Take a look at our non-fiction picks for October! Includes books Ozzy Osbourne, Malala Yousafzai, Freddie Flintoff and more.
Want more suggested books? Take a look at our recommendations.
Last Rites
Ozzy Osbourne
At the age of 69, Ozzy Osbourne was on a triumphant farewell tour, playing to sold-out arenas and rave reviews all around the world. Then disaster. In a matter of just a few weeks, he went from being hospitalised with a finger infection to having to abandon his tour, and all public life, as he faced near-total paralysis from the neck down.
‘Last Rites’ is the shocking, bitterly hilarious, never-before-told story of Osbourne’s descent into hell. Along the way, he reflects on his extraordinary life and career – including his turbulent marriage to wife Sharon, his regrets over Black Sabbath’s reunion, encounters with fellow hellraisers including Slash, Bon Scott, John Bonham and Keith Moon and the harrowing final moments he spent with Motorhead’s Lemmy Kilmister.
Finding My Way
Malala Yousafzai
Thrust onto the public stage at fifteen years old after the Taliban’s brutal attack on her life, Malala quickly became an international icon known for bravery and resilience. But away from the cameras and crowds, she spent years struggling to find her place in an unfamiliar world. Now, Malala takes readers beyond the headlines.
‘Finding My Way’ is a story of friendship and first love, of anxiety and self-discovery, of trying to stay true to yourself when everyone wants to tell you who you are. In it, Malala traces her path from high school loner to reckless college student to a young woman at peace with her past. Through candid, often messy moments like nearly failing exams, getting ghosted and meeting the love of her life, Malala reminds us that real role models aren’t perfect – they’re human.
The Discovery of Britain: An Accidental History
Graham Robb
Taking you on a time-travelling adventure around the ‘spindly, sea-wracked islands’ we call home, The Discovery of Britain is history that’s panoramic and intimate, poignant and shocking, seriously funny, and enlightening in the most surprising way.
In the assured hands of the prize-winning author of The Discovery of France, and often from the unique vantage point of his bicycle, we encounter an entertaining cast of characters foreign and homegrown, drop in on places and events, and dwell on the successes and catastrophes across British history. From ancient settlements swallowed up by the sea and the creation of Stonehenge to the advent of multiculturalism and recent political earthquakes, all is seen as it’s never been seen before.
Middleland: Dispatches From the Borders
Rory Stewart
Rory Stewart spent nearly a decade as a MP of Britain’s most rural constituency, Penrith and the Border. As he came to know and love this part of Cumbria, he found inspiration in the beauty of its landscape, its rugged history as a frontierland, and in the spirit of its people.
Drawing on pieces originally written for a local newspaper, ‘Debatable Land’ is an unforgettable portrait of rural Britain today – a place caught in tensions between farming and the natural world, between the need to preserve and to grow, between local and national politics – as well as a timeless evocation of the history, people and landscape of Cumbria.
Freddie Flintoff: Coming Home
Andrew Flintoff
As a boy, growing up in Preston, Fred fell in love with the game of cricket. It gave him his route through life; out on the pitch he felt at home. Through his eyes we see him picking up a bat for the first time, his early years on the field; that incredible performance to win the Ashes against the Aussies in 2005; face-downs with rivals; run-ins with the media; the doctors telling him he can’t continue to play. On and off the pitch, in and out of the spotlight, Fred tells the whole story.
Em Coming Home, Freddie Flintoff zeroes-in on the crucial moments that made him – some highly celebrated, others less well-known, away from the cameras, but all pivotal in shaping the man he is.
When Gavin Met Stacey, and Everything in Between
Ruth Jones and James Corden
Gavin & Stacey is a TV series like no other. Now, for the first time, its creators James Corden and Ruth Jones tell the full extraordinary story of how they turned their little show into a full-on cultural phenomenon. As they recount the rejection, obstacles and challenges they faced on the way to giving birth to their beloved comedy creation, James and Ruth also explore the flourishing of their own real-life friendship.
While their now legendary on-screen characters Nessa and Smithy had a profound awkwardness to negotiate, culminating in that marriage proposal in the 2019 Christmas special, Ruth and James forged a magical relationship of mutual support based also on a deep, shared sense of subversive fun.
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Bored of Lunch: Healthy Fakeaways
Nathan Anthony
Save money and calories with healthy, home-cooked versions of your favourite takeaways. Bestselling author Nathan Anthony is back with 100 easy recipes to hack your weeknight cooking. Whether you’re craving a classic curry or a comforting pizza, you’ll find healthy, quick versions of family favourites to satisfy that fast-food craving and stop you ordering in.
Mouth-watering recipes include Katsu Chicken Curry, Sweet & Sour Noodles, Smash Burgers and Garlic Mozzarella Doughballs.
Letter From Japan
Marie Kondō and Marie Iida
In 2014, Marie Kondo became famous around the world, changed how we live, the relationship we have with the objects around us and taught us how to seek out the joy in our daily lives. Five years later, her Netflix TV show brought her teachings to an even wider audience and introduced to millions her captivating charm and serene presence. And now, another five years have passed and it’s time for more surprises and more ground to be broken.
From the time Life-Changing Magic first launched and all through the years that followed, the most compelling questions and keenest interest, from media and readers alike all around the globe were grounded in one key reality: Marie Kondo’s Japanese perspective. Readers and viewers were fascinated by what they learned of Marie’s upbringing, her family, her early professional career and her experiences with Shintoism.
SAS The Great Train Raid: The Most Daring SAS Mission of WWII
Damien Lewis
So secret was this mission, the SAS seizure of a train to raid deep into enemy territory to liberate a concentration camp, that it wasn’t until 1968 – 27 years after the formation of the SAS – that a short mention of it was made in the Rover and Wizard annual, under the headline ‘Who Dares Wins’. No further published record exists. Best-selling author Damien Lewis has unearthed the full incredible story from long-hidden files and first hand-testimony, his latest elite forces narrative delivering a scintillating tale of bravery, daring and determination which simply beggars belief.
Funny Thing, Getting Older: And Other Reflections
Michael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo is one of Britain’s most beloved novelists, best known for enchanting children with his books like War Horse e Private Peaceful.
Em Funny Thing, Getting Older, he shares his reflections from a lifetime of writing stories about the world. Here, collected for the first time on Michael’s 82nd birthday, are his thoughts on nature, childhood, writing, peace and war, and getting older. Some are deeply personal, some political, others in between. And woven in amongst them you will find a play, a poem or two, and even a few stories.
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