What was the last non fiction book you bought/ read/enjoyed?

[LemonAndAPear]

I'm always looking for non fiction recommendations and I'd appreciate any suggestions. Even if you haven't read it yet I'd be interested to know what you've bought recently.

TIA

The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain by Ian Mortimer. I also recommend the Medieval and Elizabethan ones.

They're written like a travel guide with advice on what to wear, where to stay, food, drink, leisure activities, jobs. Really well researched (he's a QI elf).

Currently reading the Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte.

Love Life and Elephants by Dame Daphne Sheldrick

The Prosecutor by Nazir Afzal
The Class Ceiling by Sam Friedman

I'm currently ready Hidden Figures (the book the movie was based on) about African American women who were mathematicians, engineers, and scientists in the US space program, much of it during the Jim Crow era.

Human kind: a hopeful history.
Really interesting book

Thanks all. These all sound great and I'm going to be adding them to my list of books to get.

I thought that I'd add my recent purchases too. I haven't read any of them yet so I can't vouch for them.

There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America by Alex Kotlowitz(99p today)

The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth and Other Curiosities from the History of Medicine by Thomas Morris(99p at the moment)
Sentient: What Animals Reveal About Our Senses by Jackie Higgins

The Cracks that Let the Light In: What I learned from my disabled son by Jessica Moxham(99p at the moment)
Afloat: A Memoir by Danie Couchman(I admit that I bought this for the cover but I'm looking forward to reading it too.

The five - the untold lives of the women killed by Jack the ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

French children don’t throw food

Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-Perez

Why does that seatbelt never fit properly? What are the actual symptoms of women's heart attacks? Eye-opening

The Five was fascinating - the women had led much more varied and interesting lives than I supposed.

Also, Friday Night Lights: a Town, a Team, a Dream was a great read. You absolutely don't need to be interested in sport.

The Madness of Grief - Richard Coles. Very moving.

I'm about a third of the way through The Anarchy by William Dalrymple, about the East India Company. It is fascinating and appalling.

I've also recently enjoyed:

• Stiff by Mary Roach (about the use of human cadavers in science)


• I'll Be Gone In The Dark by Michelle McNamara (about the Golden State Killer)


• Mindhunter by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker (about the development of behavioural science at the FBI, and the book upon which the fantastic TV show is based)

Hungry -Grace Dent

my book of the year last year

@TheYearOfSmallThings she's also done it as a podcast which is what I came across first which spurred me onto reading the book

I really want to read this! Would you recommend?

Gulp by Mary Roach. It's about the digestive system. She's very witty and it's a lot of fun, which is not something I thought I'd say about the digestive system! Don't read it while eating.

The History of the World in 100 Animals - someone Barnes. Simon? Was recommended by a student and I loved it. Fascinating insight into our relationship with the world.

Natalie Haynes - Pandora's Jar. Fantastic stuff. Looks at 10 female Greek mythological characters and examines how they've been portrayed, historically.

A Spy among Friends by Ben Macintyre. Mind boggling, fascinating read about Kim Philby one of the Cambridge 5. Quite jaw dropping at times!

The best non fiction I read years ago was The man who mistook his wife for a hat. Oliver sacks. A wonderful book of his most intriguing patients with a very empathetic and appreciative stance from Dr Sacks.

The Right Sort of Girl by Anita Rani.

An inspirational autobiography, highly recommended.

I can also recommend The Five.

It opens your eyes to how women are written out of history.

I found Awakenings by Oliver Sacks fascinating (apparently it's also a film with Robert de Niro but I haven't seen that) about the trial of dopamine on catatonic patients in the 70s.

I also found Sleeping Beauties by Suzanne O Sullivan really interesting about psychosomatic illnesses

Once I've finished my current book (fiction) Im going to read Bitch by Lucy Cooke about the behaviour of females in various species

I love non fiction.

I've just finished Millions Like Us which is about Women's lives in WW2.

Down Under, A walk in the woods and other Bill Bryson travel books.

Also Home, Body - a guide for inhabitants and A Short History of nearly everything, also written by Bill Bryson, but not travel themed.

Radium Girls.

'What Do You Think You Are? The science of what makes you you' by Brian Clegg.

Right from the atomic particle level to your DNA, your memories, the lot. Absolutely fascinating.