10 Best Nonfiction Books of 2018

Posted on December 13, 2018

by April S

Welcome to our series exploring some of the best books of the year. This post features nonfiction titles covering a wide-range of topics like addiction, crime, history, social media, cyberterrorism and so much more. If the selections in this blog post fail to strike a cord, try our Give 3 Get 3 service to receive more personalized recommendations.

Notable General Nonfiction Books of 2018

1. The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson

The feather thief : beauty, obsession, and the natural history heist of the century / Kirk Wallace Johnson

On a cool June evening in 2009, twenty-year-old American flautist Edwin Rist grabbed hundreds of bird skins – some collected 150 years earlier – and escaped into the darkness. Two years later, Kirk Wallace Johnson was consumed by the strange case of the feather thief. This is the gripping story of a bizarre and shocking crime, and one man’s relentless pursuit of justice.

2. Dopesick : Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America by Beth Macy

Dopesick : dealers, doctors, and the drug company that addicted America / Beth Macy

In a book that includes deeply human and unforgettable portraits of the families and first responders affected, the author takes readers into the epicenter of its America’s more than 20-year struggle with opioid addiction.

3. The Library Book by Susan Orlean

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

Reopens the unsolved mystery of the most catastrophic library fire in American history, the 1986 Los Angeles Public Library fire, while exploring the crucial role that libraries play in modern American culture.

4. Fly Girls : How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History by Keith O’Brien

Fly Girls : How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History by Keith O'Brien

High adventure and high ideals merge when a corps of intrepid female aviators battle to take part in the hugely popular air shows of the 1920s and 1930s. Ultimately, one of our heroines would win a race that earned her the right to be called America’s best pilot.

5. The Soul of America : The Battle for Our Better Angels by Jon Meacham

The Soul of America : The Battle for Our Better Angels by Jon Meacham

Shows readers moments throughout the nation’s history, including the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Civil Rights movements, to guide them in understanding American politics today.

6. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara

I'll be gone in the dark : one woman's obsessive search for the Golden State Killer / Michelle McNamara

An account of the unsolved Golden State Killer case traces the rapes and murders of dozens of victims and the author’s determined efforts to help identify the killer and bring him to justice.

7. American Prison : A Reporter’s Undercover Journey Into the Business of Punishment by Shane Bauer

American Prison : A Reporter's Undercover Journey Into the Business of Punishment by Shane Bauer

The investigative journalist draws on his experiences working in a Louisiana private prison to connect today’s brutal for-profit prison system to the Civil War-era mass incarcerations of African-American workers.

8. Likewar : The weaponization of Social Media by P.W. Singer and Emerson T. Brooking

Likewar : The weaponization of Social Media by P.W. Singer and Emerson T. Brooking

Two defense experts explore the collision of war, politics, and social media, discussing how the online world affects and is affected by war and the role that ordinary people can play in international conflicts.

9. Impossible Owls : Essays by Brian Phillips

Impossible Owls : Essays by Brian Phillips

In his highly anticipated debut essay collection, “Impossible Owls,” Brian Phillips demonstrates why he’s one of the most iconoclastic journalists of the digital age, beloved for his ambitious, off-kilter, meticulously reported essays that read like novels.

10. Boom Town : The Fantastical Saga of Oklahoma City by Sam Anderson

Boom Town : The Fantastical Saga of Oklahoma City by Sam Anderson

Unfolds an idiosyncratic mix of American history, sports reporting, urban studies, gonzo memoir, and much more to tell the strange but compelling story of an American city whose unique mix of geography and history make it a fascinating microcosm of the democratic experiment.

This is part of a series of blog posts highlighting some of the Best Books of the Year.

Best Nonfiction of 2018 – More Booklists To Explore

Esquire

Goodreads

Publisher’s Weekly

The New York Times

NPR

BookPage

POPSUGAR

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