2022 Staff Picks for Adults--Nonfiction

Updated January 6, 2023
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Fine : a comic about gender
Ewing, Rhea
As graphic artist Rhea Ewing neared college graduation in 2012, they became consumed by the question: What is gender? This obsession sparked a quest in which they eagerly approached both friends and strangers in their quiet Midwest town for interviews to turn into comics. A decade later, this...
Between us : how cultures create emotions
Mesquita, Batja
"How are you feeling today?" We may think of emotions as universal responses, felt inside, but in Between Us, acclaimed psychologist Batja Mesquita asks us to reconsider them through the lens of what they do in our relationships, both one-on-one and within larger social networks. From an outside...
The church of baseball : the making of Bull Durham : home runs, bad calls, crazy fights, big swings, and a hit
Shelton, Ron 1945-
LA TIMES BESTSELLER * From the award-winning screenwriter and director of cult classic Bull Durham, the extremely entertaining behind-the-scenes story of the making of the film, and an insightful primer on the art and business of moviemaking. "This book...
Decluttering at the speed of life : winning your never-ending battle with stuff
White, Dana (Dana K.)
You don't have to live overwhelmed by stuff--you can get rid of clutter for good! Decluttering expert Dana White identifies the emotional challenges that make it difficult to declutter and provides workable solutions to break through and make progress. While the world seems...
How the word is passed : a reckoning with the history of slavery across America
Smith, Clint
This "important and timely" (Drew Faust, Harvard Magazine) #1 New York Times bestseller examines the legacy of slavery in America--and how both history and memory continue to shape our everyday lives. Beginning in his hometown of New Orleans, Clint...
The devil's half acre : the untold story of how one woman liberated the South's most notorious slave jail
Green, Kristen (Journalist)
The inspiring true story of an enslaved woman who liberated an infamous slave jail and transformed it into one of the nation's first HBCUs  In The Devil's Half Acre, New York Times ...
Going there
Couric, Katie 1957-
This heartbreaking, hilarious, and brutally honest memoir shares the deeply personal life story of a girl next door and her transformation into a household name. For more than forty years, Katie Couric has been an iconic presence in the media world. In her...
Hunt, gather, parent : what ancient cultures can teach us about the lost art of raising happy, helpful little humans
Doucleff, Michaeleen
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The oldest cultures in the world have mastered the art of raising happy, well-adjusted children. What can we learn from them? "Hunt, Gather, Parent is full of smart ideas that I immediately wanted to force on my own...
The last slave ship : the true story of how Clotilda was found, her descendants, and an extraordinary reckoning
Raines, Ben
An NPR Best Book of the Year The incredible true story of the last ship to carry enslaved people to America, the remarkable town its survivors founded after emancipation, and the complicated legacy their descendants carry with them to this day--by the journalist who...
Mudlark : in search of London's past along the River Thames
Maiklem, Lara 1971-
Long heralded as a city treasure herself, expert "mudlarker" Lara Maiklem is uniquely trained in the art of seeking. Tirelessly trekking across miles of the Thames' muddy shores, where others only see the detritus of city life, Maiklem unearths evidence of England's captivating, if sometimes...
The puzzler : one man's quest to solve the most baffling puzzles ever, from crosswords to jigsaws to the meaning of life
Jacobs, A. J. 1968-
The New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically goes on a rollicking journey to understand the enduring power of puzzles- why we love them, what they do to our brains, and how they can improve our world. "Even though I've never attempted the...
NurtureShock : new thinking about children
Bronson, Po 1964-
In a world of modern, involved, caring parents, why are so many kids aggressive and cruel? Where is intelligence hidden in the brain, and why does that matter? Why do cross-racial friendships decrease in schools that are more integrated? If 98% of kids think lying is morally wrong, then why do...
Pastoral song : a farmer's journey
Rebanks, James
The acclaimed chronicle of the regeneration of one family's traditional English farm NATIONAL BESTSELLER * Winner of the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing * Named "Nature Book of the Year" by the Sunday Times * New York Times Editors' Choice * Shortlisted for the Orwell Prize and the...
South to America : a journey below the Mason-Dixon to understand the soul of a nation
Perry, Imani 1972-
WINNER OF THE 2022 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR NONFICTION INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "An elegant meditation on the complexities of the American South--and thus of America--by an esteemed daughter of the South and one of the great intellectuals of our time. An inspiration." -...
The woman who smashed codes : a true story of love, spies, and the unlikely heroine who outwitted America's enemies
Fagone, Jason
National Bestseller  NPR Best Book of the Year "Not all superheroes wear capes, and Elizebeth Smith Friedman should be the subject of a future Wonder Woman movie." --The New York Times Joining the ranks of Hidden Figures and In the Garden of Beasts, the incredible true...
Finding me
Davis, Viola 1965-
OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK * A HARPERS BAZAAR BEST BOOK OF 2022 * A PARADE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK * A MARIE CLAIRE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK "It's clear from the first page that Davis is going to serve a more intimate, unpolished account than is typical of the average (often ghost-written)...

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