“Alright Kimber. Step away from the non-fiction book stash and I’ll forget all about that incident with the double cheeseburger.”

Kimber: Drat! I was kinda hoping Mom already forgot about that.

Squirrel!

Wait. Where was I? Oh yeah. Top non-fiction titles. As you know, non-fiction tells a true story about actual events and real peeps. All of the NF titles below are uber readable. Eminently engaging. They feature sturdy writing and are told with great skill. And sometimes a twinkle or two. Maybe more. Ditto pitch-perfect pacing. All are a cut above. So you really should drop everything and buy your own copy, Cupcake. Just sayin’.

So here’s our totally subjective, 100% unscientific list of top 10 non-fiction titles. Some are old. Some are new. Many are by indie authors. How many do you recognize?

Top 10 Non-Fiction Titles (in no particular order)

1.Through Gates of Splendor, by Elisabeth Elliot

It was a story that shook the world. In the autumn of 1955 five young men had dared to make contact with a Stone Age tribe deep in the jungles of Ecuador. The goal: to establish communication with a people whose only previous response to the outside world had been to attack all strangers. The men’s mission combined modern technology with innate ingenuity, sparked by a passionate determination to get the gospel to a people without Christ.

This true story is written by the widow of one Jim Elliot, one of the martyred missionaries.

2.Walking Home: Common Sense and Other Misadventures on the Pacific Crest Trail by Rick Rogers

We’ve read about 9 mil books on the PCT. This one is our favorite. Paws down. Informative, engaging, and entertaining. We had to stock up on extra napkins. Cuz one of us laughed so hard in some places, she kept snorting lemonade out her nose.

Read our full review here.

3.Reckless Grace: A Mother’s Crash Course in Mental Illness, by Carolyn Dipasquale

This piercing narrative recounts the physical, mental and spiritual battles the author’s daughter Rachel faced.  Gripping and compelling, the account is interwoven with actual passages from Rachel’s journals, revealing hard truths about Rachel and her struggles that were largely hidden during her life.

As DiPasquale searches for answers after her daughter’s death, she contrasts her experience and perspective with those revealed in Rachel’s own words. It’s jarring, jolting, and heartbreaking, revealing an acute and tragic downward spiral.

Here’s our full review.

4. A Year in Paradise, by Floyd Schmoe

A poetic, delightful look at Mount Rainier in the early part of this century.

5. Dance in the Meadow, by Cathay O. Reta

This is a compilation of the author’s personal conversations with God. (Not at God. But with Him. There’s a difference.) She shares them in the hope that they will inspire and “spark truth within you and motivate you to uncover your own songs and stories.”

It’s powerful yet subtle. So pour yourself a hot cuppa. Plop into your favorite reading nook or chair. And get ready to settle in for awhile. You’ll be glad you did.

6. Tales From A Rogue Ranger – Rosanne McHenry

Dive into the pages of this book for an inside look at Real Life as a Ranger. This includes a little crazy, a little creepy, a little You Have Got To Be Kidding, some Big Adventures, and a whole lot of joy. The stories speak to the comedy and tragedy of being a park ranger, a job that’s nothing like you might imagine – especially during the 1980s when female rangers were pretty rare.

Read our full review here.

7. Even If, by Dwayne Harris

The true story of one woman’s battle against an aggressive form of cancer as told by her husband, author Dwayne Harris. It’s a deep dive into what it means to have cancer, the impact of cancer, and how the disease progressed and affected Dwayne and Stacey’s lives and the lives of their family. But it’s also about how strength is made manifest through weakness. The how and why of forgiveness. Peace in the midst of profound struggles. Freedom. Joy. Gratitude. The gift of time. Opening the door. Amazing grace. Victory. Much more. So. Much. More. It blew us away.

Read our full review here.

8. Out of Africa, by Isak Dinesen

The author’s true account of her life on her plantation in Kenya. She tells with classic simplicity of the ways of the country and the natives: of the beauty of the Ngong Hills and coffee trees in blossom: of primitive festivals and big game that were her near neighbors–lions, rhinos, elephants, zebras, buffaloes–and of the feral beauty that is E. Africa.

9. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, by Daniel James Brown

Out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times—the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant.

We loved it! Here’s our full review.

10. Help is Here, by Max Lucado

Saturated in grace and marinated in mercy, Help is Here is one of those extraordinary books that leaves you refreshed. Recharged. Smiling from the inside-out. Like you’ve just taken a shower for your soul. Or someone remembered extra doggie treats.

Fresh. Crisp. Insightful. Effervescent. The tone is kind and gentle. Light and refreshing. With Lucado’s signature champagne-esque writing style and gentle self-deprecating humor, Help Is Here is profound. Rubber-meets-the-road practical. If you’re weary, stressed-out or bummed out, you may want to grab a copy.

Check out our full review here.

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What would you add?