A biography of Hannibal Lecter. A meditation on trees. A memoir by a child prodigy violinist. A treatise on the way we poop. We asked our NPR colleagues what nonfiction they've enjoyed reading so far this year, and these are the titles they shared. (You can also check out their fiction picks here, and sign up for our Books newsletter for weekly recommendations.)
A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides by Gisèle Pelicot, with Judith Perrignon, translated by Natasha Lehrer and Ruth Diver
What could read like the marital tragedy heard around the world is instead brimming with empathy, for herself and others. True to its title, in A Hymn to Life, Gisèle Pelicot poetically retells the turn of events that led to a public trial in France exposing the breadth of nearly a decade of violent sexual abuse orchestrated by her husband of nearly 50 years and dozens of other men — most of which was filmed and all of which happened while she was heavily drugged and unconscious. In its pages, Pelicot trades sorrow for devotion and chooses love over and over again. — Adriana Gallardo, editor, Morning Edition
Backtalker: An American Memoir by Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw
True Story: When I launched my first show at NPR, Tell Me More, I wanted to have an audience feedback segment called Backtalk. My staff was horrified; they thought it was rude. Now, though, I think I was on to something. Remember the saying "polite women don't make history?" Law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw has lived it. If you've ever heard the terms critical race theory or intersectionality in the news, she is identified with both, and she explains what those terms mean here. But this is not a dry academic treatise. It's a raw, funny and, at times, heartbreaking account of how Crenshaw was born to be a "backtalker" — and she makes a compelling argument for why we could use more of them. — Michel Martin, host, Morning Edition
Bonfire of the Murdochs: How the Epic Fight to Control the Last Great Media Dynasty Broke a Family — and the World by Gabriel Sherman
Dostoevsky's truism about all unhappy families being unique goes a long way in explaining our cultural fascination with the Murdochs. This account of the family behind the media empire expanded by Rupert — who took over a comparatively modest Australian operation from his father — gives fascinating insights into the mentality and dynamics that fueled their ascent. This is a read that's equally interesting for its dive into how Murdoch borrowed his way to dominance in a consolidating media landscape and for its look at the brutal ruthlessness that shaped his legacy as a businessman, husband and father. Journalism will never be the same. — Tayla Burney, director, Network Programming and Production
Days of Love and Rage: A Story of Ordinary People Forging a Revolution by Anand Gopal
Anand Gopal gives us a magisterial retelling of the long and bloody Syrian civil war through the eyes of brave men and women in one tiny city. The death and sectarianism of the war, as it dragged on, became stultifying. But Gopal makes the banal intimate, masterfully re-creating the lives of the people who took part in the war by conducting literally thousands of interviews in Syria. And he is unsparing about how the war bends, even corrupts, the most idealistic. — Emily Feng, correspondent, International Desk
El Paso: Five Families and One Hundred Years of Blood, Migration, Race, and Memory by Jazmine Ulloa
Jazmine Ulloa, a native fronteriza (borderlander), documents key events that shaped El Paso through centuries. Through the stories of five families, she tracks the city from the arrival of Spanish explorers and Franciscan friars, to becoming the "Ellis Island of the Southwest," known for the major role it plays in migration to the U.S. The book also explores the aftermath of a fatal mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart in 2019 by a white man on a mission to stop what he called a "Hispanic invasion." Ulloa's book is a window to the authenticity and beauty of the border culture. As Ulloa shows, El Paso plays a pivotal role in the making of the modern United States. — Alfredo Carbajal, supervising editor, National Desk
Famesick: A Memoir by Lena Dunham
Lena Dunham writes about the period during and after the production of Girls with the candor and humor we've come to expect. Much of the book chronicles her experience of chronic illness and her journey with addiction and rehab. But even with serious subject matter, it's an enjoyable read (or audiobook listen — she narrates). Dunham is not always the easiest person to understand, but her humanity shines through. And even though most of us will never reach her level of fame, the book still feels relatable. After all, despite her success, isn't she still just one of the (original) girls? — Emma Klein, associate producer, Intake
Fonda on Film: The Political Movies of Jane Fonda by Nelson Pressley
Forever ago (meaning 1985), when I interviewed Jane Fonda about her then-upcoming movie Agnes of God, and also her still-controversial 1972 trip to North Vietnam, I asked what she hoped to be remembered for. Her reply was simple: "Making a difference." Nelson Pressley's deep dive into Fonda's 1960s-'70s film career — from Barbarella and Barefoot in the Park, to Coming Home and The China Syndrome — is a briskly fascinating exploration of how she did that. A wry, politically pointed, very of-this-moment portrait of Fonda as actor and activist, this book's insightful, connect-the-dots analysis bristles with wit and will leave readers eager to revisit her films and reengage with their politics. — Bob Mondello, senior arts critic, Society & Culture Desk
The Future Is Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land by Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon
As conflict continues to roil the Middle East, this beautifully personal book is a welcome respite. Authors Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon are peace activists — one Palestinian, the other Israeli. Both have suffered the loss of family. Aziz's brother was killed by Israeli prison guards. Maoz's parents were murdered by Hamas militants. This book takes readers on the authors' journey through Israel and the Occupied Territories together. It is a personal travelogue of hope but not a road map to peace. There are no easy solutions, and the authors don't pretend to offer one. They do warm hearts and open minds to a different paradigm, away from violence, revenge and hatred, toward peace and mutual understanding. — Carrie Kahn, correspondent, International Desk
Ghosts of Fourth Street: My Family, a Death, and the Hills of Duluth by Laurie Hertzel
As an only child, I fantasized about the kind of large families that populated the books I read (Cheaper by the Dozen) and movies and TV shows I watched (The Sound of Music, The Brady Bunch). In her emotionally complex new memoir, journalist Laurie Hertzel departs from the usual rollicking "big family" story. The seventh of 10 children, Hertzel grew up more like an only child in 1960s Duluth, Minn., her birth order and temperament conspiring to make her lost in the crowd. But when sudden death claimed her oldest brother at 18, her noisy house grew still. — Maureen Corrigan, book critic, Fresh Air
Hannibal Lecter: A Life by Brian Raftery
It's been decades since I read Thomas Harris' Red Dragon or seen Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs. I honestly hadn't really given Hannibal Lecter that much thought until 2024, when President Trump kept talking about him on the campaign trail ("He'd love to have you for dinner!"). Why Hannibal, why now? Brian Raftery goes deep in this "biography" of one of American pop culture's most notorious and (oddly) most beloved villains. Come for the fava beans, stay for a deliciously dark reflection in the mirror, and perhaps one of the most effective examples of cover art I've ever seen. — Melissa Gray, senior producer, Weekend Edition
Here Where We Live Is Our Country: The Story of the Jewish Bund by Molly Crabapple
From 1897 until the end of World War II, the Jewish Labor Bund was one of the most important institutions in Jewish life. In this beautifully written account Molly Crabapple tells the group's story and chronicles its fights against antisemitism, communism and Nazism. The Bund played a leading role in the Warsaw ghetto uprising. The Bund also was anti-Zionist, believing that Jews should work to build socialist societies where they lived, not migrate. Crabapple is open about her own sympathies, she clearly sees the Bund as a prescriptive model for today. But agree with her or not, she's provided an invaluable service by surfacing a history unknown to most modern-day readers. — Tony Cavin, managing editor, Standards & Practices
How to Win a Trade War: An Optimistic Guide to an Anxious Global Economy by Soumaya Keynes and Chad P. Bown
A book about international trade that's fun? Yes, please! These two have been getting nerdy about trade topics (like anti-dumping duties) since long before it was cool — or, um, deeply relevant. In this analogy-filled book, they take stock of the biggest problems in the pre-Trump trade system and offer some tactics on how to fight — or defend against — trade wars in smart ways, while not shying away from the downsides of those tactics. I know that doesn't sound fun, but it really is. They're funny people! — Nick Fountain, host/reporter, Planet Money
The Infinity Machine: Demis Hassabis, DeepMind, and the Quest for Superintelligence by Sebastian Mallaby
On the surface, The Infinity Machine is a biography of British AI pioneer Demis Hassabis, but it's really a readable introduction to the nuts and bolts inside artificial intelligence. Hassabis took insights from his neuroscience studies to make better AI, and in doing so, formed a team that built models that played Atari video games, beat human Go champions, solved the mystery of how amino acid sequences fold into 3D structures, and paved the way for the current AI boom. Sebastian Mallaby tells the story of Hassabis' quest to learn the universe's secrets, and in doing so, reminds us of the beauty of scientific discovery. — Darian Woods, host, The Indicator from Planet Money
In Trees: An Exploration by Robert Moor
Recent years have been good to trees, at least in writing. We've seen their hidden lives, met their mother trees. With Robert Moor, we get a philosophy. Rather than just admiring trees, how might we live like them? He puts our growth, as individuals and a species, into tree-speak: branch, prune, gnarl (new favorite word). Moor relearns how to climb them and ends up in a sequoia with David Attenborough. He works to mend his family tree, discovering something vital about healing our roots. The book expands with its histories: of bonsai and treehouses, as well as race, anthropology and activism. It's earnest and passionate and has me looking at every tree like a teacher. — Matthew Cloutier, producer, TED Radio Hour
London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe
A 19-year-old man posing as the son of a Russian oligarch leaps to his death from a luxury apartment on the River Thames. That's the heart-stopping opening of Patrick Radden Keefe's London Falling. Keefe investigates the death of the young imposter, as well as the role modern London played in his demise. I loved this book for literary and personal reasons. Keefe is an exhaustive investigative reporter who spins seamless tales. He also uses the man's mysterious death to explore the criminal culture that lies just beneath the glittering surface of Britain's capital. I spent seven years as NPR's correspondent in London. London Falling rings true. — Frank Langfitt, correspondent, National Desk
Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children by Mac Barnett
Mac Barnett is an author of many children's books — otherwise known as books. And he gets asked all the time when he plans on writing a "real" book — by which people usually mean a book for adults. Even though this question is pretty annoying, the U.S. national ambassador for young people's literature did decide to write Make Believe — a book for adults about books for children. One essay did draw some ire, but the book is still worth reading for its staunch defense of the value and potential of children's literature. Plus, you won't want to miss Barnett's close reading of the pure art form that is Goodnight Moon — it's illuminating. — Samantha Balaban, senior producer, Weekend Edition
My Mother's Daughter: Finding Myself in My Family's Fractured Past by Tracy Clark-Flory
When Tracy Clark-Flory was a teenager, her mother told her she'd gotten pregnant around her age and given the baby up for adoption. They didn't discuss it much again. But years later, after her mom's death, Clark-Flory decided to find her half-sister and figure out what really happened all those years ago. She learned that in 1965, her mom was sent off to a home for unwed mothers, where she and other women were coerced into giving up their children. Part memoir, part investigation, Clark-Flory uses her family's story to dig into a larger history of who is considered worthy of motherhood in America, and at what cost. — Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, reporter, NPR Music
Opioids and Organs by Arizona O'Neill
After her estranged father dies of a fentanyl overdose, cartoonist Arizona O'Neill reluctantly agrees to donate his organs to patients in need. Feeling guilty about the decision, she makes sense of it by diving into the world of organ donation and its origins, accompanied by an oafish Frankenstein ("Frankie") character and a cheeky lizard named Izzy. Darkly funny and heartbreaking, this graphic memoir will leave you laughing out loud — and questioning whether it's our bodies that really make us human. — Malaka Gharib, digital editor, Life Kit
Project Maven: A Marine Colonel, His Team, and the Dawn of AI Warfare by Katrina Manson
Katrina Manson, a Bloomberg reporter, has written a tour de force of reporting where she tells the story of how a determined, dogged and secretive team that — in partnership with some of the world's biggest (and some not so big) tech companies — brought artificial intelligence to the world's most powerful military. After chronicling that early effort, she goes further, showing just how committed the U.S. military is, not just to AI-enabled targeting, but also increasingly to autonomous weapons. She also does a good job capturing the unease a lot of people — in and out of the government — feel about what can only be described as our terrifying new reality. — Nishant Dahiya, editor
Restrung: A Memoir of Music and Transformation by Vijay Gupta
Vijay Gupta offers a raw chronicle of his difficult journey: first as a child prodigy violinist, laboring under intense pressures from his impossible-to-sate immigrant parents, and then as a broken adult who ultimately transforms his own life through making music with people who need community the most. Gupta is the founder of the nonprofit Street Symphony, which brings live music to Los Angelenos experiencing homelessness, addiction and the incarceration system on and around Skid Row. His courageous narrative is brilliant, deeply vulnerable and ultimately exhilarating. — Anastasia Tsioulcas, correspondent, Society & Culture Desk
Stay Alive: Berlin, 1939-1945 by Ian Buruma
When I was lucky enough to live in Berlin for a year in my 20s, I encountered a city both bursting with energy and haunted by the ghosts of its Nazi past. Ian Buruma's immersive Stay Alive: Berlin, 1939-1945 renders that era in full color by focusing on the individual lives of Berliners as they coped with Allied bombers in the air, and their own genocidal government in the streets. Through archival newspapers, diaries, letters and interviews, Buruma follows the journeys of actors and musicians, Nazi fanatics and anti-Nazi resisters, and Jewish refugees and those who sheltered them, evoking the rhythms and vocabulary of life in a vibrant city hurtling toward disaster. — Tom Dreisbach, correspondent, Investigations Desk
The Theater: Courage and Survival in the Defining Atrocity of the Ukraine War by James Verini
The Russian siege of the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol in early 2022 killed thousands of civilians. The siege included the deadliest attack of the war: the bombing of the Donetsk Regional Academic Drama Theater. Hundreds sheltered there, including children, as Russian airstrikes leveled the city around it. In his wrenching, vividly written and meticulously reported book, James Verini introduces us to the Ukrainians who kept this sanctuary running while reconstructing, through interviews with survivors, the fullest account of the bombing to date in terrifying detail. It's an unforgettable work of investigative reporting and narrative storytelling. — Joanna Kakissis, Ukraine correspondent, International Desk
When It's Darkness on the Delta: How America's Richest Soil Became Its Poorest Land by Ralph Eubanks
This is the story of the beautiful yet tragic pull of the Mississippi Delta, birthplace of the Blues and a landscape that produces agricultural riches. Yet it remains among the most poverty-stricken regions in the country. Ralph Eubanks examines why the place his father once thought presented opportunity for Black farmers has never lived up to that promise, despite generations who have tried to break free from the Delta's plantation economy. He argues real change will require grappling with the legacies of slavery, sharecropping and Jim Crow. And he finds hope in the work of resilient locals determined to revitalize the Delta. — Debbie Elliott, correspondent, National Desk
Work in Progress: Confessions of a Busboy, Dishwasher, Caddy, Usher, Factory Worker, Bank Teller, Corporate Tool, and Priest by James Martin, SJ
A summer job has long been a rite of passage for generations of American teenagers. In Work in Progress, the Rev. James Martin — perhaps best known for his recurring role on The Colbert Report — recounts his resume before his pivot to the priesthood. From his tenure as a first-time busboy to his wholly unqualified work as a golf caddy, Martin mines his childhood journals and even details his time spent in corporate America. Told with humor and heart, Work in Progress is a beach read about labor and what it can teach us about dignity and decency. — Lyndsey McKenna, project manager, Podcast Strategy & Operations
You've Been Pooping All Wrong: How to Make Your Bowel Movements a Joy by Trisha Pasricha, MD, MPH
Roughly 95% of U.S. adults are not getting enough fiber! That's going to affect how we poop, but people usually shy away from talking about it. Dr. Trisha Pasricha says that might be hurting our health. Her book was funny, extremely scientific and written to fill in the gaps modern parenting leaves behind — bathroom education that stops after potty training. Pasricha addresses questions like: What should your poop look like? How many times a day is it normal to poop? What is with the gut-brain connection, and what makes you constipated? Hint: It isn't just fiber. I learned so much, and I was smiling the whole way through. — Regina G. Barber, host/reporter, Short Wave
You've Changed: The Promise and Price of Self-Transformation by Benoit Denizet-Lewis
You've Changed is an incredibly well-researched look at how we change (or don't) and why. From political identity shifters to people in therapy for personality disorders, and from trans people transitioning gender to seekers opening their consciousnesses on psychedelics, Benoit Denizet-Lewis follows how we experience these shifts with a curious, empathetic and introspective eye. A great read for anyone who wants to understand a change within themselves — or for people trying to engender a new one. — Liam McBain, producer, It's Been a Minute
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