9 Great Nonfiction Books for Your Book Club

This deeply moving memoir gives the account of a former marine and Yale graduate’s life growing up in a poor Rust Belt town in Ohio. Using his own family as a case study in “hillbilly” culture, Vance explores the often overlooked struggles of the working class.
While the book has received varied reviews, there is no doubt that it will inspire some great debates in your next book club meeting.

When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, fifteen-year- old Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education—a fight for which she almost paid the ultimate price.
I Am Malala is the incredible tale of how a young girl became the global symbol of peaceful protest, and ignited change in women’s rights worldwide.

In this unusual coming-of-age story, a young mortician goes behind the scenes and reveals fascinating (and gruesome) details of her profession. While this may seem like a very morbid topic, Doughty has managed to infuse her book with humor, as well as some very interesting information about bizarre and wonderful funeral traditions from around the world.

In this inspiring memoir, Pearl Cleage reminisces on her life as a young wife and mother, living in Atlanta in the 1970’s and 80’s. Through the details of how she tried to find her own voice as a writer while grappling with the ideas of feminism and self-fulfillment, Cleage managed to create a beautifully moving story that will no doubt stir readers to life a better life and make a difference in the world.

This beautiful and heartwarming book tells the story of how a teenage girl from a middle-class family in Pennsylvania and a teenage boy from the slums of Zimbabwe became pen pals, and ultimately changed the course of each other’s lives.

For this hilarious insight into modern-day romance, Ansari teamed up with a sociologist from NYU, as well as several of the world’s leading social scientists, and conducted hundreds of interviews around the world. The result is a thoughtful and in-depth exploration of the pleasures (and perils) of modern romance.

In this moving memoir written in the last few months of his life, former KPMG CEO, Eugene O’Kelly, gives an honest and inspirational account of his struggle to come to terms with his terminal diagnosis, and the choice he made to spend the remainder of his days embracing every moment.

This remarkable book tells the story of how one man chose to escape the chaos of modern life and live alone in the woods for twenty-seven years. This gripping tale of survival will take you on a thought-provoking journey, and will leave you questioning the impacts of solitude, community, and the importance of following your own path.

Written by investigative journalist, Jenny Nordberg, this emotional narrative brings a new perspective of the lives of the girls and women living in war-torn Afghanistan. This book gives a powerful and moving account of those living in the deeply segregated society, where women have almost no rights and are given very little freedom