3 Non-Fiction Picks for Fiction Lovers
By Olivia Blackmer
I won’t lie to you: fiction audiobooks will always have my heart. I love the twists and turns, the high action, the female narrators pitching their voices down to emulate a sexy villain. I’m here for all of it.
However, in the spirit of trying new things, I’ve been gradually dipping my toes into the deep, intimidating pool of nonfiction. If you’re also in your reinvention era, or just looking to spice things up, I’m happy to report the water is fine! In fact, I encourage you to jump in with me: here are my top three non-fiction picks for my fellow fiction-lovers.
If you like: Korean Culture and fiction like The Comeback, XOXO, Once Upon a K-Prom
Flawless by Elise Hu
Did I pick this one up because I loved XO, Kitty? Mind your business.
Author Elise Hu gives us the deep dive into Korean beauty culture we didn’t know we needed and provides some important context to the shining faces we see on social media. Poignant and well researched, Elise manages to flawlessly (see what I did there?) weave together her own lived experiences with the story of one of the most powerful industries today. The book is relevant to readers from any country, and the perfect companion to your k-drama binge.
If you like: Women’s Fiction like Romantic Comedy, Someone Else’s Shoes, Happy and You Know it
This Is Not a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch by Tabitha Carvan
This book is everything to me. We follow Tabitha, an Australian writer and new mother, as she discovers the epic highs and lows of fandom for the first time – how it lifts her up and brings her community, but also how it opens her up to ridicule and shame.
Part memoir, part feminist reflection, this book had me laughing and sobbing and Google image searching Benedict Cumberbatch. I picked this one up on a whim for its short listen time and was hooked immediately. The narrator is engaging and quirky, and the story is brimming with earnestness. It brought me back to my own Tumblr days (not quite over them yet, I’ll admit), and reminded me of the importance of loving something like crazy.
If you like: Rich People Behaving Badly and fiction like Age of Vice, The Maid, Bad Summer People
The Cult of We by Eliot Brown
Remember WeWork? A.k.a the Fyre Festival of the entrepreneurial space? The Theranos of real estate? I admit I didn’t. But darlings, I live for the drama.
Welcome to the manic world of early 2000s startups, where founders are equal to gods, and employees are encouraged to work hard, and party harder. For Adam Neumann, the world is his for the taking. There is no such thing as going too far…or is there? Hear the dumpster fire unfold in this fast-paced post-mortem on the business giant that cut off its own legs. I love stories about terrible rich people, and this one takes the schadenfreude cake!