Recommendations based on American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Landby Monica Hesse

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

  1. Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City

    by Matthew Desmond
    An exploration of eviction’s devastating consequences on the lives of the urban poor.

    NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE • NAMED ONE OF, TIME,’S TEN BEST NONFICTION BOOKS OF THE DECADE • One of the most acclaimed books of our time, this modern classic “has set a ... (Barnes & Noble)

  2. Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert's Story

    by Debbie Tung
    A young introvert's journey of understanding her identity and learning to embrace her differences.

    Sweet, funny, and quietly poignant, Debbie Tung’s comics reveal the ups and downs of coming of age as an introvert. This illustrated gift book of short comics illuminates author Debbie Tung's ... (Barnes & Noble)

  3. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI

    by David Grann
    Exposé of a series of murders of the Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma and the FBI's investigation.

    In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, ... (Goodreads)

  4. Coming Clean

    by Kimberly Rae Miller
    A memoir of growing up with hoarder parents and the emotional toll it takes on the author.

    Kimberly Rae Miller is an immaculately put-together woman with a great career, a loving boyfriend, and a beautifully tidy apartment in Brooklyn. You would never guess that behind the closed doors of ... (Barnes & Noble)

  5. The Empathy Exams

    by Leslie Jamison
    A collection of essays exploring empathy, pain, and human connection through personal experiences and cultural analysis.

    From personal loss to phantom diseases, The Empathy Exams is a bold and brilliant collection; winner of the Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize. Beginning with her experience as a medical actor who was ... (Goodreads)

  6. Green River, Running Red

    by Ann Rule
    True story of serial killer, his victims, and the small town they called home.

    In this provocative and eye-opening classic of investigative journalism, the #1, New York Times, bestselling author and “America’s best true-crime writer” (,Kirkus Reviews,), Ann Rule, explores the ... (Barnes & Noble)

  7. Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account

    by Miklós Nyiszli
    An account of the horrors of Auschwitz, as experienced by a Jewish prisoner-doctor.

    When the Nazis invaded Hungary in 1944, they sent virtually the entire Jewish population to Auschwitz. A Jew and a medical doctor, the prisoner Dr. Miklos Nyiszli was spared death for a grimmer fate: ... (Goodreads)

  8. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

    by Daniel James Brown
    An inspiring story of a rowing crew battling against the odds to win gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

    This novel is about the University of Washington eight-oared crew that represented the United States in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, and narrowly beat out Italy and Germany to win the gold medal. The ... (Wikipedia)

  9. Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved

    by Kate Bowler
    A memoir of a woman's journey through cancer diagnosis, questioning faith, and finding meaning in life's struggles.

    A divinity professor and young mother with a Stage IV cancer diagnosis explores the pain and joy of living without certainty. Thirty-five-year-old Kate Bowler was a professor at the school of ... (Goodreads)

  10. All Creatures Great and Small / All Things Bright and Beautiful

    by James Herriot
    Humorous tales of a veterinarian in the Yorkshire Dales, caring for animals and their owners.

    Twenty-five years ago, a volume of memoirs by an unknown Scottish veterinarian was first published– All Creatures Great and Small. Within a year, the book had become recognized as a masterpiece. It ... (Goodreads)

  11. The Library Book

    by Susan Orlean
    A true story of the devastating 1986 fire at the Los Angeles Public Library, and the mystery surrounding it.

    On the morning of April 29, 1986, a fire alarm sounded in the Los Angeles Public Library. As the moments passed, the patrons and staff who had been cleared out of the building realized this was not ... (Goodreads)

  12. The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays

    by Albert Camus
    Philosophical essays on the absurd human condition, questioning the value of life.

    One of the most influential works of this century, this is a crucial exposition of existentialist thought. Influenced by works such as Don Juan, and the novels of Kafka, these essays begin with a ... (Goodreads)

  13. The Bhagavad Gita

    by Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa
    Epic poem exploring the nature of duty, faith, and morality.

    The Bhagavad Gita is an intensely spiritual work that forms the cornerstone of the Hindu faith, and is also one of the masterpieces of Sanskrit poetry. It describes how, at the beginning of a mighty ... (Barnes & Noble)

  14. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions

    by Dan Ariely
    An exploration of why humans make irrational decisions, and how to overcome them.

    Why do our headaches persist after taking a one-cent aspirin but disappear when we take a 50-cent aspirin? Why does recalling the Ten Commandments reduce our tendency to lie, even when we couldn't ... (Goodreads)

  15. Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup

    by John Carreyrou
    The rise and fall of Theranos, a fraudulent blood-testing startup, and the deceitful actions of its founder Elizabeth Holmes.

    The full inside story of the breathtaking rise and shocking collapse of a multibillion-dollar startup, by the prize-winning journalist who first broke the story and pursued it to the end in the face ... (Goodreads)

  16. Tongue Twisters for Kids

    by Riley Weber
    A collection of fun and challenging tongue twisters for children to practice their pronunciation and language skills.

    "Rubber baby buggy bumpers" - Say this three times as fast as you can. How about, try saying " Loopy lizards lying lazily aloft a little lane of logs," without messing up. This Tongue Twister book is ... (Barnes & Noble)

  17. Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania

    by Erik Larson
    Exploration of Lusitania's fateful voyage and its lasting impact on World War I.

    #1 New York Times Bestseller,From the bestselling author and master of narrative nonfiction comes the enthralling story of the sinking of the, Lusitania, On May 1, 1915, with WWI entering its tenth ... (Barnes & Noble)

  18. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong

    by James W. Loewen
    Exposing the inaccuracies in American history textbooks and exploring the forces that shaped them.

    “Every teacher, every student of history, every citizen should read this book. It is both a refreshing antidote to what has passed for history in our educational system and a one-volume education in ... (Barnes & Noble)

  19. Slouching Towards Bethlehem

    by Joan Didion
    Collection of essays exploring the cultural landscape of 1960s America.

    The first nonfiction work by one of the most distinctive prose stylists of our era, Joan Didion's Slouching Towards Bethlehem remains, decades after its first publication, the essential portrait of ... (Goodreads)

  20. Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?: And Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House

    by Alyssa Mastromonaco
    A memoir of Alyssa Mastromonaco's time as Deputy Chief of Staff under President Obama, offering insights into the inner workings of the White House.

    If your funny older sister were the former deputy chief of staff to President Barack Obama, her behind-the-scenes political memoir would look something like this . . . Alyssa Mastromonaco worked for ... (Barnes & Noble)

  21. Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder

    by Arianna Huffington
    A call to redefine success beyond money and power, emphasizing well-being, wisdom, wonder, and giving back to society.

    In Thrive, Arianna Huffington makes an impassioned and compelling case for the need to redefine what it means to be successful in today's world. Arianna Huffington's personal wake-up call came in the ... (Goodreads)

  22. One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter

    by Scaachi Koul
    A collection of personal essays exploring identity, culture, and family, with humor and honesty.

    A collection of essays about growing up the daughter of Indian immigrants in Canada, "a land of ice and casual racism," by the cultural observer, Scaachi Koul. In One Day We'll All Be Dead and None ... (Goodreads)

  23. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End

    by Atul Gawande
    An exploration of the human experience of mortality and the importance of end-of-life care.

    In, Being Mortal, author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending Medicine has triumphed in modern ... (Goodreads)

  24. Seabiscuit: An American Legend

    by Laura Hillenbrand
    An inspiring story of the rise of champion racehorse Seabiscuit and his unlikely jockey.

    There's an alternate cover edition, here, Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more ... (Goodreads)

  25. The Witness Wore Red: The 19th Wife Who Brought Polygamous Cult Leaders to Justice

    by Rebecca Musser
    A memoir of a woman who escaped a polygamous cult and testified against its leaders, leading to their conviction.

    Rebecca Musser grew up in fear, concealing her family's polygamous lifestyle from the "dangerous" outside world. Covered head-to-toe in strict, modest clothing, she received a rigorous education at ... (Barnes & Noble)

  26. Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime

    by Ron Stallworth
    The true story of a black police officer who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in the 1970s.

    The #1, New York Times, Bestseller!,The extraordinary true story and basis for the Academy Award winning film, BlacKkKlansman, written and directed by Spike Lee, produced by Jordan Peele, and ... (Barnes & Noble)

  27. Tell Me More: Stories about the 12 Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say

    by Kelly Corrigan
    A memoir about the author's journey through life's challenges and how she learned to communicate more effectively.

    NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER • A story-driven collection of essays on the twelve powerful phrases we use to sustain our relationships, from the bestselling author of, Glitter and Glue, and, The Middle ... (Barnes & Noble)

  28. 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)

  29. The Yellow House

    by Sarah M. Broom
    A memoir of a family and their home in New Orleans, exploring the impact of race, class, and Hurricane Katrina on their lives.

    In 1961, Sarah M. Broom's mother Ivory Mae bought a shotgun house in the then-promising neighborhood of New Orleans East and built her world inside of it. It was the height of the Space Race and the ... (Goodreads)

  30. Just Kids

    by Patti Smith
    Chronicles of two young artists in New York City, finding friendship and inspiration in each other.

    In Just Kids , Patti Smith's first book of prose, the legendary American artist offers a never-before-seen glimpse of her remarkable relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in the epochal ... (Goodreads)