Texas Topaz Nonfiction List for Adults

Here are some recommendations for adults from the 2025 Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List! The purpose of the Texas Topaz Reading List is to provide children, teens, and adults with recommended nonfiction titles that stimulate reading for pleasure and personal learning. Visit txla.org/topaz for the full list and lists from previous years.


Updated January 8, 2025
Lewisville Public Library
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Twelve trees
Lewis, Daniel
Paper Book
*Chosen by Waterstones as one of their best Nature Writing Books of 2024, and by The Economist as one of their best books of 2024* 'A heartwarming guide to these fascinating giants of nature . . . A book that is full of surprises . . . Highly empathetic and informative'...
A man of two faces : a memoir, a history, a memorial
Nguyen, Viet Thanh
Paper Book
'A triumphant memoir' Cathy Park Hong, author of MINOR FEELINGS, finalist for the Pulitzer PrizeThe highly original, blistering, and unconventional memoir by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sympathizer, which has now sold over one million copies worldwideWith...
Birdgirl: A Young Environmentalist Looks to the Skies in Search of a Better Future
Craig, Mya-Rose.
Paper Book
Discover Mya-Rose Craig's moving and life-affirming memoir about family, searching for rare birds, and the power of our natural world. 'Lyrical, poignant and insightful' MARGARET ATWOOD (on Twitter) 'Filled with hope and energy' Guardian In...
Hidden potential : the science of achieving greater things
Grant, Adam
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestseller \"This brilliant book will shatter your assumptions about what it takes to improve and succeed. I wish I could go back in time and gift it to my younger self. It would've helped me find a more joyful path to progress.\" -Serena Williams, 23...
Making it so : a memoir
Stewart, Patrick
Paper Book
The long-awaited memoir from iconic, beloved actor and living legend Sir Patrick Stewart! From his acclaimed stage triumphs to his legendary onscreen work, Sir Patrick Stewart has captivated audiences around the world and across multiple generations in a career...
The angel makers : arsenic, a midwife, and modern history's most astonishing murder ring
McCracken, Patti
Paper Book
The Angel Makers is a true-crime story like no other--a 1920s midwife who may have been the century's most prolific killer leading a murder ring of women responsible for the deaths of at least 160 men. The horror occurred in a rustic farming enclave in modern-day...
The Wager : a tale of shipwreck, mutiny and murder
Grann, David
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From the author of Killers of the Flower Moon, a page-turning story of shipwreck, survival, and savagery, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth. The powerful narrative reveals the deeper meaning of the events on The Wager...
Fear is just a word : a missing daughter, a violent cartel, and a mother's quest for vengeance
Ahmed, Azam
Paper Book
A riveting true story of a mother who fought back against the drug cartels in Mexico, pursuing her own brand of justice to avenge the kidnapping and murder of her daughter--from a global investigative correspondent for The New York Times "Azam Ahmed has written a page-turning...
His majesty's airship : the life and tragic death of the world's largest flying machine
Gwynne, S. C.
Paper Book
When the R101 first took to the skies, she was the largest aircraft ever to fly. What followed was a tragic finale to a tale of human folly on a grand scale. 'I loved every page of this book.' THE TIMES, BEST HISTORY BOOKS OF 2023 In 1929, the R101 was the largest object ever to...
How to be perfect : the correct answer to every moral question
Schur, Michael
Paper Book
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From the writer and executive producer of the award-winning Netflix series The Good Place that made moral philosophy fun: a foolproof guide to making the correct moral decision in every situation you ever encounter, anywhere on earth,...
Rogues : true stories of grifters, killers, rebels and crooks
Keefe, Patrick Radden
Paper Book
From the prize-winning, New York Times bestselling author of Say Nothing and Empire of Pain, twelve enthralling stories of skulduggery and intrigue by one of the most decorated journalists of our time.Patrick Radden Keefe's work has been recognised by prizes ranging from the National Magazine Award...

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