Recommendations based on Twilight and Historyby Nancy R. Reagin

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Trilogy

    by Leah Wilson
    A collection of essays by popular authors analyzing the themes and characters of the Hunger Games trilogy.

    Katniss Everdeen's adventures may have come to an end, but her story continues to blaze in the hearts of millions worldwide. In The Girl Who Was on Fire , thirteen YA authors take you back to Panem ... (Goodreads)

  2. A Field Guide to Getting Lost

    by Rebecca Solnit
    Exploring being lost in the world, embracing the uncertainty of life, and finding new ways of being.

    Whether she is contemplating the history of walking as a cultural and political experience over the past two hundred years ( Wanderlust ), or using the life of photographer Eadweard Muybridge as a ... (Goodreads)

  3. Self-Reliance and Other Essays

    by Ralph Waldo Emerson
    Collection of essays exploring the potential of individualism and the power of self-reliance.

    Essayist, poet, and philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) propounded a transcendental idealism emphasizing self-reliance, self-culture, and individual expression. The six essays and one ... (Goodreads)

  4. Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes

    by Elizabeth Bard
    A memoir of a young American woman who falls in love with a Frenchman and discovers the joys of French cuisine and culture.

    In Paris for a weekend visit, Elizabeth Bard sat down to lunch with a handsome Frenchman — and never went home again. , Was it love at first sight? Or was it the way her knife slid effortlessly ... (Barnes & Noble)

  5. Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire

    by Akala
    A personal and political exploration of race, class, and identity in modern Britain, drawing on the author's own experiences and historical analysis.

    From the first time he was stopped and searched as a child, to the day he realised his mum was white, to his first encounters with racist teachers - race and class have shaped Akala's life and ... (Goodreads)

  6. On the Shortness of Life

    by Seneca
    Philosophical reflections on the importance of living life to its fullest potential.

    The Stoic writings of the philosopher Seneca offer powerful insights into the art of living, the importance of reason and morality, and continue to provide profound guidance to many through their ... (Goodreads)

  7. Chasing Lincoln's Killer

    by James L. Swanson
    A gripping account of the hunt for John Wilkes Booth, Lincoln's assassin, and the events that followed his death.

    NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author James Swanson delivers a riveting account of the chase for Abraham Lincoln's assassin.,Based on rare archival material, obscure trial manuscripts, and interviews ... (Barnes & Noble)

  8. Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens

    by Jane Dunn
    A dual biography of Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots, exploring their complex relationship and political rivalry.

    The political and religious conflicts between Queen Elizabeth I and the doomed Mary, Queen of Scots, have for centuries captured our imagination and inspired memorable dramas played out on stage, ... (Goodreads)

  9. Obama: An Intimate Portrait: The Historic Presidency in Photographs

    by Pete Souza
    A photographic tribute to the 8-year presidency of Barack Obama.

    This is the definitive visual biography of Barack Obama's presidency, captured in intimate, unprecedented detail by his official White House photographer. Pete Souza began photographing President ... (Goodreads)

  10. Alicia

    by Alicia Appleman-Jurman
    A memoir of a young Jewish girl's survival during the Holocaust, and her journey to rebuild her life after the war.

    After losing her entire family to the Nazis at age 13, Alicia Appleman-Jurman went on to save the lives of thousands of Jews, offering them her own courage and hope in a time of upheaval and tragedy. ... (Goodreads)

  11. Little Weirds

    by Jenny Slate
    A collection of surreal and whimsical essays that explore the author's innermost thoughts and experiences.

    Step into Jenny Slate's wild imagination in this "magical" (Mindy Kaling), "delicious" (Amy Sedaris), and "poignant" (John Mulaney), New York Times, bestseller about love, heartbreak, and being alive ... (Barnes & Noble)

  12. Night Stalker: The Life and Crimes of Richard Ramirez

    by Philip Carlo
    A chilling account of the life and crimes of notorious serial killer Richard Ramirez, known as the Night Stalker.

    The shocking true story behind the serial killer case that inspired the hit Netflix series! Painstakingly researched over three years, based on nearly one hundred hours of exclusive interviews with ... (Goodreads)

  13. The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less

    by Terry Ryan
    A mother's determination to keep her family afloat through creative writing competitions.

    The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio is based on the true story of housewife Evelyn Ryan, who helped support her husband, Kelly, and their 10 children by winning jingle-writing contests. Kelly failed ... (Wikipedia)

  14. Grant

    by Jean Edward Smith
    A comprehensive biography of Ulysses S. Grant, from his early life to his presidency and beyond.

    Finalist, Pulitzer Prize in Biography Ulysses S. Grant was the first four-star general in the history of the United States Army and the only president between Andrew Jackson and Woodrow Wilson to ... (Barnes & Noble)

  15. Shortest Way Home: One Mayor's Challenge and a Model for America's Future

    by Pete Buttigieg
    A memoir of Pete Buttigieg's journey from serving in Afghanistan to becoming the youngest mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and his vision for America's future.

    Once described by the Washington Post as “the most interesting mayor you’ve never heard of,” Pete Buttigieg, the thirty-seven-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has now emerged as one of the ... (Goodreads)

  16. Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch

    by Sally Bedell Smith
    A comprehensive biography of Queen Elizabeth II, from her childhood to her reign as the longest-reigning monarch in British history.

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Perfect for fans of The Crown , this magisterial biography of Queen Elizabeth II is a close-up view of the woman we’ve known only from a distance—and a captivating window ... (Goodreads)

  17. Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire

    by Amanda Foreman
    A captivating biography of the 18th century aristocratic society, highlighting the life of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire.

    The winner of Britain's prestigious Whitbread Prize and a bestseller there for months, this wonderfully readable biography offers a rich, rollicking picture of late-eighteenth-century British ... (Goodreads)

  18. Killing England: The Brutal Struggle for American Independence

    by Bill O'Reilly
    An in-depth look at the Revolutionary War, examining its pivotal battles and figures.

    Told through the eyes of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Great Britain’s King George III, Killing England chronicles the path to independence in gripping detail, taking ... (Goodreads)

  19. The Lost Painting

    by Jonathan Harr
    The search for a lost masterpiece by Caravaggio, and the fascinating history behind its disappearance and rediscovery.

    An Italian village on a hilltop near the Adriatic coast, a decaying palazzo facing the sea, and in the basement, cobwebbed and dusty, lit by a single bulb, an archive unknown to scholars. Here, a ... (Goodreads)

  20. Don't Panic: The Official Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion

    by Neil Gaiman
    A comedic exploration of the universe, using wit and science-fiction.

    Told in the same fanciful, irreverent style as the Hitchhiker trilogy, with scraps of scripts, letters and comments from Adams, Don't Panic is the perfect companion to one of the most successful ... (Goodreads)

  21. Jarhead : A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles

    by Anthony Swofford
    A Marine's personal account of his experiences during the Gulf War and the psychological toll of war on soldiers.

    Jarhead recounts Swofford's enlistment and service in the United States Marine Corps during the Persian Gulf War , in which he served as a Scout Sniper Trainee with the Surveillance and Target ... (Wikipedia)

  22. Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom

    by David W. Blight
    A comprehensive biography of Frederick Douglass, the former slave who became a leading abolitionist and one of America's greatest orators.

    As a young man, Frederick Douglass (1818–1895) escaped from slavery in Baltimore, Maryland. He was fortunate to have been taught to read by his slave owner mistress, and he would go on to become one ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl

    by Timothy Egan
    A gripping account of the Dust Bowl, its causes, and the people who survived it. A tale of human resilience in the face of environmental disaster.

    The dust storms that terrorized the High Plains in the darkest years of the Depression were like nothing ever seen before or since. Timothy Egan's critically acclaimed account rescues this iconic ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies

    by Erik Brynjolfsson
    Examination of the societal implications of technology and its disruptive impact on the economy.

    In recent years, Google’s autonomous cars have logged thousands of miles on American highways and IBM’s Watson trounced the best human Jeopardy! players. Digital technologies—with hardware, software, ... (Goodreads)

  25. My Bondage and My Freedom

    by Frederick Douglass
    Autobiography of an escaped slave, detailing his journey to freedom and civil rights activism

    Ex-slave Frederick Douglass's second autobiography-written after ten years of reflection following his legal emancipation in 1846 and his break with his mentor William Lloyd Garrison-catapulted ... (Goodreads)

  26. True Compass: A Memoir

    by Edward M. Kennedy
    An intimate reflection on the life of a senator, exploring the triumphs and tragedies of his personal and political journey.

    In this landmark autobiography, five years in the making, Senator Edward M. Kennedy tells his extraordinary personal story–of his legendary family, politics, and fifty years at the center of national ... (Goodreads)

  27. Dali

    by Robert Descharnes
    A comprehensive biography of the surrealist artist Salvador Dali, exploring his life, art, and eccentricities.

    This publication presents in 2 volumes in a box the entire painted oeuvre of Salvadore Dali (1904-1989). After many years of research, Robert Descharnes and Gilles Neret finally located all the ... (Goodreads)

  28. Wave

    by Sonali Deraniyagala
    Memoir of a family's tragic loss in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and a woman's journey of resilience and recovery.

    On the morning of December 26, 2004, on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, Sonali Deraniyagala lost her parents, her husband, and her two young sons in the tsunami she miraculously survived. In this ... (Goodreads)

  29. Henry and June: From "A Journal of Love": The Unexpurgated Diary of Anaïs Nin, 1931-1932

    by Anaïs Nin
    A passionate and scandalous love affair between Anaïs Nin, Henry Miller, and his wife June. A raw and intimate portrayal of their bohemian lifestyle in 1930s Paris.

    At the end of 1931, Nin finds herself dissatisfied with being a timid, faithful wife to her banker husband, Hugh Parker Guiler . Nin and her husband contemplate the possibility of opening their ... (Wikipedia)

  30. A Fighting Chance

    by Elizabeth Warren
    Autobiographical account of the Senator's rise from a middle-class family to the halls of power.

    An unlikely political star tells the inspiring story of the two-decade journey that taught her how Washington really works—and really doesn't—in A Fighting Chance As a child in small-town Oklahoma, ... (Goodreads)