Kendra Winchester is a Contributing Editor for Book Riot where she writes about audiobooks and disability literature. She is also the Founder of Read Appalachia, which celebrates Appalachian literature and writing. Previously, Kendra co-founded and served as Executive Director for Reading Women, a podcast that gained an international following over its six-season run. In her off hours, you can find her writing on her Substack, Winchester Ave, and posting photos of her Corgis on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester.
Hold onto your hats, friends: January is starting with a whirlwind of new nonfiction book releases. Everywhere you turn, there is a new memoir or history tome just waiting for you to pick it up and take it home. With so many new books hitting shelves, where do you even start?
You could begin with a new book about a writer whose mom pulled him out of school and homeschooled him before he re-enrolled as a freshman who hadn’t been in a classroom for years. Or you could dive into the new biography of the Public Universal Friend, a nonbinary minister from the late 1700s. Maybe you could check out the new book about two Korean women who start a platonic life partnership together, complete with their two cats. Perhaps you could dive into Lachi’s new book about disability culture and community.
In celebration of true stories, I’ve collected 10 of the most exciting nonfiction titles hitting shelves in January. You might be new to nonfiction or a true stories pro, but whatever the case, there’s sure to be something on this list that catches your eye.
Homeschooled: A Memoir by Stefan Merrill Block (January 6th)
When Stefan Merrill Block was nine, his mother pulled him out of school. For the next five years, Block received a haphazard education, something he never really understood until he re-entered public school as a freshman in high school. Block’s story offers readers an intimate glimpse into a lesser-known era of the homeschool movement and the lasting impact of a mother who never wanted her son to grow up.
Life After Ambition: A “Good Enough” Memoir by Amil Niazi (January 6th)
What happens when a driven millennial gives up on their ambitions? Amil Niazi delves into just that. Based on her popular essays, “Losing My Ambition” and “The Mindfuck of Mid-Life,” Niazi’s memoir examines her life through the lens of gender, race, and class, exploring the societal expectations she has experienced throughout her life.
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Two Women Living Together by Kim Hana and Hwang Sunwoo, Translated by Gene Png (January 20th)
Instead of giving in to the societal expectations of getting married and starting a family, Kim Hana and Hwang Sunwoo decided to buy a house together and live together. No, they’re not lovers; they’re chosen family. Their new book explores the freedom and independence they discovered after making this decision, highlighting how creating their own family was the best decision they ever made for themselves.
A Black Queer History of the United States by C. Riley Snorton and Darius Bost (January 20th)
C. Riley Snorton and Darius Bost highlight key Black LGBTQ+ figures from history, emphasizing that queer Black people have always been part of the liberation movement throughout American history. This new entry in the Revisioning History series sheds light on how the Black queer community is often overlooked in history books.
Rough House: A Father, a Son, and the Pursuit of Pro Wrestling Glory by Alison Lyn Miller (January 20th)
Born into a wrestling family in Georgia, Hunter James trains and prepares his body to enter the ring and make a name for himself. Through James’s story, journalist Alison Lyn Miller introduces us to the world of wrestling, a place where raucous crowds and bright lights help create a spectacle millions watch around the globe.
Not Your Founding Father: How a Nonbinary Minister Became America’s Most Radical Revolutionary by Nina Sankovitch (January 20th)
With Not Your Founding Father, Nina Sankovitch gives us one of the must-read biographies of January. Most people are unaware of the Public Universal Friend, a non-binary minister from the late 1700s who sought to create a community where everyone was treated equally. Much to every American history nerd’s delight, Sankovitch digs into the minister’s background, how they came to be a minister, and how the Public Universal Friend strove to achieve their ideal society.
I Identify As Blind by Lachi (January 27th)
Lachi, an award-winning singer, brings together stories that feature the innovation, creativity, and resilience of key figures in the disability community. From Chris Martin’s struggle with tinnitus to Microsoft executive Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Lachi highlights the movers and shakers in recent disability history.
What a way to begin the year!
If you’re looking for even more newer nonfiction book recommendations, check these recommendations of new nonfiction from November and December.
English (US) · 