Last month, we showed you our favorite fiction books from 2016. This time, we’re back to tell you what our favorite nonfiction books were. From Churchill to Hitler, from art to music, from the frontier to the boudoir, our picks were all over the place, but they all have a place on your shelf in 2017. Come to the store and ask us about our favorites–we’ll tell you all about them!
- John Evans, bookstore owner – Hero of the Empire by Candice Millard
- Kelly, general manager – Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
- Austen, operations manager – Hitler: Ascent 1889 – 1939 by Volker Ullrich
- Lisa, first editions manager – Absolutely on Music by Haruki Murakami
- Hillary, front desk supervisor – Trials of the Earth by Mary Mann Hamilton
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For what small amount of education she had during her life, Hamilton has created a beautifully written book about her time as a pioneer women in the Mississippi Delta. Throughout this time in her life, she encounters a flood that completely washes away her home and the family’s logging camp, buries children, and deals with her husband’s secretive life and drinking problem. Hamilton is a fierce woman that I found absolutely fascinating. - Clara, Oz manager – Mad Enchantment by Ross King
- Abbie, fiction supervisor – Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
- Julia, First Editions Club supervisor – You Will Not Have My Hate by Antone Leiris
- Andrew, blog supervisor – Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
- Ellen, bookseller – The Voyeur’s Motel by Gay Talese
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The Voyeur’s Motel is an amazing work of narrative journalism which I could not put down. The majority of this book is from the titular voyeur Gerald Foos’ actual journals and notes, which were extremely fascinating. Basically, Foos spent the majority of his time writing down any and everything that he watched from his voyeuristic “observation deck” and shared those thoughts with Gay Talese. Fascinating read. - Katie, bookseller – Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West
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Lindy West is an outspoken, confident, intriguing woman in our world today. Shrill tells the story of Lindy’s life, her accomplishments and failures, and her highs and her lows. Her story is insanely inspiring and relatable, touching on the many struggles that women are still facing today. Lindy is a role model to me and many others, and I know she could be one to you, too. - Jamie, bookseller – March by John Lewis
- Matt K., bookseller – The Voyeur’s Motel by Gay Talese
- Alex, bookseller – The Fire This Time edited by Jesmyn Ward
- James, bookseller – Trials of the Earth by Mary Mann Hamilton
- Diane, Oz bookseller – The Journey That Saved Curious George by Louise Borden
ee is an impressive debut that I’m excited to see be made into a series.
“Homegoing is about the families of two sisters, one of whom marries a slaver, and one who is taken into slavery. It is a story that spans generations that is for every generation. You’ll fall in love with every character. Gyasi weaves together a compelling and beautiful tale. ” – Abbie
Mothering Sunday is a short and fabulous book about
The Nix is a spectacular debut novel about a writer searching for the truth about the mother who abandoned him, only to make headline news decades later. The tone alternates between comic and serious, and and it expertly captures the zeitgeist of both the 2010s and the 1960s. Hill does such a good job writing from multiple perspetives. – Andrew
If you are a long-time subscriber to Domino magazine or even if you’ve never heard of it but you love decorating, this book is for you people. Domino magazine comes out quarterly and when I see it on the news stand, I basically squeal. Then I will go home to start looking through it, loving every second but also hating it. Sometimes I have to close the magazine because every house featured is so perfect I can barely cope with it. But, make no mistake, I finish the magazine and then refuse to throw it away.
mention this is their SECOND book! Their first book, 
As for the new book: first of all, just the physical book itself is so pretty that I want to scream. But it also has incredible content inside, broken down into navigable chapters such as “seating,” “walls,” “art,” “flooring,” etc. Every chapter is broken down further into sections like “Walls We Love,” “Handbook,” “Style Statement,” and “Style School.” There are so many helpful things in this book that I have a hard time knowing where to start, but I will say that the Style Statements at the end of every chapter almost send me into orbit because the designs are so incredible but all so different. There really is something for everyone. Then there are also the Style Standoffs at the end of each chapter, focusing on things such as Large Patterns vs. Small Patterns.
Sweetness and the uproarious, unbelievable 90s Dallas Cowboys tell-all Boys Will Be Boys. Biographies are at their best when the writers get themselves out of the way, which Pearlman does, although he still leaves an impression with his skill and versatility. So, when I heard this fall he was releasing 
Like all of Rash’s fiction, The Risen is set in North Carolina, and this place informs both the characters and plot. Our narrator, Eugene, tells us two parallel stories: first, he recalls his youth, specifically the 
The first book in the Grisha trilogy is 
Bardugo’s other series, the Six of Crows duology, is also set in the Grisha world, but it centers around a new cast of characters in the trade city of Ketterdam. 
But what I love about Bardugo’s books the most are her diverse cast of characters. She creates complex, flawed characters that draw you in. From the mysterious and swoon-worthy Darkling to the criminals in Six of Crows, you can’t help but fall in love with each of them.