Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may contain affiliate links, so if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a commission.
I read mostly fiction, especially historical fiction, but every now and then, I come across a nonfiction book that stays with me long after I’ve finished reading it.
Several years ago, I tried making myself alternate fiction then nonfiction, but that pattern took some of the joy out of reading. I love fiction too much to make myself follow a strict reading schedule!
Still, I value nonfiction and all I can learn from it. Some books teach me something new. Others challenge the way I think, strengthen my faith, or introduce me to real people whose stories deserve to be remembered.
The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom is one of those books for me. Her story of faith, courage, and forgiveness during World War II made a lasting impression on me, and it’s the first book I think of when someone asks me for a recommendation.
Today, I’m sharing five nonfiction books that have stayed with me. They cover different subjects, but each one has taught me something, encouraged me, or changed the way I see the world.
The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
During World War II, Corrie ten Boom, her sister Betsie, and their father lived above their family’s watch repair shop in the Netherlands. As the Nazis occupied the country, the ten Boom family risked their lives to hide Jewish people in their home and help protect them from persecution.
In 1944, the family was betrayed and arrested. Corrie’s father died shortly after his arrest, and Betsie later died while imprisoned at Ravensbruck concentration camp. Corrie survived and went on to share her story with others.
This book encourages me every time I read it. Corrie’s story reminds me to value others above myself, trust God even in difficult circumstances, and remember that we can shine God’s light even in the darkest times.
I can become discouraged in life, but this book reminds me of a truth I never want to forget: “There is no pit so deep, that God’s love is not deeper still.”
Whenever I’m asked for a book recommendation, this is the first book I always share.
✨ I know this is a nonfiction post, but it’s my post, so I’m going to share a fictional account of Corrie’s story that I recently discovered – The Watchmaker’s Daughter. It’s currently on my TBR!
Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Story by Jack Mayer
I was deeply moved by the movie Schinder’s List and the reminder that one person’s courage can change so many lives, even in times of incredible turmoil and danger.
Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Story tells a similar story of extraordinary courage. Irena Sendler was a Polish social worker who helped rescue approximately 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II. She helped arrange for them to live with Polish families or in other places of refuge, and she kept records of their identities in the hope that they could be reunited with their families after the war.
Her story remained largely unknown for decades until a group of American high school students discovered it while working on a history project. They turned their research into a play, helping bring Irena’s remarkable story to a much wider audience.
I loved this book because it inspires me to think about selflessness. Irena was willing to risk imprisonment, torture and even death to help save these children. Stories like hers remind me to look beyond my own circumstances and consider how I can be more selfless in my own life.
Quiet by Susan Cain
Even the subtitle of this book makes me lift my head a little higher: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking.
American culture often seems to reward extroverted personalities. The people who speak up, command a room, and thrive in social situations can get the most attention, while quieter people may feel overlooked or wonder whether they have as much to offer.
In Quiet, Susan Cain explores the strengths introverts bring to the world, including their capacity for deep thinking, listening, and reflection. She challenges the idea that being outgoing is the ideal personality type and encourages us to recognize the value of quieter temperaments. Cain also highlights just how many people are introverts and how much they have to offer.
I remember being fairly outgoing as a child. I tried out for solos and wasn’t afraid to ask people to sponsor me in a fundraiser. But around junior high, I felt myself beginning to pull back.
When I was growing up, I don’t remember introversion or extroversion being regular topics of conversation. Later, I learned that introversion isn’t a character flaw or something that needs to be fixed. Introverts may prefer time alone to recharge, find extended social interaction tiring, or simply process the world differently from their outgoing peers.
Reading Susan Cain’s book helped me put into words something I hadn’t fully understood about myself. I felt validated and, in a way, seen. I didn’t have to measure myself against an extroverted ideal to recognize my own strengths.
This is a must-read for introverts who want to better understand themselves, as well as extroverts who want to understand the introverts in their lives.
📺Want to hear more from Susan Cain? Here’s her TED Talk on the power of introverts.
On Fire by John O’Leary
I first heard John O’Leary’s story on a podcast. When I learned he had written a book about his experience, I knew I wanted to read it.
When John was nine years old, he was severely burned in a fire and faced an incredibly difficult recovery. His story could easily be one defined only by tragedy and everything he had lost. Instead, he went on to use his experience to encourage and inspire others.
I can’t control every difficult thing that happens to me, but I can look for ways to grow through those experiences and encourage others along the way.
When I faced a very hard season in my life, my grandma wrote me a letter, and one line has stayed with me: “You can let this [horrible situation] either make you bitter or make you better.”
She became a widow in her early 40s with four children still at home. My grandma could have easily become bitter, but she did everything she could to hold on to joy and her faith that God was walking with her. She was one of the happiest people I’ve known, always able to make lemonade out of lemons.
That’s the reminder I get when I read John’s book too: don’t stay stuck in the negative. Walk through the hard things, trusting that God is directing your steps.
🎧To hear the podcast that inspired me to read the book, check it out here.
Imagine Heaven by John Burke
What happens when we die? And what might heaven be like?
In Imagine Heaven, John Burke examines accounts of near-death experiences (NDEs) and compares the experiences people describe with what the Bible teaches about heaven and death. He shares stories from people with different backgrounds, beliefs, and life experiences, inviting readers to consider the similarities between these accounts and Scripture.
I reread this book with my son after my 98-year-old grandma died. During a time when we were grieving someone we loved, reading about what heaven might be like was comforting.
I appreciated having a book that gave us an opportunity to talk about death, heaven, and the hope we have as believers. While a book can’t answer every question we have about what happens after death, this one gave us meaningful things to consider and discuss together.
🎧Listen to John Burke discuss his book on this Focus on the Family podcast episode.
Why I Love These Nonfiction Books
I love reading stories about people who have overcome hardships. Life is hard, and reading about other people who have faced extraordinary challenges reminds me that even in difficult circumstances, there can be courage, hope, faith, and opportunities to make a difference.
These five books have stayed with me for different reasons. Some remind me of the importance of faith and forgiveness. Others challenge me to be more selfless, understand myself better, or approach life’s difficulties with hope.
I may always reach for fiction first, but I’m grateful for the nonfiction books that have taught me something, encouraged me, or given me a new outlook.
What nonfiction book has stayed with you long after you finished reading it? I’d love to hear your recommendations!
🌟Come hang out with me for daily bookish chats on Facebook or Instagram!
If you enjoyed this blog post, here are a few others you might be interested in:
Leave a Reply