Looking for something new to read? Browse our non-fiction picks for November! Includes books by Margaret Atwood, Anthony Hopkins, John Lewis-Stempel and more.
Want more suggested books? Take a look at our recommendations.
Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts
Margaret Atwood
Raised by scientifically minded parents, Atwood spent most of each year in the wild forest of northern Quebec: a vast playground for her entomologist father and independent, resourceful mother. It was an unfettered and nomadic childhood, sometimes isolated but also thrilling and beautiful.
From this unconventional start, Atwood unfolds the story of her life, linking key moments to the books that have shaped our literary landscape, from the cruel school year that would become ‘Cat’s Eye’ to the unease of 1980s Berlin, where she began ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’.
In pages alive with the natural world, reading and books, major political turning points and her lifelong love for the charismatic writer Graeme Gibson, we meet poets, bears, Hollywood stars and larger-than-life characters straight from the pages of an Atwood novel.
We Did Ok, Kid
Anthony Hopkins
Academy Award-winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins delves into his illustrious film and theatre career, difficult childhood and path to sobriety in his honest, moving and long-awaited memoir.
Born and raised in Port Talbot – a small Welsh steelworks town – amid war and depression, Sir Anthony Hopkins grew up around men who were tough, to say the least, and eschewed all forms of emotional vulnerability in favor of alcoholism and brutality. A struggling student in school, he was deemed by his peers, his parents and other adults as a failure with no future ahead of him. But, on a fateful Saturday night, the disregarded Welsh boy watched the 1948 adaptation of Hamlet, sparking a passion for acting that would lead him on a path that no one could have predicted.
Eleanor: A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England’s Lost Queen
Alice Loxton
In 1290, England mourned the death of a queen, Eleanor of Castile, beloved wife of King Edward I. Her body was carried on a 200-mile journey from Lincoln to London, a solemn procession that would become immortalized in stone. To mark the places where her cortege rested, a heartbroken Edward commissioned twelve magnificent Eleanor Crosses.
More than seven centuries later, historian Alice Loxton set herself an epic challenge: following in history’s footsteps by walking the entire 200-mile funeral route on the corresponding dates. As Alice journeys in search of England’s forgotten queen, over ancient paths and modern motorways, history comes alive in surprising ways.
Don’t Burn Anyone At the Stake Today (And Other Lessons from History About Living Through an Information Crisis)
Naomi Alderman
What’s the most useful thing you could know about your own life?
In this era-defining book, developed from her ground-breaking Radio 4 essay series, Naomi Alderman turns her boundless curiosity and incisive thinking to a question that affects us all – how do we understand, and navigate, the epoch we’re living through? She calls this epoch the Information Crisis.
The internet has flooded us with more knowledge, opinions, ideas, opportunities, as well as verbal attacks and misinformation than ever before. It lets us learn more quickly and also spread falsehood more quickly, it brings us together and also divides us in new ways, it is now the lens through which we perceive and understand the world. There is no going back.
Look Closer: How to Get More Out of Reading
Robert Douglas-Fairhurst
As an English literature professor, Robert Douglas-Fairhurst has delighted in sharing his love of reading with his students. Bringing together more than 20 years of teaching, ‘Look Closer’ explores the iconic works of literature that have formed, sustained and entertained him, from timeless classics like ‘Wuthering Heights’ and ‘Dracula’ to modern masterpieces such as ‘Normal People’ and ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, as well as children’s books, poetry, plays, short stories and comics. It is a masterclass in how to be human.
By revealing the simple techniques to slow down, take note and bring a text to life, the book is the culmination of a life spent reading. This book is for anyone interested in how literature works and makes clear why reading is more relevant than ever in these turbulent times.
The Fast 800 Favourites: Over 100 Best-Loved Recipes for a Healthy Lifestyle
Clare Bailey Mosley
Whether you’re looking for inspiration for a nourishing, flavour-packed breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner, or have a craving for a treat that won’t send sugars soaring, The Fast 800 Favourites is a compendium of the Mosley family’s most treasured recipes.
With more than 30 air fryer-adapted recipes and three brand new 7-day meal plans, eating well has never been simpler. Dr Clare Bailey Mosley also shares personal notes on some of Michael’s favourite meals, plus tips for customising the plan to fit your lifestyle.
Insomnia
Robbie Robertston
Having taken what would turn out to be a permanent break from the Band, guitarist and songwriter Robbie Robertson’s marriage disintegrated. Seeking solace and a safe haven, Robbie moved into Martin Scorsese’s home on Mulholland Drive – Scorsese had recently directed the film of the Band’s legendary final concert, The Last Waltz, and the two were fast and firm friends.
The two years Robbie and Marty lived together entered Hollywood legend, though nobody knows the details of what actually occurred during that time, other than hearing rumours of cocaine, bacchanalian parties, and untold amounts of debauchery. When they finally emerged, it was having forged a new creative partnership – Scorsese going on to direct Raging Bull with Robbie writing the soundtrack.
This book provides an integral glimpse into both Robertson and Scorsese’s lives during an untamed period in American culture.
The Curious Case of Mike Lynch: The Improbable Life & Death of a Tech Billionaire
Francine Toon
From humble beginnings, Lynch rose to become one of the UK’s richest men, driving the development of his business Autonomy before selling it to Hewlett-Packard for more than £11bn in 2011. Famously abrasive and hard to read, he soon found himself embroiled in one of the biggest fraud cases in Silicon Valley history, his reputation in tatters.
Drawing on extensive research and exclusive access to key sources, ‘The Curious Case of Mike Lynch’ follows the billionaire’s dramatic rise and fall, through to his unlikely and tragic death. It’s a thrilling story of money, power and deception, taking readers into a high-stakes world of corporate subterfuge and rivalries. The book zigzags through the quirky, hallowed confines of Cambridge, across the cut throat streets of the City of London to Silicon Valley.
Winter’s Song
Angela Harding
Winter’s Song is the final book in a seasonal quartet from beloved printmaker and illustrator Angela Harding. Each title in this pocket-sized series takes readers on a journey through the seasons, reflecting Angela’s observations as the nature around her transforms and evolves over the course of a year.
Taking in landscapes across the UK including views from her home studio in Rutland, to the Scottish wilderness, via the low-lying marshlands of Suffolk and the windswept hills of Yorkshire, the beautiful illustrations and evocative imagery of the prose make this the perfect book for nature lovers and art lovers everywhere.
Night Life: Walking Britain’s Wild Landscapes After Dark
John Lewis-Stempel
At night the senses become reordered. Hearing becomes privileged over vision, and we edge forward arms outstretched, feeling our way through the inky blackness. It is after dark that the human being becomes more ‘animal’, more sensitive to Nature. But the lights of the modern world have obliterated any meaningful connection to the night. We have lost touch with its wonders as well as its terrors.
In this enchanting follow-up to Nightwalking, John Lewis-Stempel once again ventures out into the night to uncover the unseen world of nocturnal creatures.
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