Reading for Reality: 10 Non-fiction books on my TBR

It's fair to say that my reading habits have changed over time. Even so, it's true that there are some children's books I'd return to in a heartbeat and experience all over again, and YA novels that I'll recommend to anyone because they're not just for teens. However, over the past couple of years I've been wanting something more - to read wider into genres where to be honest, I've barely scratched the surface. Today I'm sharing ten non-fic reads I hope to get through this year, from memoirs to world history, and quirky advice on the business of '#adulting' in between.

I have to admit, it was the cover of Upstream which first drew me in when it cropped up on my instagram feed. As it turns out, the content sounds even better as Mary Oliver's essays reveal how her creative journey as a poet has been influenced by the natural world. Someone as successful as J.K. Rowling must have some good advice to share, so I'm really interested to see what she has to say about 'the fringe benefits of failure and importance of imagination' in Very Good Lives. The short stories and essays of a young Yale graduate whose life was taken far too soon in The Opposite of Loneliness are said to resonate with young people at this turning point in their lives, as they figure out the type of person they want to be and what their future may look like. For a general overview of the big issues facing the country and world at large, a read into The Best Australian Essays from 2017 is likely to be thought-provoking, and looking back at the previous editions might also be useful to see how the topics of discussion have changed over the years. The Romanovs has been on my list to read for a while, and although a heavy read covering over three centuries of Russian history - it's probably something to work through between other books. 

One of the powers of reading is the ability to travel the world between pages, so I have to check out The Colossus of New York , which although published a while back hopefully still captures the bustle and exuberance of the city. That being said, I think for something more recent it's Humans of New York which could be a good visual alternative. Like Upstream, Adult Fantasy is another pure cover-buy, but I actually want to get my hands on a copy to read about how today's millennials really rate life's big milestones (and of course answer the big questions...like whether buying a house is worth giving up avocado on toast). On that note, The Barefoot Investor has been flying off the shelves in bookstores, and since it's been recommended to me by customers and co-workers alike, I figure there must be some truth in its message which I'll have to discover for myself. Jenny Lawson's recount of her experience with mental illness in Furiously Happy promises to be both honest and hilarious, making light of life's totally random moments. Finally, with a title like I Was Told There'd Be Cake, I don't think I can go past Sloane Crosley's collection of quirky personal essays which should make for a good laugh.

So there you have it, my personal picks for taking a break from reading for escapism, and maybe even picking up a few pointers on life along the way. What's a non-fiction book you've read recently which has inspired you?