Chelsey's 2025 Nonfiction Summer Reading Guide

For when you want to read about cadaver science at the beach

In any given year I end up reading about half fiction, half nonfiction. I don’t try to do this; it’s just what happens. What that means is that I read a lot of nonfiction! I’ve shared some of my favorite in other posts (see my Book Roundups page), but I wanted this to be a list of books I haven’t mentioned before. These weren’t necessarily all 5-star reads for me, but they were at least 4-star, and I think they’re perfect for summer reading.

If nonfiction isn’t your thing, check out my 2025 Fiction Summer Reading Guide!

Stories that seem too crazy to be true

These books read like fiction with characters that seem pulled from the latest summer blockbuster.

American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road by Nick Bilton

I’ve seen this one on several lists recently and I know why! I didn’t know anything about this story, but from the first few pages, I was hooked.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

Once we moved to Savannah, I felt I had to read this one. It has been especially fun to spot landmarks downtown that I remember from the book.

The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel

The thief in question is honestly so good at thieving you have to give him a little credit, but you also kind of want him to get caught at the end.

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe

If you want to feel even more depressed about the opioid epidemic, this is the book for you.

When you want to take a historical deep dive

The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History by John M. Barry

Who doesn’t want to read about a pandemic from 100 years ago when we’re barely over our most recent pandemic?

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown

I love all of Brown’s books, but this one feels especially summer-y because: boats.

Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green

This was a recent read and is pretty intense but it’s also short. Perfect for a vacation read.

Area 51: An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base by Annie Jacobsen

I’m not sure why aliens give me summer vibes—maybe it’s the desert where most of the book takes place?—but this one just feels like a summer read to me. I learned so much from this book and honestly wish I could unlearn some of it.

When you want to laugh

Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan

I have recently read some books by comedians that just were not funny. Thankfully, this one is just as funny as seeing him do his stand-up.

Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches by John Hodgman

John Hodgman is probably my favorite comedian. His podcast Judge John Hodgman is one of my favorite podcasts. And this is one of my favorite books. (Also: his book and podcast are both clean! Very rare in comedy.)

When you want to get lost in another place

The Best Cook in the World: Tales from My Momma's Southern Table by Rick Bragg

My husband introduced me to Bragg’s books and while I can’t fully relate to them, having not grown up in Appalachia, I love hearing him read his essays in his own voice.

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson

It doesn’t feel much more like summer than going on a hike on the Appalachian Trail. This is a book about travel, about people, about nature, and about life.

The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey by Rinker Buck

Another story about a trail. This is a hilarious story of one man’s attempt to travel the course of the original Oregon Trail with a horse and wagon.

When you want to take a scientific deep dive

Nightmare Fuel: The Science of Horror Films by Nina Nesseth

If historical events and trails aren’t your thing, what about horror movies? I don’t actually like true horror films, but I still found this book fascinating as it explored the psychology of what makes those movies scary.

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

Sure, you might look a little weird reading this on the beach, but why not throw people for a loop? This is a fascinating book about how human cadavers are used for science.

Vanishing Creatures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures by Katherine Rundell

I needed to include one relatively normal, non-threatening book, so here it is. This is a subtle, calming cerebral read, which I’ve heard is what some people like to read.

When you just want to read an interesting book

The following didn’t fit into any of the aforementioned categories, but they are all books I really enjoyed and are the kind of thing I’d love to binge read on vacation.

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull

This is the story of how Pixar came to be, and it is the most interesting book on business that I’ve ever read.

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb

If you’ve ever been to counseling, you will enjoy this book. If you haven’t, then maybe this book will encourage you to go!

George Lucas: A Life by Brian Jay Jones

I have read three of Jones’ biographies, and all of them are excellent (the others were on Dr. Seuss and Jim Henson). I grew up watching Star Wars and this book provided so many fun details I didn’t know about how Lucas made the movies as well as how everything inexplicably fell into place.

Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV by Emily Nussbaum

If you have ever watched any reality television, this book will be fascinating to you.

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Have you read any of these? Are there any nonfiction books you’d recommend for summer reading? Let me know!