The Best Non-Fiction I Read in 2021
I had another year of brilliant non-fiction reading and got into audiobooks in a big way. Here are my Top 10 favourite non-fiction books I read in 2021 – in the order I read them.
Sitting Pretty – Rebekah Taussig
Rebekah Taussig’s memoir about her life as a disabled woman is both enlightening and entertaining and one that particularly resonated with me as a fellow disabled woman. Her writing is warm, funny and accessible (no pun intended). I’ve never read a book that comes this close to representing my experience of the world – sometimes too close and I had to pause to gather my emotions. It was a stark reminder of how rare it is to read about disabled lives. This book confronts the everyday ableism we absorb and how frequently disabled people are left out of the conversation. This is a book I wish everyone would read.
Sex Robots & Vegan Meat – Jenny Kleeman
A funny and interesting look at the future of the most important aspects of human life - sex, food, birth and death. This book is a well-balanced account of the technological advancements and innovation, as well as the darker side of this capitalism. Kleeman can be cynical at times, particularly dealing with the egos behind these ambitious (and often bullshitting) companies, she doesn’t ignore the positives of technology and how science can improve our lives.
Some Body to Love – Alexandra Heminsley
Alexandra Heminsley’s memoir touches on some incredibly emotional topics, including her experience of sexual harassment on a train, traumatic IVF and how her relationship with her partner changed when they begin transitioning. There’s a huge amount of empathy, compassion and sensitivity in this memoir, completely avoiding a sensationalist tale of her marriage breakdown, instead telling an honest story of change, image and self.
Life as a Unicorn – Amrou Al-Kadhi
I’m a huge fan of memoirs in audiobook form and Life as a Unicorn is one that works brilliantly. A moving, frank memoir about Amrou Al-Kadhi's life and identity. From their relationship with Islam and their parents, to self-loathing and sexuality, until Amrou finds their place in the world and expression in the form of Glamrou, the drag queen.
As a huge Eurovision enthusiast, I absolutely adored this book. Not only is it a joyous celebration of the song contest itself but also a year by year history of Europe. It uses the costume, lyrics and staging of the competition to reflect on the changing continent. It’s a fascinating summary of Europe’s divisions and all the ways in which we are united. There’s so much history packed into this book it can only skim over the details but it provides a fun starting point to learn about recent European history.
All the Young Men – Ruth Coker Burns
An utterly devastating, yet surprisingly uplifting, memoir about Ruth Coker Burks, a young woman who found herself caring for the men in Arkansas who were sick and dying from AIDS. After learning that a young man was dying in the ward next to the friend she was visiting, Ruth couldn't bear to leave him without anyone, from here Ruth's compassion led her to looking after the men society had shut out. While the lives of these men do reach tragic ends, Ruth details the joy and vivacity in their lives, emphasising how truly devastating the AIDS crisis was. If you loved and were shaken by Channel 4’s It’s a Sin, this is a worthwhile read.
A warm, smart and funny memoir, exactly the kind of sensitive and thoughtful work you’d expect from a writer like Nikesh Shukla. This memoir is addressed to his daughter and centred around the life lessons he hopes to teach her. From food to family history, to global warming, sexism and race, this book covers all the topics Shukla contemplates as he strives to be the best father he can be, while also admitting his flaws and battling with grief after losing his mother.
This memoir opens with Cho in a psychiatric ward, describing in detail the layout of the rooms and the patients, then she builds a picture of her life so far, touching on abuse within her family and in a previous relationship, leading up to the birth of her son and her post-partum psychosis. Cho vividly describes the toll of her son’s birth and the pressure of Korean and family traditions and I was completely drawn into the stress of her world. It’s Cho’s description of her psychosis – so claustrophobic and intense – that is the most impactful. It’s a real skill to capture something as surreal and agonising and I’ve never read something this powerful about mental illness.
This was another beautifully told, moving memoir that I wanted to recommend as soon as I’d finished it. A Dutiful Boy is Mohsin Zaidi’s coming of age story, full of anguish as he grapples with his sexuality as a young Muslim man, but also full of hope. Zaidi is frank and honest about his self-loathing and the divisions in his family, allowing an intimacy between him and the reader.
Empire of Pain – Patrick Radden Keefe
A forensic, journalistic story of a family dynasty, corruption and power, as Patrick Radden Keefe investigates the notorious Sackler family, the insidious way they embedded themselves into the pharmaceutical and medical industries and tried to cover it up through philanthropy, deception and manipulation. This is a complex, horrifying read about the family’s influence in the opioid epidemic and how it stretches back through the decades. The tactics of this family and the hell they’ve inflicted is the stuff of nightmares. An essential read.
Other recommendations: The Transgender Issue – Shon Faye; Raceless – Georgina Lawton; Watching Neighbours Twice A Day – Josh Widdicombe.