May has been a spectacularly good month for non-fiction and if you haven’t dipped your toes into it yet, you definitely need to. Today, we’ve made a list of our 10 best non-fiction books from May 2021, just for you. On this list, you will find everything from memoirs to essays and history and so much more.
List of 10 Best Non-Fiction Books from May 2021:
Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Adichie
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie lost her dear father to kidney failure in the summer of 2020. The pandemic had already torn families apart, and this great loss augmented the grief. In this memoir, Adichie tries to find catharsis through her creative craft. In the process, she talks about loneliness, anger, and familial and cultural aspects of grief.
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
Award winning YA author John Green has come out with his first non-fiction – The Anthropocene Reviewed. Adapted from his podcast with brother Hank Green, this is a series of essays about anything and everything under the sun. He talks about the various facets of this geological age – the Anthropocene – and reviews them on a five star scale. Ranging from Dr Pepper to connection during a pandemic, Green writes with wit and sensitivity about the shallow and the deep.
Languages of Truth by Salman Rushdie
This book is a compilation of celebrated storyteller Rushdie’s essays from 2003 to 2020. It explores language in its realest sense. It talks of the literature of acclaimed writers like Cervantes and Shakespeare and what it means to him. He views literature from the lens of an eternal truth and from the prism of an ever-evolving cultural paradigm. Ultimately, he explores how storytelling is a need rather than a product of talent. This is definitely a must read for all lovers of literature.
Real Estate by Deborah Levy
In this non-fiction novel, the acclaimed author of ‘Swallowing Geography’ and ‘The Cost of Living’ presents a haunting meditation on home, and what the word really means. This is the final instalment in her ‘Living Autobiography’ series and is infused with Levy’s style and her voice. A must read memoir, this one has charmed its way into out hearts and will do the same for you!
On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed
This is primarily a historian’s view of the road to Juneteenth. It recounts the stories of its origins in Texas and the struggles of the Blacks since. With elements of memoir embedded in it, this novel explores the history of Texas and the myths surrounding it. Not only is it informative and interesting, but also manages to be moving and personal in a way that historical non-fiction rarely is.
The Premonition by Michael Lewis
A must read in the current scenario, this book is the story of the Coronavirus pandemic that has ravaged the world. This novel feels like a story within the non-fiction genre – it talks about the Wolverines. The Wolverines are a team of scientists with all resources at their disposal yet no permission from the government to actually implement it.
Sunshine Girl by Julianna Margulies
For the first time this May, the brilliant actress Margulies has turned author and charted her very own memoir. She talks about her childhood spent shuttling between her divorced parents across continents and winning the approval of her weird mother and absent father. The, she talks about her life as an actress – the haunting choices she made and the innumerable sacrifices and rejections along the way. She also talks about ten good – the unforgettable acting roles that shaped her professional and personal life. This intimate look into the elusive actress’s life is sure to be one of our most loved non-fictions of May.
What it Feels Like for a Girl by Paris Lees
This punchy memoir chronicles Paris Lees in her younger adolescent days, amidst her confusion over sexual identity and place in society. She unashamedly describes her journey from a bullied child to a transgender woman who was voted a ‘positive model for the LGBTQA community’. This is a bold memoir, and written in the present tense – which increases the urgency and impact of its content.
Persist by Elizabeth Warren
This novel by the influential senator and powerful author talks about the six prime roles Warren took on that influenced her life. She speaks intimately of her role as a mother, a teacher, a planner, a fighter, a learner and a woman. All these roles have moulded her thinking and who she is as a person.
The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel
This non-fiction is the intersection of two important genres – sequential art and memoir. In this ‘graphic memoir,’ she talks about her journey from childhood to adulthood. She talks about fitness crazes and influences by Eastern philosophers and literary geniuses. In the process, she describes where her superhuman strength comes from.
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