My Top 10 NONFICTION Books of the Year!

My 10 favorite nonfiction reads (plus 5 honorable mentions) of 2024!

As you hear ‘It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year’ playing in stores and commercials, are you thinking of holidays - or of best-of-year book lists?

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year! :-)

And also one of the most stressful, if we’re referring to probably my favorite kind of stress: Choosing which of the many excellent books I’ve read will secure the top ten spots on my favorites-of-the-year lists! It’s a (delightfully) tough job that many voracious readers and dedicated book nerds are undertaking at the moment.

My top ten nonfiction - can you tell what they are? :-)

Today I’m sharing my top ten nonfiction reads, plus a handful of honorable mentions. Then, stay tuned for my top ten fiction reads, as well as a fun list of superlatives (including my very-tippy-top favorite book of them ALL this year!), coming soon.

A Quick Overview

I typically read right around 100 books per year; as of this posting, I have completed 119 books in 2024. Below are five nonfiction honorable mentions, followed by my ten favorites - the ones that truly made the biggest impact on me. These weren’t all published in 2024 (in fact, there’s a ten-year-old book in this stack that I can’t believe I hadn’t read until now!) but I did read them all in 2024.

I am listing these in no particular order. Also, I have written about several of these books in more detail elsewhere (monthly wrap-ups, dedicated book reviews, and the like), so I’ll provide links where possible, in case you’d like to delve deeper.

And if you’d like to read and discuss more nonfiction in 2025, be sure to check out the Reading And Purpose Nonfiction Book Club. It is a benefit to all paid subscribers at any level - simply upgrade your subscription and you’re in!

Here we go!

Honorable Mentions

I adored these five books and, with the exception of one that I just laughed my way through, they prompted me to take pages and pages of notes, as well as capture ideas to share with coaching clients and apply in my own work and life. I’ll keep these descriptions brief:

The placeholder is for Serviceberry, which was due back at the library. I didn’t want to make anyone have to wait for that gem!

Poverty, By America by Matthew Desmond

One of my more recent reads (just finished in November) but I can already tell it’s going to stick with me. An incredibly powerful look at poverty in the U.S., including causes, solutions, and actions we can each take.

Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Also a very recent read! When it comes to writing about nature and connecting it with humanity, Wall Kimmerer is masterful. You can read this one in a single (delightful, uplifting, fortifying) afternoon.

Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan

I honestly can’t remember the last time I laughed this much while reading a book. I’ve loved Gaffigan’s comedy for ages and saw him live a few years back; hearing him narrate this audiobook with his goofy voices and comedic timing was a joy.

Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

A motivating account of going above and beyond, told from a leader in restaurants but applicable to the wider service industry. Guidara led the charge to bring his restaurant to the #1 spot in the world - namely through exceptional service - and takes us along for the ride.

The Good Life by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz

Using the Harvard Study of Adult Development as its basis, which has now been running for over 80 years, the authors discuss what contributes to happiness, satisfaction, and a meaningful life. Filled with poignant stories, backed in solid research, and summarized in a widely applicable way. Very inspiring!

My Top Ten Nonfiction Reads In 2024

And now, the ten books that deepened my learning, expanded my horizons, and/or impacted the way I work, live, and carry myself in the world:

My nonfiction favorites this year!

Grief Is For People by Sloane Crosley

This is my first book by Crosley and from its opening pages, I just fell in love with her writing style - her examples, descriptions, keen observations, and wit connected with me on even the most granular level. As you might guess by the title, this book addresses some very difficult subject matter, focusing on Crosley’s own reckoning with grief, death, and loss in various forms. I found her perspective endearing at times, confronting at others, and endlessly thought-provoking. I’ve got another of her books currently checked out of the library which I also hope to read before the end of the year.

Real Self-Care by Pooja Lakshmin

Despite the subtitle clearly stating this book would not offer solutions like bubble baths and cleanses, I still entered a bit skeptically; I have grown weary of surface-level solutions to complex challenges. Lakshmin, a board-certified psychiatrist, quickly put my concerns to rest by offering thoughtful discussion on how to genuinely, deeply, and effectively care for ourselves. Her inclusion of the need for systemic and societal changes, as well as the sound basis for her recommended individual actions, truly makes this a profound book in a sea of quick-hit approaches. This ended up being one of my biggest surprises of the year and will also make an appearance in the Reading And Purpose Nonfiction Book Club in 2025!

The Perfectionist’s Guide To Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler

I tabbed, highlighted, and marked up this book so much I don’t even know where to start! Incredibly well-written, powerful examples, practical ideas…I honestly felt like Morgan Schafler took phrases and thoughts directly from my own head and put them on the pages of this outstanding resource. Her witty writing made me laugh and her ‘I see you’ moments actually made me cry. (And the Afterword. Oh my goodness.) I’ve been recommending this to perfectionists, achievers, goal-getters, ambitious coaching clients, and hard workers all year long and don’t see myself stopping any time soon. (I wrote about this book in multiple places throughout the year, including here.)

Thanks For The Feedback by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen

How has this book been around for a decade and I have just now discovered it? Thankfully, its messaging is quite timeless and centers around receiving feedback well - ‘even when it is off base, unfair, poorly delivered, and, frankly, you’re not in the mood,’ as described in the sub-subtitle. I highly recommend this to leaders, educators, coaches, managers, and basically anyone who receives - or gives - feedback on a regular basis and wants it to be a forward-moving experience. I wrote a bit more detail about this one here (along with two other books you’ll see on this list!).

You’re Not Listening by Kate Murphy

As a professional certified coach, I’ve participated in numerous trainings on effective listening and am always open to learning more. This book provides a look into the power of listening, also shining a light on how little and/or ineffectively we actually do listen - often when we think we’re doing it right. The author’s journalistic approach makes this feel both well-balanced and engaging to read, and she offers excellent examples ranging from a professional focus group leader, to a con artist, to the widely-admired skills of NPR interviewer Terry Gross. I love the idea of listening as a form of hospitality, and I was quite moved by the stories of people whose key moments in life circle back to a time when someone truly, wholeheartedly listened to them. You’ll find a few more thoughts here.

Meditations For Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

Burkeman has a way of taking topics that I’d think would be rather depressing to read - our limited time on earth, how we’ll never accomplish everything on our bucket lists, and so on - and making them inspiring! Meditations For Mortals is designed as an essay-a-day read over the course of 28 days, but I read the whole thing in a weekend and loved it that way, too. This is an excellent follow-up to his previously published Four Thousand Weeks, which also made my top ten list the year I read it, and I believe both books would be worthy of a reread on a regular basis. I wrote a lengthy review here.

Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg

I consider Duhigg’s The Power of Habit as the foundational resource on the topic of habits, and I have a feeling this latest release of his will similarly come to mind when I consider exceptional communication. I loved the stories and examples shared, and I appreciated the discussion of differences in communication styles and values, such as between genders, cultures, or upbringings. Within the first few chapters, he shares ways of assessing communication (ie, does the person want to be ‘helped, hugged, or heard?’) that prompted an immediate change in my very next interaction! One of my favorite, most treasured experiences in life is engaging in meaningful conversations, and this is an outstanding resource to help us all do so more often. (I also wrote more here.)

Biased by Jennifer L. Eberhardt

Right from the opening story, Biased pulls the reader in and gently - but clearly and firmly - shows us the many ways implicit bias shows up and why it’s crucial we continue to examine and challenge it. Eberhardt shares story after story demonstrating the sneaky ways bias appears without us even realizing it, all powerfully backed by research and brought to life with her engaging writing and the deep humanity inherent in her examples. I appreciate how carefully she has to tread the line as a trainer on this topic - if people think they’re being blamed as racists, she explains, they’ll likely shut down, but if she leans too hard in the ‘it happens with everyone’ direction, then people won’t take action to change. This is one of the most thought-provoking and eye-opening books I’ve read all year. Outstanding.

How To Walk Into A Room by Emily P. Freeman

I actually stumbled across one of Freeman’s Substack articles well before I began posting here myself, and one line from it struck me in a right way/right time kind of experience: “Just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean you have to do it forever.” How To Walk Into A Room centers around the act of making decisions - particularly deciding when to stay (in a situation, relationship, or job, for instance) and when to walk away - and frames it within the context of leaving certain ‘rooms’ and entering new ones. I particularly appreciated her focus on values, as well as some key distinctions to consider - such as how we may experience something ending but not actually experience closure with it. I read this cover to cover in a matter of two days and (obviously) loved it.

How To Know A Person by David Brooks

Brooks’ newest release was one of my first reads of the year and I still find myself thinking about it often. I discovered his work years ago via a TED Talk in which he challenged us to look at our lives, actions, and choices, then ask if we’re living for our resume or our eulogy. His powerful invitation for self-examination continues in How To Know A Person, a wonderful resource for building deeper connections and for helping people feel truly seen, heard, validated, and valued. I’m not often brought to tears while reading nonfiction, but this one prompted that multiple times for me. I have since been exploring his backlist while simultaneously eagerly awaiting whatever he publishes next!

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I am now sitting here at my computer in a profound state of gratitude for the powerful, growth-prompting, perspective-changing reading experiences I’ve had this year! Thank you to each of these authors (and many others) who have positively impacted my life in countless ways. And thank you to the coaching clients, group participants, book club members, and fellow readers and writers who make my bookish life even more rich.

What’s the best nonfiction book(s) you’ve read this year? Have you read any that I’ve mentioned here? Let’s continue the conversation in the comments!

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