What a whirlwind! February arrives with flurries of new nonfiction just waiting for you to walk into your local bookstore and library to discover them. But with so many new books hitting shelves, where do you even start?!
We’re here for you! There’s everything from thought-provoking books on the nature of consciousness to the very questions that make up the very meaning of life. You could start with a posthumous collection of lectures from Nobel Laureate Toni Morrsion. For even more Morrison, Namwali Serpell has a new book of essays about each of Morrison’s novels. Or you could dive into the memoir from Gisèle Pelicot, a courageous woman who declared, “shame must change sides.” Or maybe you could check out the new book from a man who taught himself to read on TikTok. If you’re a planner girlie like me, you might be interested in the new book all about how diaries impact the stories we tell ourselves.
In celebration of true stories, I’ve collected some of the most exciting nonfiction titles hitting shelves in February. 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.
All publication dates are subject to change.
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The People Can Fly: American Promise, Black Prodigies, and the Greatest Miracle of All Time by Joshua Bennett (February 3)
Dr. Joshua Bennett braids together personal memoir and research to examine the lived realities of Black prodigies. He looks at the lives of figures like Malcolm X, Stevie Wonder, Gwendolyn Brooks, James Baldwin, and Nikki Giovanni and delves into the role of cultural institutions and communities in shaping Black lives.
All access members continue below for more of this month’s best nonfiction releases.
Language as Liberation: Reflections on the American Canon by Toni Morrison (February 3)
I’ve always heard rumblings about Toni Morrsion’s phenomenal series of lectures on the American canon that she developed while at Princeton University. Now many readers will be able to experience them for the first time. Language as Liberation analyzes the authors that America has considered essential to our literary tradition. The description aptly says that she draws “a direct line from the Black bodies that built the nation to the Black characters that many of the country’s canonical white writers imagined in their work.”
A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides by Gisèle Pelicot, Translated by Natasha Lehrer and Ruth Diver (February 17)
In 2024, Pelicot waived her right to anonymity as she fought in the court case against her husband and fifty other men. A few years before, Pelicot learned that her husband had been drugging her and inviting men over to sexually assault her. Pelicot’s declaration, “Shame must change sides,” echoed across the world. Now she’s telling her own story.
On Morrison by Namwali Serpell (February 17)
Toni Morrison is one of the most beloved American writers of all time, and I don’t know about you, but I am ready for a deep dive into her work. Based on her famous lecture series, Namwali Serpell walks readers through every Morrison novel, each chapter focusing on one book with accompanying themes and ideas. I can’t get my hands on this title fast enough!
Traversal by Maria Popova (February 17)
One of the deepest thinkers on the internet, Maria Popova is back with a new book that contemplates the meaning of life. She asks big questions like, “What is life?”, “What is death?”, “What makes a body a person?”, and “What makes a planet a world?” Woven through these big ideas are stories from history that provide moments in time when people faced these very same questions. But what conclusions did they come to? We’ll all have to read and find out.
Our Diaries, Ourselves: How Diarists Chronicle Their Lives and Document Our World by Betsy Rubiner (February 24)
From junk journalers to morning pages fans, keeping a diary has been part of human culture since time immemorial. Betsey Rubiner examines how people have used diaries throughout history, highlighting people, like Alison Bechdel, Virginia Woolf, and Marie Curie, famous diarists who tell the stories of their own lives.
Unread: A Memoir of Learning (and Loving) to Read on TikTok by Oliver James (February 24)
The first time I saw Oliver James, I was scrolling through TikTok and saw him live in his van reading a copy of Charlotte’s Web. James graduated high school as one of the many Americans who are functionally illiterate. Then he decided to make a change and began reading on TikTok. Now he’s here to tell his story in a book of his own.
A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness by Michael Pollan (February 24)
In the past, Michael Pollan has explored the world of food and psychedelics. This time, he’s looking into consciousness. Who—and what—has consciousness and who doesn’t? In his clear, journalistic prose, Pollan leads readers by the hand into this complex topic with his signature clear reasoning and thoughtfulness.
There are so many good books — I don’t know where to start! If you’re looking for even more nonfiction book recommendations, check out 7 of the Best New Nonfiction Books of December 2025 and 7 of the Best New Nonfiction Books of January 2026.
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