’s kind of a hybrid between the two, complete with both humourous and insightful stories about Amoruso’s personal life and her journey into making Nasty Gal the empire it is today. It definitely inspired the entrepreneurial spirit within me, making me happy to take on whatever task comes my way.

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Each of the books listed above played a vital role in my life. Whether it was to inspire my work or inspire my personal life- or both, at times- each helped open my eyes to things I wouldn’t have thought about beforehand. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more nonfiction books in the near future!

xo,

Elizabeth