8 Books I Recommend: Being Human, From Memoir to Plague to Fiction

I get a warm feeling among my books. 
—Anthony Powell

I love being surprised at a thread that runs through a random stack of books on my nightstand and Kindle.

For March, the books stretched from memoir to science to history to fiction.

And yet, each book indirectly asks some version of the same question I often ask myself: What does it mean to be fully human—embodied, flawed, unique, and purposeful?

Here are the eight books I just finished that I recommend, all circling that shared question from very different angles.

[See previously recommended books here]

NONFICTION

1. The Look
by Michelle Obama

Such a beautiful book in every way.

The rich photography, the gracious commentary, and the honest reflections show us the amazing human being we’ve come to admire in former First Lady Michelle Obama. Through the many “looks” she took on in her White House years and beyond, she reminds us that our look is about far more than appearance.

I highly recommend reading this in print instead of as an ebook or audiobook, so you can fully experience the stunning, glossy images.

2. The Extinction of Experience
Being Human in a Disembodied World
by Christine Rosen

This will likely be one of my top 10 books for 2026.

Christine Rosen makes the case that our digital lives may be stripping away the very things that make us human—our embodied experiences. I found myself pausing again and again to think about what we lose when we replace real-life bodily participation with watching others live life through screens.

But this is not an anti-technology book. It just urges us to be intentional about prioritizing what we value most—especially our real-world experiences.

3. Awake: A Memoir
by Jen Hatmaker

In this candid memoir—because how else would Jen Hatmaker write?—she weaves together childhood memories and adult experiences with her signature vulnerability and humor. She is very open about how she is navigating life after her husband left and as her faith shifted. I’ve always admired her honesty and humility, and both are as evident in this book as previous ones.

4. This Changes Everything
A Surprisingly Funny Story About Race, Cancer, Faith, and Other Things We Don’t Talk About
by Tyler Merritt

I first became aware of Tyler Merritt in 2020 when his YouTube video, “Before You Call the Cops,” went viral (it originally aired in 2018). After reading his first book, I Take My Coffee Black, I became a fan—and now with this book, I love him even more. Here he shares his cancer journey with honesty and vulnerability.

I highly recommend you listen to this book instead of just reading it. Tyler narrates it himself (and sometimes his mom, his cancer doctor, and others), adding such nuance and humor even beyond the words on the page.

Having heard him speak and meeting him in person two weeks ago, I find him just as delightful a human being face-to-face as he is on Instagram. This week he is starting radiation and chemo for his most recently diagnosed colon cancer. (And as an aside, I love that he and Jen Hatmaker are a couple.)

5. Truly
An Inspirational Journey Through the Life of a Musical Legend
by Lionel Richie

Having grown up as a Commodores fan and later a fan of Lionel Richie’s solo career, I thoroughly enjoyed learning the backstory behind his songs and life (plus, he’s an Alabama native like me). Such an interesting journey he’s had.

By watching him as a judge on American Idol since 2018, I’ve come to appreciate his humility and genuine desire to help young artists pursue their dreams as he pursued his.

This book is also exceptional to listen to (but see the hardback book for photos). It is narrated by actor Blair Underwood, who does a phenomenal job in capturing Lionel’s voice, tone, and laughter.

6. The Genetic Lottery * * *
Why DNA Matters for Social Equality
by Kathryn Paige Harden

This book was a little too academic for me in places, but it’s still worth the effort to better understand how genetic differences can influence life outcomes in ways we don’t always expect. Harden argues that acknowledging biology can actually strengthen our commitment to social justice rather than weaken it.

I recommend it because it opens up new ways of thinking about fairness, opportunity, and inequality in our country.

FICTION

7. Year of Wonders
by Geraldine Brooks

Based on true events, this novel is set in a 17th-century English village struck by the Great Plague of 1665–1666. It follows Anna Frith, a young housemaid to the local pastor and his wife, as she chooses courage and sacrifice in the face of unimaginable tragedy. Though heartbreaking, the storytelling is so well done. The book is a haunting caution to me of what helps—and what harms—when communities are hit by disasters.

8. Out of Darkness
by Ashley Hope Pérez

This is another difficult but powerful novel. It’s based on the 1937 school explosion in New London, Texas, that killed nearly 300 students and teachers. It centers on the growing love between Naomi, a Mexican American teen, and Wash, a young Black boy who befriends her and her twin siblings. The racial injustice back then is painful to witness, yet remains important to continue to remember and confront even now.

WHAT I’M READING NOW

• How Donating a Kidney Fixed My Jump Shot
  And 73 Other Short Essays
  by Jim Sollisch
• Nations Apart
  How Clashing Regional Cultures Shattered America
  by Colin Woodard
• The Unfolding: Poems
  by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
• The Let Them Theory
  A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can’t Stop Talking About
  by Mel Robbins
• Speak
  by Laurie Halse Anderson

A Closing Reflection

Across these different genres, these books remind me that being human is complicated. We are each shaped by so many factors: culture, technology, biology, faith, history, and chance.

And yet, through every story, I see the importance of finding our common ground, respecting our differences, and learning how to live well together, things that matter the most.

*** Books from Daniel Pink’s 21 Favorite Books list; you can find it here. I’m working through the list. I’ve read 16 so far, and have 5 more to go. Getting closer!

Have you read a good book lately? I’d love to hear in the comments.

I’m sharing at these linkups

• ← On the Blog – February 2026
• What a Smelly Elevator Taught Me About Questioning Beliefs →