Top Nonfiction Books I’ve Read So Far in 2026

Nonfiction has been my most read genre this year, so this list is a bit longer than that of my previous post. Thus far, I have read 12 books in this genre and in this post, I will be ranking those books from my least favorite to my new favorite nonfiction read of the year. Here goes:

12. Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green

This book was not what I had expected or what I wanted to read about tuberculosis. Nonetheless, I commend the author (a popular YA novel author) for using his platform to bring consciousness about tuberculosis to all readers out there, young and old.

11. Myths of Geography: Eight Ways We Get the World Wrong by Paul Richardson

This book goes from topics (e.g., what is a continent? Or, what defines them and what does not?) that a general reader would read to topics that he wouldn’t (like Russia’s search for a warm water port and the myth of economic growth). Topics that are geared towards someone who has more knowledge of current affairs or geopolitics. Frankly, I thought I would love this book (as it has a strong beginning) but I ended fairly disappointed by it.

10. Assyria by Eckhart Frahm

This book is a comprehensive account of the history of Assyria written by one of the most respected Assyriologists in the field. I highly recommend it (and I’m not the only one). The reason why it is in such a low spot in this ranking is personal. I have a hard time going back in history millions and millions of years in books of this kind (even though I am still interested in the topic). Also, the transitions in describing the rule of one king to another were told at such a speed that it was hard for me to keep up. I understand why the author did this; a book at a much slower pace would have been unavoidably longer. Much longer. Yet this affected my overall enjoyment of the book. I could not keep up with all the names, and the further back in time they lived, the worse this got. I will, however, keep trying because I will not stop reading about ancient civilizations.

9. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by Bethany Hughes

I picked this book up to learn more about the history behind the Seven Wonders of human architecture built before 500 AD and I wasn’t disappointed. hese seven wonders are the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylonia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Mausoleum of Halikarnassos, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria. Today, only the Great Pyramid of Giza is standing.

8. The Holocaust by Laurence Rees

Published after twenty-five years spent meeting eyewitnesses to the horrors of the Holocaust, Rees wrote a “compelling, highly readable explanation of how and why the Holocaust happened” (Ian Kershaw, author of To Hell and Back). It begins in September 1919, when Hitler wrote a letter to a fellow soldier of immense historical significance. This letter is “the first irrefutable evidence of Hitler’s antisemitic beliefs” and the probable starting point of Germany’s (and of its inhabitants) intensified hatred toward the Jews.

Important milestones in the history of the Holocaust such as Kristallnacht and other pogroms, the T4 program, and the death of Reinhard Heydrich, the architect of the Final Solution and whose assassination launched Operation Reinhard; that is, the creation of three death camps: Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka, in retaliation, are all mentioned in this book, but the author never shifts his lens from the consequences that all of these events had for the Jews: suffering and death. I highly recommend this book.

7. The Underworld by Susan Casey

This book is a call to action to us to help protect the deep sea. The author also shares her experience of descending into the abyssal and hadal zones of the ocean and witness life in another element, water instead of earth. At the same time, she tries to highlight the importance of the deep sea to our existence and how taking care of it is in our best interest. However, today the ocean faces the threats of climate change, pollution, and mining.

6. Battling the Gods: Atheism in the Ancient World by Tim Whitmarsh

Today, many think that atheism is the result of the European Enlightenment. Atheism, Tim Whitmarsh says, is actually not a new phenomenon. It is, in fact, as old as the advent of philosophy in Ancient Greece. To prove this, the author delves into ancients texts of Greek literature, philosophy, and history and analyzes them minutely to prove that atheism is not only evident in, but important to, the way of thinking of the most famous tragedians, philosophers, and historians of Antiquity.  Atheism has been around for a long time and it is not lesser than theism or unnatural. Atheist discourse, the author says, is just as multifaceted as theist discourse and we should give it its due place in the conversation. I agree.

5. 1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West by Roger Crowley

This book is an account of the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Setting the stage by introducing the main actors―the Emperor Constantine XI and the sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Mehmet II―this book is a good introduction to the history and politics behind this earth-shattering moment of history. The holy war between Christianity and Islam is prominent in this book too. In 1453, Constantinople was a shadow of what it once had been. Reduced in territory to the city itself, a few suburbs in Thrace and a province in the Peloponnese, it was virtually surrounded on all land sides by the expanding Ottoman Empire. For the history aficionado, this is a quick read. The writing is also very accessible and I highly recommended it to anyone interested in reading more about the fall of Constantinople but doesn’t want to get too bogged down by the sheer amount of history facts. 

4. The Art of War by Sun Tzu

The Art of War attributed to Sun Tzu, a military general and strategist, is an ancient Chinese military treatise that “offers timeless principles on strategy, leadership, and conflict resolution.” The book emphasizes the importance of strategic thinking and planning before engaging in any battle or conflict. This includes military battle and conflicts in your personal life. I highly recommend this book.

3. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Written by a botanist who is part of the Potawanami Nation, the author blends her scientific knowledge and training with the teachings of her People about Nature to highlight the importance of paying attention to Mother Earth and what it can teach us about life and surviving.  However, it’s not only important to stop and listen, but also to watch and learn what the Earth and all of its beings, both flora and fauna, have to teach us. I highly recommend this book.

2. War on the Border: Villa, Pershing, the Texas Rangers and an American Invasion by Jeff Guinn

This book is an account of the “Punitive Expedition” of 1916, a conflict between the United States and Mexico that still resonates today. The catalyst of the historical Mexican Border War between 1910 and 1919 occurred on March 9, 1916, when Pancho Villa, the famous Mexican revolutionary, raided the small US town of Columbus, New Mexico, killing 18 Americans. In retaliation, President Woodrow Wilson sent General John J. Pershing and thousands of US troops into Mexico to capture or kill Villa. This expedition is still a sore point between leaders and citizens of both countries. Today, tension on border security along the Rio Grande is still strained. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading about US-Mexico history and public relations between these two countries.

1. Twelve Churches: An Unlikely History of the Buildings That Made Christianity by Fergus Butler-Gallie

This book is a journey to twelve of Christendom’s most iconic churches and the history of the people who have worshipped in them since the birth of Jesus and beyond. The author focuses, however, not on the buildings themselves―this is not a dry architectural analysis of the churches we visit―but on the humanization of history. The lives and deaths of every person who has worshipped God in these churches, he says, has shaped and built these spaces―as well as God’s relationship with humanity. At the heart of the Christianity faith, Fergus Butler-Gallis says, have always been people, and this book is a journey through time about human nature and human stories.

That is everything for today. See you on my next post.