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Best Nonfiction of the Year 2021

From compelling memoirs to riveting history, here are the books that our staff voted Best Nonfiction Books of the Year. Click on each title to read our recommendations. Don't miss our other Best Books of the Year lists here.

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Beautiful Country: A Memoir By Qian Julie Wang Cover Image

Beautiful Country: A Memoir (Hardcover)

By Qian Julie Wang
$28.95
ISBN: 9780385547215
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: Doubleday - September 7th, 2021
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Poet Warrior: A Memoir By Joy Harjo Cover Image

Poet Warrior: A Memoir (Hardcover)

By Joy Harjo
$25.00
ISBN: 9780393248524
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: W. W. Norton & Company - September 7th, 2021
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Crying in H Mart: A Memoir By Michelle Zauner Cover Image

Crying in H Mart: A Memoir (Hardcover)

By Michelle Zauner
$26.95
ISBN: 9780525657743
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: Knopf - April 20th, 2021
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A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life By George Saunders Cover Image

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life (Hardcover)

By George Saunders
$28.00
ISBN: 9781984856029
Availability: Hard to Find - Believed to be Out of Stock Indefinitely
Published: Random House - January 12th, 2021
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Cuba (Winner of the Pulitzer Prize): An American History By Dr. Ada Ferrer Cover Image

Cuba (Winner of the Pulitzer Prize): An American History (Hardcover)

By Dr. Ada Ferrer
$32.00
ISBN: 9781501154553
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: Scribner - September 7th, 2021
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Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence By Anita Hill Cover Image

Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence (Hardcover)

By Anita Hill
$30.00
ISBN: 9780593298299
Availability: Hard to Find - Believed to be Out of Stock Indefinitely
Published: Viking - September 28th, 2021
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Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest By Suzanne Simard Cover Image

Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest (Hardcover)

By Suzanne Simard
$30.00
ISBN: 9780525656098
Availability: Hard to Find - Believed to be Out of Stock Indefinitely
Published: Knopf - May 4th, 2021
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The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story By Nikole Hannah-Jones (Created by), The New York Times Magazine (Created by), Caitlin Roper (Editor), Ilena Silverman (Editor), Jake Silverstein (Editor) Cover Image

The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story (Hardcover)

By Nikole Hannah-Jones (Created by), The New York Times Magazine (Created by), Caitlin Roper (Editor), Ilena Silverman (Editor), Jake Silverstein (Editor)
$38.00
ISBN: 9780593230572
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: One World - November 16th, 2021
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Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted By Suleika Jaouad Cover Image

Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted (Hardcover)

By Suleika Jaouad
$28.00
ISBN: 9780399588587
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: Random House - February 9th, 2021
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The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race By Walter Isaacson Cover Image

The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race (Hardcover)

By Walter Isaacson
$35.00
ISBN: 9781982115852
Availability: Hard to Find - Believed to be Out of Stock Indefinitely
Published: Simon & Schuster - March 9th, 2021
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Black, White, and The Grey: The Story of an Unexpected Friendship and a Beloved Restaurant By Mashama Bailey, John O. Morisano Cover Image

Black, White, and The Grey: The Story of an Unexpected Friendship and a Beloved Restaurant (Hardcover)

By Mashama Bailey, John O. Morisano
$28.00
ISBN: 9781984856203
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: Lorena Jones Books - January 12th, 2021
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Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 By Ibram X. Kendi (Editor), Keisha N. Blain (Editor) Cover Image

Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 (Hardcover)

By Ibram X. Kendi (Editor), Keisha N. Blain (Editor)
$32.00
ISBN: 9780593134047
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: One World - February 2nd, 2021
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My Broken Language: A Memoir By Quiara Alegría Hudes Cover Image

My Broken Language: A Memoir (Hardcover)

By Quiara Alegría Hudes
$28.00
ISBN: 9780399590047
Availability: Hard to Find - Believed to be Out of Stock Indefinitely
Published: One World - April 6th, 2021
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Like Streams to the Ocean: Notes on Ego, Love, and the Things That Make Us Who We Are: Essaysc By Jedidiah Jenkins Cover Image

Like Streams to the Ocean: Notes on Ego, Love, and the Things That Make Us Who We Are: Essaysc (Hardcover)

By Jedidiah Jenkins
$26.00
ISBN: 9780593137239
Availability: Hard to Find - Believed to be Out of Stock Indefinitely
Published: Convergent Books - February 2nd, 2021
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The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music By Dave Grohl Cover Image

The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music (Hardcover)

By Dave Grohl
$29.99
ISBN: 9780063076099
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Dey Street Books - October 5th, 2021
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Smile: The Story of a Face By Sarah Ruhl Cover Image

Smile: The Story of a Face (Hardcover)

By Sarah Ruhl
$27.00
ISBN: 9781982150945
Availability: Hard to Find - Believed to be Out of Stock Indefinitely
Published: S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books - October 5th, 2021
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Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement By Tarana Burke Cover Image

Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement (Hardcover)

By Tarana Burke
$28.99
ISBN: 9781250621733
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: Flatiron Books: An Oprah Book - September 14th, 2021
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White Magic By Elissa Washuta Cover Image

White Magic (Hardcover)

By Elissa Washuta
$26.95
ISBN: 9781951142391
Availability: Backordered
Published: Tin House Books - April 27th, 2021
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Orwell's Roses By Rebecca Solnit Cover Image

Orwell's Roses (Hardcover)

By Rebecca Solnit
$28.00
ISBN: 9780593083369
Availability: Hard to Find - Believed to be Out of Stock Indefinitely
Published: Viking - October 19th, 2021
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On Freedom: Four Songs of Care and Constraint By Maggie Nelson Cover Image

On Freedom: Four Songs of Care and Constraint (Hardcover)

By Maggie Nelson
$27.00
ISBN: 9781644450628
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: Graywolf Press - September 7th, 2021
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I Live a Life Like Yours: A Memoir By Jan Grue, B. L. Crook (Translated by) Cover Image

I Live a Life Like Yours: A Memoir (Paperback)

By Jan Grue, B. L. Crook (Translated by)
$17.00
ISBN: 9780374600785
Availability: Hard to Find - Contact Store for Availability
Published: FSG Originals - August 17th, 2021
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A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance By Hanif Abdurraqib Cover Image

A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance (Hardcover)

By Hanif Abdurraqib
$27.00
ISBN: 9781984801197
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: Random House - March 30th, 2021
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Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet By Thich Nhat Hanh Cover Image

Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet (Hardcover)

By Thich Nhat Hanh
$27.99
ISBN: 9780062954794
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: HarperOne - October 5th, 2021
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Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law By Mary Roach Cover Image

Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law (Hardcover)

By Mary Roach
$26.95
ISBN: 9781324001935
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: W. W. Norton & Company - September 14th, 2021
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The Hard Crowd: Essays 2000-2020 By Rachel Kushner Cover Image

The Hard Crowd: Essays 2000-2020 (Hardcover)

By Rachel Kushner
$26.00
ISBN: 9781982157692
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: Scribner - April 6th, 2021
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Inflamed: Deep Medicine and the Anatomy of Injustice By Rupa Marya, Raj Patel Cover Image

Inflamed: Deep Medicine and the Anatomy of Injustice (Hardcover)

By Rupa Marya, Raj Patel
$30.00
ISBN: 9780374602512
Availability: Hard to Find - Contact Store for Availability
Published: Farrar, Straus and Giroux - August 3rd, 2021
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Covered with Night: A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America By Nicole Eustace Cover Image

Covered with Night: A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America (Hardcover)

By Nicole Eustace
$29.95
ISBN: 9781631495878
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: Liveright - April 27th, 2021
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The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity By David Graeber, David Wengrow Cover Image

The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity (Hardcover)

By David Graeber, David Wengrow
$35.00
ISBN: 9780374157357
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: Farrar, Straus and Giroux - November 9th, 2021
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Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age By Annalee Newitz Cover Image

Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age (Hardcover)

By Annalee Newitz
Email or call for price
ISBN: 9780393652666
Availability: Out of Print
Published: W. W. Norton & Company - February 2nd, 2021
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On Tyranny Graphic Edition: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century By Timothy Snyder, Nora Krug (Illustrator) Cover Image

On Tyranny Graphic Edition: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (Paperback)

By Timothy Snyder, Nora Krug (Illustrator)
$16.99
ISBN: 9781984859150
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Ten Speed Graphic - October 5th, 2021
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Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood By Danny Trejo, Donal Logue Cover Image

Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood (Hardcover)

By Danny Trejo, Donal Logue
$27.00
ISBN: 9781982150822
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: Atria Books - July 6th, 2021
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Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty By Patrick Radden Keefe Cover Image

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty (Hardcover)

By Patrick Radden Keefe
$32.50
ISBN: 9780385545686
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: Doubleday - April 13th, 2021
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How to Not Die Alone: The Surprising Science That Will Help You Find Love By Logan Ury Cover Image

How to Not Die Alone: The Surprising Science That Will Help You Find Love (Hardcover)

By Logan Ury
$26.00
ISBN: 9781982120627
Availability: Hard to Find - Believed to be Out of Stock Indefinitely
Published: Simon & Schuster - February 2nd, 2021
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The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together By Heather McGhee Cover Image

The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together (Hardcover)

By Heather McGhee
$28.00
ISBN: 9780525509561
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: One World - February 16th, 2021
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This Is Your Mind on Plants By Michael Pollan Cover Image

This Is Your Mind on Plants (Hardcover)

By Michael Pollan
$28.00
ISBN: 9780593296905
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: Penguin Press - July 6th, 2021
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The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred By Chanda Prescod-Weinstein Cover Image

The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred (Hardcover)

By Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
$28.00
ISBN: 9781541724709
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: Bold Type Books - March 9th, 2021
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Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future By Elizabeth Kolbert Cover Image

Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future (Hardcover)

By Elizabeth Kolbert
$28.00
ISBN: 9780593136270
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: Crown - February 9th, 2021
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Run: Book One By John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, L. Fury (Illustrator), Nate Powell (Illustrator) Cover Image

Run: Book One (Hardcover)

By John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, L. Fury (Illustrator), Nate Powell (Illustrator)
$24.99
ISBN: 9781419730696
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Abrams ComicArts - August 3rd, 2021
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Not

Not "A Nation of Immigrants": Settler Colonialism, White Supremacy, and a History of Erasure and Exclusion (Hardcover)

By Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
$27.95
ISBN: 9780807036297
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: Beacon Press - August 24th, 2021
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Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons By John Paul Brammer Cover Image

Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons (Hardcover)

By John Paul Brammer
$26.00
ISBN: 9781982141493
Availability: Not On Our Shelves, But Available from Warehouse - Usually Delivers in 3-14 Days
Published: Simon & Schuster - June 8th, 2021
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The Deeper the Roots: A Memoir of Hope and Home By Michael Tubbs Cover Image

The Deeper the Roots: A Memoir of Hope and Home (Hardcover)

By Michael Tubbs
$27.99
ISBN: 9781250173447
Availability: Hard to Find - Believed to be Out of Stock Indefinitely
(Please note: This book cannot be returned.)
Published: Flatiron Books: An Oprah Book - November 16th, 2021
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Unsolaced: Along the Way to All That Is By Gretel Ehrlich Cover Image

Unsolaced: Along the Way to All That Is (Hardcover)

By Gretel Ehrlich
$26.95
ISBN: 9780307911797
Availability: Hard to Find - Believed to be Out of Stock Indefinitely
Published: Pantheon - January 5th, 2021