Reads of 2008: Five Great Non-Fiction Books

As an avid reader I often find myself drawn to non-fiction, it seems to me that real life actually is stranger than fiction. True tales of love, loss, new beginnings, marriage, death, and religion proved once again that there is nothing as interesting as the lives around us in these five great non-fiction reads of '08:

What Now? by Ann Patchett

Ann Patchett is a bona fide literary superstar and you can tell why when you read this small hardcover book expanded from her 2006 commencement speech at Sarah Lawrence College, her alma mater. Telling personal stories with her trademark delicate touch Patchett illuminates universal truths by contemplating the little things and in the end helps all of us answer the question, "What now?"

Here If You Need Me by Kate Braestrup

Originally published in hardcover in 2007 but issued in paperback in 2008, Here If You Need Me is a gem of a book woven together so eloquently that you don't know how Braestrup moves you from police procedure to prayer, just that you want to go with her. Telling stories of her life as a chaplain after her husband's unexpected death Braestrup is deeply religious without being preachy, shares morose stories with careful humor and has us hanging on every fascinating detail.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

Randy Pausch's last lecture at Carnegie Mellon University in September 2007 became an Internet sensation bringing fame to the beloved professor who succumbed to pancreatic cancer in July 2008. The Last Lecture expands on the Carnegie Mellon speech and allows Pausch to share more of his lessons with a larger public, though his only wish was to document them for his children. At times deeply sad, joyful, and humorous The Last Lecture is an up close look at the life of one exceptional man whose lasting legacy was teaching us all.

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not by Trish Ryan

Trish Ryan doesn't want much, just spirituality and a soul mate, but finding them is harder than you think, as readers of this memoir learn. Ryan skillfully untangles the wrong turns she made searching for faith and a fellow while contemplating everything from crystals to commitment. But don't let her self-deprecating nature fool you, He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not has a serious message and it is clear that Ryan is sharing her lessons so we can be spared learning them for ourselves.

Thinking About Memoir by Abigail Thomas

Abigail Thomas is an avid knitter and readers can see this penchant for making something out of nothing as she weaves together stories from the smallest details, ideas, and bits of conversation dredged from her bohemian life. Thinking About Memoir is unlike any writing book on the market as readers absorb the author's lessons painlessly while enjoying her graceful stories of dogs, snow, eBay addictions, family, and food. As an added bonus the text is littered with short and thought-provoking writing exercises used by the author herself.

Non-fiction is about sharing yourself, your experiences and your knowledge with a wider audience and these five authors manage to do that and more, producing books that entertain us, touch our emotions and leave us undeniably changed.

Find out more about these great books at the following websites:

Amazon; http://www.amazon.com

Barnes & Noble; http://www.barnesandnoble.com