Best Nonfiction Books of 2025 for Adults

Updated December 10, 2025
J
Johnson County Public Library
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Everything is tuberculosis : the history and persistence of our deadliest infection
Green, John
Paper Book
Instant #1 New York Times bestseller! * #1 Washington Post bestseller! * #1 Indie Bestseller! * USA Today Bestseller! John Green, acclaimed author and passionate advocate for global healthcare reform, tells a deeply human story illuminating the fight against the...

“This made me realize how ignorant I was to this still very present, debilitating, and deadly disease. A beautiful blend of science and history, you will be left informed and in awe of how much this particular bacteria has affected our world, in the past and modern day.”

Elysia (Library Assistant, White River Branch)

"A brisk but engaging look at the history of tuberculosis in the modern era, contrasting its now high level of treatability with its status as the world's deadliest infectious disease."

Andrea (Shelver, White River Branch)

"Tuberculosis has been entwined with humanity for millennia. Once romanticized as a malady of poets, today tuberculosis is seen as a disease of poverty that walks the trails of injustice and inequity we blazed for it. In 2019, author John Green met Henry Reider, a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone. John became fast friends with Henry, a boy with spindly legs and a big, goofy smile. In the years since that first visit to Lakka, Green has become a vocal advocate for increased access to treatment and wider awareness of the healthcare inequities that allow this curable, preventable infectious disease to also be the deadliest, killing over a million people every year."

Katie (Reference Assistant, White River Branch)

The house of my mother : a daughter's quest for freedom
Franke, Shari
Paper Book
INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Heart-wrenchingly personal...dizzying." --Rolling Stone From eldest daughter Shari Franke, the shocking true story behind the viral 8 Passengers family vlog--now the subject of a new Hulu...

"This memoir packs a powerful punch, detailing what it was like being the daughter of Ruby Franke - a controlling family vlogger turned devoted cult member. While not for the faint of heart, this book adds clarity and conclusion to the story of the family and teaches many valuable lessons." 

Ollie (Circulation Assistant, Franklin Branch)

How can I help? : saving nature with your yard
Tallamy, Douglas W.
Paper Book
From a New York Times bestselling author, a wildlife ecology expert and environmental advocate provides readers with the next step in their ecological journey. In How Can I Help?, Tallamy tackles the questions commonly asked at his popular lectures and...

"I found this book to be immensely helpful in understanding the importance of using our yards and gardens to support the local ecosystem. Doug Tallamy is THE expert in this area and his book uses an easy question-and-answer format to clarify how and why we need to plant purposefully for the good of the environment. I highly recommend it!"

Linda (Branch Manager, White River Branch)

Replaceable you : adventures in human anatomy
Roach, Mary
Paper Book
The body is the most complex machine in the world, and the only one for which you cannot get a replacement part from the manufacturer. For centuries, medicine has reached for what's available--sculpting noses from brass, borrowing skin from frogs and hearts from pigs, crafting eye parts from jet...

"It's basically about swapping out body parts. Think prosthetic limbs, cataract surgery, skin grafts, organ transplants, etc. "

Megan (Adult Reference Librarian, White River Branch)


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