5 Themes That Captured My Attention: My Year in Nonfiction Books
{Nonfiction November Week 1}

For every 10 books I’ve read this year, 8 have been nonfiction.

While I do love a good novel (and I usually keep one going at all times), nonfiction monopolizes my reading hours. It works for me.

For Week 1 of this year’s Nonfiction November, I’m sharing five (unplanned) themes that captured my attention in my reading this year. I’ll include 3 books I loved in each category. (I’m excluding memoirs this week—they’ll get their own post on November 9.)

To see other participants’ favorite nonfiction books or to link up your own, visit Heather at Based on a True Story.

#5 RELATIONSHIPS & CONNECTION

Relationships are complicated, yes? Three of my favorite books from this category are about how to receive love from those who are offering it, how to navigate meaningful relationships in our lives, and how to manage conflicts that inevitably arise along the way.

• How to Feel Loved
  The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters Most
  by Sonja Lyubomirsky
• What Matters Most
  Lessons the Dying Teach Us About Living
  by Diane Button
• Why Won’t You Apologize?
  Healing Big Betrayals and Everyday Hurts
  by Harriet Lerner

#4 MEANING & SPIRITUALITY

I’m always been drawn to the big questions of life: our inner and outer selves, meaning, and purpose. I like books that encourage me to examine what I believe while remaining open to hearing how other people’s perspectives guide them.

• The Inner Work of Age
  Shifting from Role to Soul
  by Connie Zweig
• How We Learn to Be Brave
  Decisive Moments in Life and Faith
  by Mariann Edgar Budde
• Live Laugh Love
  The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made
  by Kristin Kobes Du Mez

#3 JUSTICE & THE DEATH PENALTY

This is the heaviest category on my list and one that I didn’t set out to explore. That changed when I joined an organization that advocates for alternatives to the death penalty—and I discovered they have a book club.

This is not a comfortable category, but it matters to me to listen to the voices of people whose lives have been very different from mine, yet who are still human, just like me. These books remind me we’re more alike than we realize.

• The Deliverance of Hope
  The Spiritual Discipline of Writing People on Death Row
  by Wendy Ramage and Jeff Hood
• Secrets of the Killing State
  The Untold Story of Lethal Injection
  by Corinna Barrett Lain
• Inside
  Voices from Death Row
  by Michael Braxton, Lyle May, Terry Robinson, and George Wilkerson

#2 POLITICS & DIVISION

I don’t read to get frustrated, but that happens sometimes when I read to understand more about politics. These books, however, were about finding better ways to engage with people on both sides of the aisles. I learned so much, and didn’t get frustrated. A double win!

• Don’t Think of an Elephant!
  Know Your Values and Frame the Debate
  by George Lakoff
• Nations Apart
  How Clashing Regional Cultures Shattered America
  by Colin Woodard
• Beyond the Politics of Contempt
  Practical Steps to Build Positive Relationships in Divided Times
  by Doug Teschner, Beth Malow, and Becky Robinson

#1 THE HUMAN PSYCHE

Actually, there’s a bit of psychology in all these categories. But these three books specifically about the human psyche were absolutely fascinating to me. (You may see these three again when I share my Top 10 Books of 2026.)

• The Extinction of Experience
  Being Human in a Disembodied World
  by Christine Rosen
• Psychobabble
  Viral Mental Health Myths & the Truths to Set You Free
  by Joe Nucci
• Beyond Belief
  The Science-Backed Way to Stop Limiting Yourself and Achieve Breakthrough Results
  by Nir Eyal

What My Book Choices Say About My Year

The common thread I see in all five categories is people: how we relate to one another, govern one another, punish one another, love one another, and make sense of ourselves and the world around us.

I find us human beings so fascinating. There’s always more to understand, more to question, and more to explore.

What nonfiction subjects captured your attention this year? Any surprises?

Share your thoughts in the comments.

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