Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Top Ten Nonfiction Books Read in 2024

Welcome to this week's list of books by category I read in 2024. Today I am looking at my top ten nonfiction books for 2024. I am a nonfiction reader, and I was fortunate to read some good nonfiction books last year. Here is the list below in no particular order and with links to the reviews, if available at this time, so you can check them out. The list does not feature any cartomancy or esoterica books. I did read some great ones, but I am writing a separate list for those books, so stay tuned.


Emily C. Hughes, Horror for Weenies


 A good book to help you learn more about the horror genre so you can hang out with your friends who enjoy horror. 


Ken Light, Delta Time: Mississippi Photographs


 A solid collection of black and white photographs focusing on the Mississippi Delta region exploring poverty, racism, rural living, religion, and resilience. 


Timothy Eastman, All the Past We Leave Behind


This is a beautiful and at times moving photography book documenting the lives of workampers. If you liked books like Nomadland, you might like this one too. 


Mike Caulfield and Samuel S. Wineburg, Verified: How to think straight, get duped less, and make better decisions about what to believe online.

As I wrote, in my review, "In these Hard Times where the internet and social media are full of scams, click bait, rage bait, and all sorts of assorted bullshit, this book gives you the tools to separate the crap from the few good things that remain. This guide can help you navigate the enshittified internet." 



Brian Keene, End of the Road


This is a book I saw mentioned on social media, Bluesky most likely, and I knew I had to read it right away. I am glad I did. If you are already a fan of Keene's fiction, you will likely enjoy this memoir and reflection on writing and publishing and more.


Austin Frerick, Barons.


Right after I read this book, I knew this account of 7 robber baron dynasties and the empires they created was going to be on this list. Robber barons love to portray themselves as self-made men, and they are mostly men, but read this book to learn what the truth is. 


Lenny Duncan, Psalms of My People


From my review: This book "offers an interesting and different way to look at the Black American experience of struggle and liberation through hip hop. I do recommend this one for all libraries."

 

 Colin Kaepernick, Robin D.G. Kelley, and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, eds. Our History Has Always Been Contraband: in Defense of Black Studies


From my review: "This is book is essential reading not just for Black History Month but at any time. Black history is everyone's history, and this book makes it accessible for anyone to read it and start learning." 


Mitzi Szereto, Women Who Murder


From my review: "Very often in crime, folks tend to dismiss women or don't think the 'gentler sex' is not capable of deeds like extreme violence and murder. The editor shows in 14 tales that when it comes to crime females are not the 'gentler sex. '" 


Margaret Kaplan, Words to Win By


 From my review: "The book looks at campaign materials as a way to learn about American politics and society." This is one I recommend for all libraries.


If you read this far, thank you for stopping by. Coming up, I will be posting my top list of graphic novels, comics, and manga for 2024, and after that my list of cartomancy and esoterica books read for 2024. Meanwhile, have you read any good nonfiction? Feel free to share in the comments if you wish. 

Happy reading.


 









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