LOTS OF YOU IN THE COMMENTS SAYING YOU'VE NEVER READ NON-FICTION SO HERE'S A LITTLE BEGINNERS GUIDE: 1) Politics and the English Language by George Orwell. It's a short essay (a form of non-fiction that I think is even more so underrated), it can be read in like 30 minutes, and is full of useful insights into political language and writing, but I personally found it relevant even to everyday life and communication. 2) Any of Virginia Woolf's essays. A Room of One's Own is iconic, The Death of the Moth is also awesome. 3) Anything Alain de Botton. All his books are very witty, relatble and insightful non-fiction works anchored in philosophy. You don't have to be academic to like his books, they're tailored to everyone, and offer lots of wonderful (and funny) pieces of wisdom. My favourite is Status Anxiety. 4) I Am Malala. For obvious reasons. An eye-opening and touching autobiography. 5) I Am Nujood Aged 10 and Divorced - confronting but very, very important. Happy reading!!
Ironically it was you, who got me into non-fiction. I pretty much strictly read fiction until All I Know Now, which was by far my favourite read last year. :)
Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig is a must read - definitely the best book I've read this year and an all time favourite. It's an entertaining read with very important and useful information. I would recommend to all, but in particular I believe it should be taught as part of the school curriculum to help teenagers reflect on the importance of their own mental health and wellbeing.
I was just about to make a comment about this book! It helped me an awful lot, as someone who has had one heck of a time trying to cope with worsening mental health it really helped put things in perspective, made me laugh and cry and actually accept and somewhat appreciate what I've already achieved in terms of mental health recovery. It would definitely be useful to have in schools I think, maybe gcse level looking at memoirs and creative nonfiction.
Two books that I think are essential for new adults (but really anyone) are "I Was Told There'd Be Cake" which is actually a collection of essays by Sloane Crosley, and it just deals with the general anxiety of being an adult now and no one is going to hold your hand through anything anymore, and "Hyperbole and a Half" by Allie Brosh (and yes this is from her blog), which is largely about dealing with depression and the general strangeness of new-adulthood. For the side of you that actually loves history but won't admit it (but you do, you know you do, come over to the history side, we have golden ages that are actually inherently flawed) I would recommend all of Erik Larson's books because he knows how to take actual historical events and make them feel like novels. In particular, I recommend "Devil in the White City" about the 1893 Chicago World's fair and the serial killer H.H. Holmes who lived in Chicago at the time.
I have never been into non-fiction but the way you describe each book.. honestly they sound amazing! The first one on my list is 'Big Magic' because I desperately need to get out of this creative dry-spell I've been in. You know those days or weeks or months where even though you love to sketch or play piano, you just simply always find excuses not too. I'm in one of those. Also 'Girl Up' sounds very much my kind of book so thank you for recommending it. 'How to be a Person' sounds unbelievably perfect because the adult world is kinda kicking my butt. I'm pretty sure I'm going to purchase all of these. Thank you for the suggestions!
I feel the need to add that it's 7:13am where I live....I accidentally stayed up all night. Is anybody else in the same boat or am I alone? ...I've got an essay to do...whoops
Loved this video! I will definitely add some of these books to my to read list. I've read "You're never weird on the internet (almost)" this year and it did change my life. Felicia Day talks about her experiences and it's clearly like having a chat with an older friend in a café, except that this older friend is hilarious, interesting and doesn't hide her failures at all! It's a kick I needed to try to do more and accept to fail more (still working on that tho).
The Reason of Things! Its a great philosophy book that's really digestible because its broken down into parts and subparts/essays of only a few pages per essay. They are all linked together but you don't have to read them in any particular order. I feel like the writer is realistic and humble in his approaches to all the stuff he talks about, and while there are some parts where I don't agree with his opinion on certain things (such as cloning for example), I can appreciate where he is coming from and it gives me perspective! xox
"If You Find This Letter" by Hannah Brenchner is one of my favorite non-fiction reads. It's about Hannah's post-college journey, moving to New York and feeling incredibly lost in her next steps. She decides one day to write a letter to a stranger on the subway and leaves it behind for her to find, and that launches a series of letters and a project she still operates to this day called The World Needs More Love Letters, where strangers essentially write letters to one another. It's a really lovely read, I think you'd like it if you haven't already read it!
I have no idea how to put in out in words but somehow always that I'm feeling blue one of your videos show up on my screen and my life just gets better. You shine girl... xx
i love how you got more and more passionate with every book you mentioned!! i definitely want to read all of these *avoids looking at my current TBR shelf*
you should do the unpopular book tag! :D just look it up on youtube, it's a shame you're so busy because it'd be lovely if you started a video series only about books ^^
Chosen by a Horse by Susan Richards is one of my favorite books. It's a memoir about a lady who thought she was saving a horse, but the horse saved her. I first read it when I was about 13 or 14 and I actually did pick it because of the cover (the horse pictured on the front looks like one of my all time favorite horses who is the coolest girl ever!) but loved it! Being 21 now and just having reread it for the who knows how many times now, I do understand the part about her life in a different way, but the story of how this horse came into her life and affected it so is so beautiful. Lay Me Down is a one in a million horse.
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is amazing. It's all about how her family was homeless and how she deals with that growing up and all the problems they faced. I highly recommend it.
I love when you talk about books, you always recommend books I end up reading and loving! And I'm currently reading On the Other Side and also loving it!
I've read excerpts of it and my sister has read the whole things. It surely lives up to the gorgeous cover. I'd heartily second any recommendation of it!
I really enjoyed reading 'The Happiness Project' by Gretchen Rubin (don't know if I've written that correctly), it has really inspired me to embrace that I am in charge of my own happiness and that you can add to that happiness by adding small things to your routine/life, not everything has to be big and spectacular. I will definitely be adding the break-up book and big magic to my tbr lists since they sound really good!
James Frey " A million little pieces" " my friend Leonard". These are memoires. The author shares his struggle with drugs and alcohol. It is so much more than an ex-addict tale, it has so much depth and the emotions it carries are overwhelmingly heart aching. Love these books. (He has also done a fictional piece " Bright shiny morning" )
Adore this video Carrie!! I've just been given the "this is not a rehearsal, it's the performance of a lifetime" mug for my birthday because of my acting, I love it😆😘 xxx
Working in a bookshop has really opened my eyes to how many non-fiction genres are actually out there. I definitely believe there is something out there for everyone.
YES A million miles in a thousand years!!!!!!! I read this on your recommendation Carrie and it is one of those books that i later went back through with a highlighter, it was amazing!!!
My favourite book I´ve read this year is definitely the biography of Craig Ferguson ("American on Purpose"). Reading it, I started crying in the middle of two lectures in university - it is so touching and so motivating to just live your life! Highly recommend it!
These sounds cool! I think I remember you reckoing the break up one way back? I would like to read the last one - that seems truly amazing!! Good work on finding the background while on tour! :)
The Bell Jar written by Sylvia Plath isn't techincally non-fiction but it's based on her real life experience with depression and it's my absolute favorite book. Really beautifully and skillfully written
Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman is incredible! Regardless of whether you enjoy the show or not the book really demonstrates how great women are and how positive their relationships with each other can be, especially in times of need. (I also recommend Carrie's book All I Know Now if you haven't read it. The lessons I learned from that book seriously helped me to make some new friends)
I donated my hair to the little princess trust on friday. Thank you for inspiring me to do so! It's now around the same length as yours in this video. I will definetly be purchasing most if my all these books at some point in the future! Love Kara xxx
Carrie! I cannot recommend this book enough: Don't Worry, It Gets Worse: One Twentysomething's (Mostly Failed) Attempts at Adulthood (Alida Nugent). It just has so much relatable content for anyone who is stuck in their twenties and not sure how they ended up where they are. Also some really interesting discussion of mental health issues and perfectionism
Carrie's enthusiasm to these books is just amazing.... In my life, I never found anyone who is as enthusiastic as me when it comes to books. And seeing this video just gave me hope, that there are more of like me, or like Carrie for loving a book. ^_^
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE BOOK RECS! I've bought a lot of books that you've recommended before, and I've loved all of them. You have a lovely mind and a lovely heart, and amazing tastes.
One of my favourite autobiographies is Over My Dead Body by June Opie and it's just so inspiring to read about how she contracted polio and her struggle to overcome it
My recommendation is The Last Lecture by Jeffrey Zaslow and Randy Pausch. It's an autobiography of Randy Pausch, where there's this thing where this program picks one professor a year and then allows them to go on tour, sharing their lecture. Randy's super excited when he gets chosen, but then understandably dismayed when he goes in for a check-up and finds out he's terminally ill with cancer. However, instead of spending his last few months with his wife and two children, he goes on tour and changes his lecture to be a bit of a self-help and a bit of an autobiography. He explaind why he went instead of staying with his family, and it's a beautiful lesson and twist, so I won't spoil it. It's beautifully sincere, funny, and heartwarming whilst breaking yout heart at the same time. The lecture has been taped and is on DVD if you want to watch it instead of/before reading it, but it's a gem all around. It teaches a new lesson with every chapter, but by far my favorite is "If you're wondering something, ask. What's the worst that could happen?" which taught a little girl from anxiety from a young age (I think I was 8 when I read this for the first time) that it's okay to ask people for things, because they might say yes, and if it's no, it's not thr end of the world. There are plenty more of more grandeous ones, but that's the lesson that hit me the hardest. I really hope you have the chance to read it and fall in love with it as I have :) Have a wonderful day!
i think i'm definitely going to get and read the last book! i feel like i have all these ideas for stories and songs but never have the time to write them down and idk it sounds interesting! i love when you give books recs because i'm always on the lookout for a new good book 😁
'Slouching Towards Bethlehem' by Joan Didion has some of the best essays on writing and life in the dust bowl of 60's California you'll ever read! Also the 'Call the Midwife' series of memoirs by Jennifer Worth are so brilliant! And if you want to read about Sweden in the spring, forgotten explorers and the world of insects, read 'The Fly Trap' by Fredrick Sjoberg (I read a lot of non fiction haha!)
Elizabeth Gilbert is genuinely a fantastic person and author. The book Eat Pray Love actually totally rocked my world. Very much looking forward to Big Magic
"Travelling to Infinity" by Jane Hawking absolutely blew my mind, especially as I was just starting Cambridge Uni at the time. Definitely recommend it to anyone who likes true stories about incredibly strong women, science or just loved the movie "The Theory of Everything"
The Crossroads of Should and Must is fabulous. I think you'd like it Carrie! It's got gorgeous art alongside thought provoking quotes about the things we as humans believe we 'should' and 'must' do.
I've been a huge fan of non-fiction for years, I probably read more non-fiction than fiction! So glad you're enjoying it too. Some recommendations from me: For anyone new to non-fiction - Read anything by Malcolm Gladwell, so interesting and easy to read. Autobiographies (which I wasn't really into until recently) - Why not me? (Mindy Kahling) and Yes please (Amy Poehler). Both are hyped up and with good reason, as a 23 year-old woman I found them both really inspiring and full of life lessons. Finally, a relatively unknown book which is so worth reading is The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks (Rebecca Skloot). It's hard to summarise the plot in a few words, please go google it though! It's a book you'll read and won't believe no one really knows this has happened. I honestly can't recommend this book highly enough! Happy reading!
I have a similar mind set to you of "why would I want to read about the real stuff, I live in it... take me to Narnia" and this year I've really tried to push myself out of, so thank you for the suggestions. One that I read this year was 'Sick In The Head: Conversations About Life And Comedy' by Judd Apatow. Judd is a director/actor/producer/writer/comedian (like he directed & produced Knocked Up, The 40 Year Old Virgin etc) and ever since he was younger has been obsessed with comedy & comedians. So, they're basically interviews with the top comedians like Mel Brooks, Steve Martin, Amy Schumer etc & it's just really good. It was one of those change my life books because some of the people you deem the most successful, were not at our age & it just really helped me out. So, there you go.
I'm a huge fan of NF books, especially about historical figures or eras but one of my favourites I've read is 'Compacts and Cosmetics' by Madeleine Marsh. It looks at beauty from the Victorian Era to the modern day and I found it endlessly fascinating. There are also pictures through out of vintage ads for make-up and examples of vintage beauty products. I love knowing about women's history and while big things like the Suffragette movement are interesting I love learning about the smaller aspects of women's lives throughout history like make-up and beauty products.
I was expecting One Million Lovely Letters to pop up in your list, since I bought that book based on your recommendation! Also, I 10000% agree with Big Magic, and have actually described it as "it sings to my soul" as well. It was SO good and SO reassuring. I never used to read non-fiction either because of the same reason you gave -- wanted to escape the real world -- but I've really grown to like it, and it's actually a nice break from fiction every now and then. I highly recommend Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson, which is absurdly funny and talks about mental health.
If you're looking for a list... 1. A million miles in a thousand years by Donald Miller 2. How to Be A Person - Lindt West et. al. 3. Girl Up by Laura Bates 4. It's called a Breakup Because it's Broken by Greg and Ameera Behrendt 5. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Thank you for your amazing videos Carrie! I'm going through a "bump in the road" at the moment in my life aha. And your videos are always so cheery and your personality is always so positive :) Thank you for being amazing and being you! 💕
Gender Failure by Ivan Coyote and Rae Spoon is probably my favourite non-fiction book. I also adore Geisha of Gion by Mineko Iwasaki (the real geisha Memoirs of a Geisha was based on, who didn't like the novel version at all and wrote her own, real memoir), and Gossip from the Forest by Sara Maitland, which is wonderful if you like fairytales and forests, and a mixture of non-fiction and fiction, because she ends each chapter with a retelling of a fairytale.
I love a bit of non-fiction every now and then, especially stories that I find touching and motivational. One I always recommend is An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield, which I really enjoyed. Last week I read The Last Act of Love by Cathy Rentzenbrink; it was a real tear jerker but beautiful and it makes you really appreciate everything in life so much more.
I love non-fiction it's almost all I own at this point. I suggest both of Mindy Kaling's books "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me" & "Why Not Me" I've only read her first one but I plan on buying her second one soon which I've read excerpts from and I already love it. The way Mindy writes is like talking to a friend. I also suggest listening to her voice or watching the Mindy Project a bit because reading it in her voice makes the experience even better.
So interesting what you said at the start of the video about not wanting to read non-fiction books. I pretty much have the opposite thing. I don't tend to read fiction books becasue there's only so much time I can spend reading and there's SO much I can learn from non-fiction. Not that I don't like fiction, just that I'd rather read non-fic. :) Think I'll buy 'Big Magic'!
Anything by David Sedaris - I went to see him talk live in Bournemouth not long ago and it reignited my love for his work. He writes humorous short essays about his life, so he's essentially a vlogger in book form :P My favourite story is about the time he fed his tumour to his tortoise, and I'm not going to give you any more context for that! Also for film-y people, Patton Oswalt's 'Silver Screen Fiend'. I haven't finished it yet, but it is brilliant so far.
«Fools Rush In» by Bill Carter. It's an incredibly well written memoir about Bill Carter's time in the besieged city of Sarajevo. I didn't think I would like it, but then I was unable to put it down. It feels completely surreal and at times almost makes you forget that it is, in fact, a true story. I promise, if you read this book, your life will inevitably change.
For my freshman year of highschool my school assigned me to read a memoir called the Glass Castle written by Jeanette Walls. It tells of the Walls family and is an amazing account of what can only be the definition of a dysfunctional family. Being a creative person, I really enjoyed the book, and at times had to force myself to read certain parts because the reality of Wall's anecdotes are just too real. I think you'll really enjoy this book, and I encourage everyone who sees this comment to read it.
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up is a good non fiction book for me personally because it is literally the only book I've read that actually made me get up and act upon it. A lot of non fiction books are good and inspiring but they never have quite enough influence on me to do anything after I've read it.
One of my favourite non-fiction books will forever be "How to be a woman" by Caitlin Moran, purely because I read it at a difficult time in my life and it showed me that I don't have to be the perfect ideal of a woman and that being myself was pretty good too!
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. This book made me really appreciate my life and what I am fortunate enough to have. I really didn't like reading in school, but this book changed that!
Jon Ronson's 'So You've Been Publicly Shamed' is very interesting and all about social media - so good! 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat' by Oliver Sacks is also a great read. Let me know if you pick these up!
I love Big Magic! I read it last spring and it was one of those "Oh, that's everything that I've been feeling put into words..." Two of my favorite non-fiction books are 1) Subliminal by Leonard Mlodinow (which is a psychology books about some of the subconscious processes your brain goes through, like memories) and 2) The Manhattan Project edited by Cynthia C. Kelly (which is a collection of primary sources that tell the story of the creation of the atomic bomb during WWII).
I'd definitely recommend Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling. Her commentary, anecdotes, and opinions are both insightful and hilarious, and there's an entire chapter dedicated to her work as a writer for The Office!
My Little Red Book is an anthology of first period stories and it was the first life changing book I ever read (I was 10 or 11). It is heartbreaking and hilarious and every emotion in between. Proceeds are donated to charity and it's just all around great. I would recommend it to literally everyone
I'm so glad you mentioned It's Called a Breakup Because it's Broken, it's such a helpful book!!! I recommended it to everyone I meet who is going through a breakup. If I ever go through anther one, in going to re-read it.
I read a few autobiographies as a child and hated them and ever since have just been put off non-fiction books. However I started reading 'The Private Life of the Diary' and i LOVE it!! It is so so so interesting and a great one to just dip in and out of like most non-fiction books. Also All I Know Now, of course! I really want to read the women and sport one everyone on RU-vid is raving about. Thanks for the recommendations carrie!
The Top 5 Regrets of The Dying by Bronnie Ware. This book really made me rethink how to live my life and how not to make the same mistakes as the people in this book! xx
You've probables already ready it but A brief history of time. I can not physically explain how much i love it. Also mercy by Caroline B. Cooney. It is no longer available in book store so you will have to buy a used copy off amazon xxx💙 It's not no fiction but it is based off a true story.
I still need to read It's Called A Break-Up Because It's Broken - it's on my shelf waiting for me, because I picked it up immediately when you talked about it forever ago. Maybe I'll read that next! Current in-progress nonfiction I'm reading is An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth by Chris Hadfield, and gosh, it's so good. He's such a genuinely lovely person, and I love his style and the lessons he relays to the reader. Highly recommend it!
