2021 Non-Fiction Book List

Happy 2021, friends! I’ve never created a set book list for an upcoming year, as I much prefer to read books as they come in from the library and as the mood strikes. I love reading far too much (and do so much of it) to try to stick to a regimented or preconceived list that I created – but great for you if you do that, truly! However, in an effort to carve out time to read more non-fiction books that have been on my to-read list, many for far too long, I created a non-fiction book list for the coming year. Of the 71 books that I read in 2020, 15 of them were non-fiction reads (some 2020 non-fiction favorites include The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer, Every Good Endeavor by Tim Keller, Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown, When Less Becomes More by Emily Ley, and a few Ruth Reichl memoirs, among others).

This year, in an effort to immerse myself in some more non-fiction reads and learn more about topics that particularly interest me, I wanted to create a thoughtful list of books (21 of them!) that dear friends have read and wholly recommended, plus a few that I’ve had my eye on. From faith to history to business to biographies to racial reconciliation to royal fashion and a myriad of other topics, I’m really excited to dive into this eclectic yet thought-provoking and enlightening mix!

my 21 non-fiction book list for 2021:

Prayer, Tim Keller
The Meaning of Marriage, Tim Keller (a beloved re-read!)
Making Sense of God, Tim Keller
Simply Good News, N.T. Wright
How God Became King, N.T. Wright
The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis (a beloved re-read!)
The Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis
The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Digital Minimalism, Cal Newport
Parenting, Paul David Tripp
The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson
A Promised Land, Barack Obama
Be the Bridge, Latasha Morrison
Our Time is Now, Stacey Abrams
Dare to Lead, Brene Brown
Atomic Habits, James Clear
Growing Boldly, Emily Ley
HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style, Elizabeth Holmes
Here for It, R. Erik Thomas
Garlic and Sapphires, Ruth Reichl
When Breath Becomes Air, Paul Kalanithi (a beloved re-read!)

I’d love for you to join along with any and all of these non-fiction reads, if you’d like to! I’ll be sharing more along the way over on Instagram (#stephaniereads), as usual, and hopefully more here throughout the year, as well. What’s next on your to-be-read pile of books? Do you have any non-fiction reads that I should add to my list for this year? I’m all ears!

And in other fun book news, I’m finally on Goodreads! I took a ten year hiatus, but after a whole lot of pushing and prodding from friends and stangers alike, I decided to sign back up and actually use Goodreads. Find me over there, and let’s share some book recommendations and reviews together! I’m currently trying to backlog a lifetime of books…