Looking to fill your May reading list with stories that move, challenge, and inspire? You’re in the right place. From poignant memoirs of survival and identity to fearless explorations of activism, grief, and healing, this carefully curated list by Storizen features the Best Nonfiction Books to Read in May 2025. Whether you’re drawn to the poetic resilience of Indigenous voices, the raw truths of digital motherhood, or powerful reflections on love, loss, and legacy—these ten titles promise more than just compelling narratives. They offer windows into lives courageously lived and questions we all grapple with. Dive in, and discover the stories that will stay with you long after May has passed.
1. Soft as Bones: A Memoir by Chyana Marie Sage
Soft as Bones by Chyana Marie Sage is a deeply moving memoir that reads like poetry—an intimate exploration of generational trauma and the redemptive power of traditional healing. Chyana recounts her painful upbringing with a father who was both a drug dealer and a convicted abuser, tracing the ripple effects of that trauma through her own struggles with addiction and toxic relationships. As she unravels her family’s past—beginning with her grandfather’s forced removal by residential schools and the Sixties Scoop—she gives voice to the pain that shaped generations. Yet, through the teachings, ceremonies, and stories of her Cree heritage, Chyana finds a path to healing. Blending raw honesty with lyrical grace, her story becomes not just a personal reckoning, but a testament to the strength of Indigenous resilience and the enduring hope found in reclaiming one’s roots.
2. Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li
Things in Nature Merely Grow is a searingly honest and profoundly tender meditation by Pulitzer Prize finalist Yiyun Li, written in the aftermath of unimaginable loss—the deaths of both her sons, Vincent and James, by suicide. With stark clarity and radical acceptance, Li confronts the unbearable truth of living with such grief, not by seeking closure but by choosing to exist alongside it. Through writing, gardening, music, and deep philosophical reflection, she carves out space for her sons in the present tense—insisting that they are, and always will be. This is not a book about grieving in the conventional sense; it is an act of fierce remembrance, a quiet resistance against forgetting, and a testament to a mother’s enduring love. In Li’s hands, language becomes a lifeline—fragile, imperfect, and yet the only thing capable of holding what cannot be held.
3. The True Happiness Company: A Memoir by Veena Dinavahi
The True Happiness Company is a sharp, darkly funny, and emotionally raw memoir by Veena Dinavahi that unpacks how a young Indian American woman’s search for healing veered into the dangerous territory of manipulation and self-erasure. Growing up in a high-pressure suburban town marked by an alarming suicide rate, Veena battles her own mental health struggles, trying everything from therapy to medication. Nothing works—until her mother stumbles upon an eccentric therapist named Bob Lyon, who promises salvation and calls himself “Daddy.” What begins as an unconventional approach to healing spirals into cult-like control, leading Veena to abandon college, convert to Mormonism, and lose her sense of self. Written with unflinching honesty and biting wit, this memoir is more than a story of survival—it’s a powerful reckoning with identity, mental health, and the quiet, persistent voice of intuition that ultimately guides her back to herself.
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4. Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson by Tourmaline
Marsha by Tourmaline is a vibrant, long-overdue tribute to Marsha P. Johnson—the fearless, flamboyant, and deeply human Black transgender activist who helped ignite the modern LGBTQIA+ movement. With lyrical prose and meticulous research, Tourmaline brings Marsha’s story into sharp, glorious focus, capturing her as an artist, a revolutionary, and a muse who lit up every room she entered—from the streets of Stonewall to the stages with RuPaul and The Hot Peaches. More than a biography, this book is a celebration of unapologetic freedom and a reclamation of a legacy too long ignored. Tourmaline doesn’t just document Marsha’s life—she resurrects her spirit, showing us that Marsha didn’t wait for justice or acceptance; she lived boldly, declared herself free, and dared the world to follow.
5. Returning to My Father’s Kitchen: Essays by Monica Macansantos
In Returning to My Father’s Kitchen, Monica Macansantos embarks on a poignant journey of grief, memory, and belonging after the death of her beloved poet father. Living abroad when he passes, she returns to the Philippines in search of grounding—only to find that home feels both familiar and changed. Through fifteen tender, reflective essays, she traces her family’s history, her life as an expatriate, and the enduring presence of her father—felt in the poems he left behind and the meals he once cooked. As she stirs his chicken adobo and rereads his verses, Macansantos begins to shape her own voice as a writer, quietly asking: what does it mean to come home when your anchor is gone? This memoir is a beautifully crafted meditation on loss, identity, and the possibility of carrying pieces of home within us, no matter where we are.
6. Second Life: Having a Child in the Digital Age by Amanda Hess
In Second Life, New York Times culture critic Amanda Hess turns her unflinching gaze inward, chronicling how the digital world unraveled her sense of control during one of life’s most intimate moments: pregnancy. When an ultrasound reveals a potential complication, her instinctive turn to the internet pulls her into a maze of misinformation, judgment, and obsession—revealing just how vulnerable even the most media-savvy among us can become. As she navigates everything from fertility apps to fringe parenting forums, Hess unpacks how modern technology repackages old American anxieties—eugenics, surveillance, hyper-individualism—under the sleek guise of empowerment. Both haunting and darkly humorous, this memoir is a sharp, deeply personal exploration of how the internet mediates our fears, our identities, and our most tender experiences in the name of connection.
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7. What My Father and I Don’t Talk About: Sixteen Writers Break the Silence edited by Michele Filgate
A powerful companion to the bestselling What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About, this new anthology gathers sixteen candid, emotionally rich essays that explore the often fraught, tender, and unspoken dynamics between fathers and their children. In What My Father Taught Me, writers from all walks of life break their silences, sharing stories that are by turns heartbreaking, healing, and darkly funny—from grappling with absence and unfulfilled expectations to discovering unexpected moments of connection and grace. With voices like Andrew Altschul, Jaquira Díaz, Maurice Carlos Ruffin, and Susan Muaddi Darraj, the collection captures the layered truths of paternal bonds and the quiet revelations that shape who we become. Moving and deeply relatable, these fearless reflections offer comfort, clarity, and community to anyone navigating the complicated terrain of fatherhood—whether as sons, daughters, or parents themselves.
8. Decolonizing Language and Other Revolutionary Ideas by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
In Decolonizing Language and Other Revolutionary Ideas, renowned writer and thinker Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o delivers a compelling collection of essays that interrogate the politics of language and its deep entanglement with colonial power. Expanding on decades of revolutionary thought, Ngũgĩ reasserts the critical role African languages play in shaping identity, resisting cultural erasure, and reclaiming historical agency. Both timely and timeless, this accessible yet profound work serves as a rallying cry to liberate language from colonial legacies and to reimagine a future where linguistic and cultural sovereignty are central to national consciousness.
9. We Can Do Hard Things: Answers to Life’s 20 Questions by Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and Amanda Doyle
We Can Do Hard Things by bestselling authors and podcasters Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and Amanda Doyle is a heartfelt guidebook for navigating the messy, beautiful journey of life. When everything feels uncertain—love, loss, parenting, grief, or starting anew—this book offers a compass through honest conversations and shared wisdom. Facing their own personal storms—Glennon’s anorexia diagnosis, Amanda’s battle with breast cancer, and Abby’s loss of her brother—the trio reached out to friends and 118 insightful voices to gather life-saving advice. The result is a comforting collection of real talk and encouragement, reminding us that though the road may be tough, we don’t have to walk it alone. This book is a beacon for anyone seeking clarity, connection, and courage in the chaos of being alive.
10. Holler: A Graphic Memoir of Rural Resistance by Denali Sai Nalamalapu
Holler is a powerful illustrated portrait of grassroots resistance, told through the stories of six ordinary yet extraordinary people standing up against the Mountain Valley Pipeline—a massive project threatening communities from West Virginia to Virginia. Introduced by climate organizer Denali Nalamalapu, these changemakers—a teacher, a nurse, a single mom, a photographer, a seed keeper, and an organizer—show the many ways everyday acts of courage can push back against environmental destruction. From Becky Crabtree chaining herself to her vintage car to block construction, to Michael James-Deramo rallying mutual aid for protesters, Holler celebrates the impact of small, steadfast actions done in community. This moving, visually rich book is both an inspiring call to action and a hopeful reminder that when we stand together, we can protect what we love and build a better future.
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As the month unfolds, let these remarkable reads accompany you—offering insight, connection, and perspective. The Best Nonfiction Books to Read in May 2025, curated by Storizen, are more than just literary selections; they’re emotional journeys, acts of resistance, and quiet affirmations of hope. Whether you read one or all ten, may each book leave you a little more open, a little more aware, and deeply moved by the real-life stories that shape our world.
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