The 2021 Winter Reading Guide: 8 Nonfiction Books You Won’t Stop Thinking About
Discover eight powerful reads from The 2021 Winter Reading Guide Nonfiction Books—captivating memoirs, investigative true stories, and moving reflections to inspire your winter reading season.
8 Nonfiction Books to Read from The 2021 Winter Reading Guide
When the days get shorter and slower, I love reaching for nonfiction books that make me think deeply, feel something, and see the world in a new way. This list of 2021 Winter Reading Guide Nonfiction Books brings together memoirs, true crime, cultural history, and emotional reflections — each one grounded in real experience, honesty, and heart.
If you’ve ever wondered how other people make sense of their lives, chase truth, or rebuild after heartbreak, these eight books are for you. They’re deeply human, beautifully written, and remind us that real stories can be just as gripping as fiction.
About The 2021 Winter Reading Guide
The BiblioLifestyle 2021 Winter Reading Guide includes forty curated books across genres — from thrilling mysteries to uplifting contemporary fiction — but the nonfiction category is always one of my personal favorites.
These eight titles were hand-picked for how they move, challenge, and comfort us. Each book is an invitation to slow down, learn something new, and connect more deeply with yourself and others.
The 2021 Winter Reading Guide Nonfiction Books
Featherhood by Charlie Gilmour
When musician Charlie Gilmour rescues a baby magpie, he doesn’t expect that caring for the wild creature will teach him how to repair his own broken bond with his father. Featherhood is a tender, wry meditation on love, forgiveness, and the strange ways healing finds us. The relationship between man and bird mirrors the ache of family estrangement and the beauty of reconciliation. I selected it because it’s both unusual and deeply relatable — perfect for readers who loved H Is for Hawk or When Breath Becomes Air. It left me reflective and unexpectedly emotional, reminding me that growth often begins in the most unexpected places.
You can get a copy on Amazon.
Want To Save This Post?
Enter your email below & I'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you'll get themed lists and posts from me every week!
The Crown in Crisis by Alexander Larman
If you think you know the story of King Edward VIII’s abdication, think again. The Crown in Crisis offers a pulse-pounding, day-by-day account of how one of Britain’s most dramatic moments unfolded. Larman draws from newly uncovered sources and personal testimonies to explore the political tension, scandal, and heartbreak behind the decision that changed the monarchy forever. I picked this one because it’s gripping historical nonfiction that reads like a spy thriller — for readers who enjoy The Splendid and the Vile or The Crown. It made me rethink everything I thought I knew about duty, love, and legacy.
You can get a copy on Amazon.
We Need to Hang Out by Billy Baker
When journalist Billy Baker realizes he doesn’t have any close friends left, he sets out to understand why — and how to fix it. What follows is a funny, vulnerable, and surprisingly moving exploration of modern male loneliness and the search for connection. I chose it because it’s the kind of book that sneaks up on you — equal parts social study and heartfelt memoir. Perfect for readers of The Comfort Crisis or Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, this one made me laugh and reflect on how easily we lose touch with community, and how much joy comes from rebuilding it.
You can get a copy on Amazon.
Two Truths and a Lie by Ellen McGarrahan
Journalist-turned-private investigator Ellen McGarrahan has spent decades haunted by a single story — the execution of Jesse Tafero, a man convicted of murdering two police officers in 1990. When doubts about his guilt surface, she embarks on a gripping personal investigation to uncover the truth. Two Truths and a Lie is both true crime and moral reckoning, exploring justice, memory, and guilt. I chose it because it’s a haunting, introspective read that goes beyond headlines. For readers who loved I’ll Be Gone in the Dark or In Cold Blood, this book left me stunned by how truth — and the cost of seeking it — can define a life.
You can get a copy on Amazon.
Surviving the White Gaze by Rebecca Carroll
In this unforgettable memoir, Rebecca Carroll reflects on growing up as the only Black person in a small New Hampshire town, adopted by white parents who loved her but couldn’t understand her experience. When she meets her birth mother as an adult, it reignites a complex search for identity and belonging. Surviving the White Gaze is raw, lyrical, and fiercely honest. I chose it because it’s a necessary conversation about race, family, and the power of self-definition. For readers who admired Heavy or Redefining Realness, this one lingered with me long after finishing.
You can get a copy on Amazon.
Speak, Okinawa by Elizabeth Miki Brina
Speak, Okinawa is a beautifully written memoir by Elizabeth Miki Brina, the daughter of an Okinawan mother and a white American father who served in Vietnam. As Brina unpacks her parents’ complicated love and the inherited trauma of war, she confronts her own feelings of cultural disconnection and shame. I picked this one because it’s searing and poetic — for readers who love Crying in H Mart or Minor Feelings. It made me think deeply about identity, forgiveness, and what it means to claim your own story.
You can get a copy on Amazon.
The Barbizon by Paulina Bren
Before Sex and the City, there was The Barbizon — New York’s legendary women-only hotel that gave independence and opportunity to generations of women chasing their dreams. Bren’s lively social history captures both the glamour and grit of the 20th-century women who passed through its doors, from Sylvia Plath to Grace Kelly. I selected it because it’s both nostalgic and empowering, a perfect read for fans of The Swans of Fifth Avenue or The Secret Life of Violet Grant. It left me inspired by how women carved out freedom long before it was fashionable.
You can get a copy on Amazon.
The Babysitter by Liza Rodman & Jennifer Jordan
Part memoir, part true-crime investigation, The Babysitter tells the chilling story of Liza Rodman, who, as a child, adored her charismatic babysitter — only to later discover he was a serial killer. Co-written with journalist Jennifer Jordan, this book examines memory, trauma, and the duality of good and evil. I chose it because it’s impossible to put down and profoundly unsettling in its humanity. For readers who loved The Fact of a Body or I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, this book made me reflect on how our childhood memories shape who we become — and how truth can fracture and heal in equal measure.
You can get a copy on Amazon.
Why I Chose These Books
Each of these nonfiction reads offers a window into resilience, identity, and truth. Whether they explore friendship, justice, racial identity, or forgotten history, they all share one thing: a beating human heart at their core. When I read nonfiction, I’m not just seeking facts — I’m seeking understanding. These eight books reminded me how storytelling can bridge distance between experiences, generations, and even entire worlds.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a nonfiction TBR that inspires, educates, and stirs emotion, this 2021 Winter Reading Guide Nonfiction Books list is where I’d start. From intimate memoirs to investigative journalism, these stories will stay with you — long after the snow melts.Now I’d love to hear from you! Which of these nonfiction books are you adding to your TBR? Have you already read any of them, or do you have your own favorites from this winter’s reading list?
