How To Read - And Enjoy! - More Nonfiction

And gain the most from it, too!

* In related news, join us in the 2025 Reading And Purpose Nonfiction Book Club! *

As an avid listener of bookish podcasts and other book-related media, I love the season we’re about to enter: Best Books Of The Year time! It’s so fun hearing people gush about their favorite books and what makes them stand out. I always look forward to adding to my (already-ridiculously-long) must-read list.

And I’ve noticed an interesting comment from several readers recently, both online and in person: They mention that they don’t tend to read much nonfiction, but when they do, it nearly always ends up being a favorite. Many decide to make reading more nonfiction a priority as a result.

I sometimes feel a bit of the ‘odd gal out’ in this regard, since for much of my adult life I have read primarily nonfiction. I’d sprinkle in the occasional novel for my neighborhood book club or on a friend’s recommendation, but whenever I’d select a book on my own, it would typically be a nonfiction one. It’s only been in the past five years or so that I’ve balanced out my fiction/nonfiction reading a bit more evenly.

I’ve been asked many times over the years what tips I can share for reading - and enjoying - more nonfiction. Here are seven ideas if you’d like to incorporate more nonfiction reading into your life - I hope you find them helpful!

1. Consider your why. 

If you’re familiar with me or my work, this first idea will come as no surprise: I suggest reflecting on the purpose, or your why, behind nearly any endeavor. Understanding your purpose behind an action can help you engage with it more fully, bring greater meaning to the experience, sustain your motivation, and support you in gaining the most from it. You can apply this to reading, too.

You might start by considering why you want to read more nonfiction in general. If it’s just because you feel you ‘should,’ that likely won’t be enough of a motivator to do it, much less enjoy it. If the purpose, however, is to increase your knowledge of the world around you, to advance in your profession, to learn more about an issue that’s near and dear to your heart, or to enhance your self-awareness and personal growth, for instance, connecting to a meaningful purpose can make all the difference.

You can consider your why for each potential book, too. Maybe you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment, so you pick up Courtney Carver’s Soulful Simplicity for fresh ideas. It might be that you want to connect more fully with your family members, coworkers, or students, in which case you could dive into Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg. Or perhaps you want help making stronger decisions, so you open How To Walk Into A Room by Emily P. Freeman for support. (I recommend all three of these nonfiction books, by the way!)

Not only does clarifying your why help you choose the book well, it can also prompt you to highlight, take notes, and engage more fully with the text.

2. Review the reference section and/or blurbs of a book you enjoyed.

Well-researched nonfiction will typically include a list of books, articles, and resources in the back. If you finish an outstanding book and want a similar reading experience, turn to the reference section and see what stands out for you.

Years ago, for example, I saw the book Mindset by Carol Dweck cited so frequently in other books I was loving that I simply had to find and read this source material for myself. It is now one of my all-time favorite nonfiction books!

Earlier this year, one of the book clubs I lead discussed Slow Productivity by Cal Newport, which has about a dozen pages of reference notes in the back to prompt further reading. The back cover can also be a source for finding authors you enjoy; Slow Productivity includes blurbs by Oliver Burkeman (Four Thousand Weeks), Johann Hari (Stolen Focus), and others, for example.

3. Look into the works of fiction authors you love.

Have a few favorite go-to authors of fiction already? You might discover they have also published memoirs, essay collections, or other nonfiction works as well. This can provide an excellent starting point for nonfiction, since you already have a connection with their writing and know you like their style.

Years ago, after reading a few excellent novels by Barbara Kingsolver, I found myself equally engrossed in her memoir, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I had a similar experience with Ann Patchett and have now enjoyed nearly all her books, both fiction and nonfiction.

Not only does this crossover allow you more time with a writer you appreciate, you may also learn more about them as an individual through their nonfiction pieces - which can in turn make the next fiction book you pick up by them even more delightful, too.

4. Discuss the book with others.

While reading itself is often a solitary experience, the processing of what you read doesn’t have to be. Becoming part of a book club can help you prioritize, schedule, and feel a sense of accountability with your nonfiction reading. Plus you get to experience one of my favorite aspects of a group book conversation: Discovering how everyone picks up on different things from the same text. We all have unique life experiences, so different highlights and takeaways will stand out for each of us.

This is why book clubs, like the Reading And Purpose Nonfiction Book Club, exist: to bring a community of people together to chat about what we’re reading and learning. And with nonfiction, there’s the added bonus of the conversation helping to solidify - and garner support for - a change you wish to make or an action you want to employ based on what you learned. (You’re invited to join us in the 2025 Reading And Purpose Nonfiction Book Club!)

In addition to the book club environment, securing a ‘buddy’ or reading partner can offer another way to make the most of a nonfiction pick. Maybe you and a friend decide to read a chapter a week and check in with each other via text or during a weekly coffee date. This can add richness to the experience and keep you motivated to read - and perhaps deepen your friendship along the way, too.

5. Try different formats.

Many readers I know prefer to read their nonfiction via audiobook, finding it easier to take in the information that way. I am the opposite; with the exception of memoirs (which I particularly enjoy if the audiobook is read by the author), I tend to sit with my nonfiction book, highlighter, notebook, and other ‘tools of the trade’ and really immerse myself in the page. Neither form is better than the other - it’s all personal preference.

If you’ve tried nonfiction in print form before and haven’t felt satisfied, consider attempting it on audio or with an e-reader. Or maybe you want to blend a couple of different methods, such as listening via audio while simultaneously reading on your e-reader, to fully direct your focus and minimize distractions. Shaking up your method can alter your entire reading experience.

In addition to experimenting between print, audio, and ebook, consider different writing formats as well. A few years ago I read Good Talk by Mira Jacob; prior to that, I don’t believe I had ever read a graphic memoir. It was such a unique way to read someone’s life experience!

6. Pick an essay collection or anthology.

Collections are a wonderful entry into nonfiction for a number of reasons: Their stand-alone segments allow you to quite easily dip in and out of them; they are often perfect for dividing into consistent reading experiences, such as an essay per day or week; and they can introduce you to a variety of authors and/or perspectives within a particular topic of interest.

In recent years I’ve read some wonderful collections that have also taught me a great deal. Two that stand out in my mind are Disability Visibility, edited by Alice Wong, and It’s Not About The Burqa, edited by Mariam Khan. In addition to benefiting from these collections in and of themselves, they also introduced me to other new-to-me writers and creators to continue expanding my reading horizons.

Essay collections can also feature one author in particular, offering great insight into a certain topic and/or their particular perspective or life experience. I mentioned Ann Patchett above; her 2021 release, These Precious Days, is a terrific example of such a collection. I also really enjoyed the essays by John Green in his 2021 release, The Anthropocene Reviewed (though I admit I had to look up what an anthropocene was before I began!).

7. Create your own ‘curriculum’ or learning project.

This may sound way too nerdy for you, but hear me out: On what topic would you love to really dive into and expand your learning? In what area would you love to gain mastery? If you could create your own little adult learning school for yourself, in what subject would you pursue your personal degree?

Try curating a list of book possibilities, perhaps with the help of a bookseller and/or librarian, and setting up your own private learning curriculum. Depending on how you like to plan, you might even set it up like a syllabus with timelines and so on. If that level of structure makes you cringe, though, no problem – maybe you’d prefer having a selection of themed books at the ready, then floating back and forth between them.

There are a number of project-style books that could provide inspiration in this regard, too. Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project comes to mind, as does Shonda Rhimes’ Year of Yes. I am currently loving The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan, which is furthering my love for and knowledge of birds while also making me want to sketch and paint more!

I hope this encourages you to take a few steps into the nonfiction world if you haven’t yet, or perhaps sparks fresh ideas as you venture further along the path. What other ideas would you add? And what nonfiction book stands out in your mind as a real gem? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section!

(An earlier version of this article was originally published on ChristiHegstad.com.)

Questions? Comments? Books or topics you’d like me to discuss here? Feel free to email me at readingandpurpose (at) gmail.com or comment on this post directly in the app/website. I love hearing from you and I appreciate your support!