14 Most Anticipated Non-Fiction Books Coming Out The Rest Of 2024

Summary Non-fiction books offer a wealth of knowledge on culture, society, and STEM, providing endless opportunities for readers to learn and grow.

The release of upcoming non-fiction books in 2024 covers a wide range of topics, from white privilege to mental health and historical events.

Authors like Tracie McMillan, Emmett Rensin, and Ghostface Killah are set to offer unique perspectives on important issues through their memoirs in the coming months.

The world of non-fiction has virtually endless possibilities, and the remainder of 2024 has much to offer those waiting for a great new book to read. Though fictional universes of fantasy and sci-fi provide an opportunity for escape, non-fiction literature opens the door to even more. Between the pages, readers can learn something new about themselves, their culture, society, STEM, or a beloved public figure. Biographies, memoirs, self-help, and so much more give the perfect excuse to curl up with a book and broaden the mind with our world's true stories.

The first few months of 2024 have already seen the release of some excellent non-fiction books. January came with The Holocaust: An Unfinished History by Dan Stone, which dove into found Nazi documents and post-war testimonies while drawing connections to modern-day xenophobia. February brought us The Great Wave: The Era of Radical Disruption and the Rise of the Outsider by Michiko Kakutani, a look at the impact of technology, art, and politics on society, and March saw the release of RuPaul's memoir, The House of Hidden Meanings. Still, there is much more to come.

Related 15 Most Anticipated Fantasy Book Series Coming Out The Rest Of 2024 It can be tempting to think the best fantasy releases of 2024 have already hit shelves, but there are even more exciting books arriving this year.

14 The White Bonus By Tracie McMillan

From the award-winning writer Tracie McMillan comes The White Bonus, a memoir that asks the uncomfortable question of what white privilege is worth. McMillan seeks to quantify this in actual dollars, picking through several generations of her family tree to explore how their working-class level of wealth led to various subtle advantages in American society.

The White Bonus is meant to be an honest review of the conversation of privilege and the disproportion between white people at various disadvantages compared to their Black neighbors. McMillan's 2024 book, which releases April 23, is a highly anticipated follow-up for those who enjoyed White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo or The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee.

13 The Complications: On Going Insane in America

By Emmett Rensin

Journalist Emmett Rensin gives readers the rare opportunity to see into the life of someone with schizoaffective disorder, with a particular focus on how the United States mental health industry has failed those with this and other bipolar types. Rensin does this by exploring the current evolved way in which society approaches mental health as a whole while still stigmatizing those like himself who have more severe forms of mental illness.

Among the more compelling aspects of Rensin's The Complications: On Going Insane in America is the honest way he places himself under the microscope. It's a significant benefit to such an exploratory non-fiction memoir, and the 2024 book includes diary logs that detail precisely how Rensin declines while off his medications. In all, The Complications is perfect for anyone hoping to take their understanding of mental health beyond what society is often comfortable with.

12 Mean Boys: A Personal History By Geoffrey Mak

Self-described "mean boy" Geoffrey Mak—the gay son of an evangelical minister—is publishing his collection of essays, Mean Boys: A Personal History, in April 2024. The memoir dives into the places where hurt and shunned boys find status. They often become artists and creators, models, or internet personalities, and they all thirst for an edgy life that is not good for them.

Mean Boys sees Mak work through what made this life call to him, dissecting this thirst for risk and novelty that is often so dangerous. The upcoming book sees a rise and fall of "transgression and forgiveness" that specifically aims to create that link of commonality between the many who have experienced the all-encompassing desire to become a member of the untouchable elite but only found more emptiness.

11 The Demon of Unrest: A Saga Of Hubris, Heartbreak, & Heroism At The Dawn Of The Civil War By Erik Larson

There's always something fascinating about the calm before the storm, and The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson is an illuminating look into the five months between President Abraham Lincoln's election and the start of the Civil War. Starting out on November 6, 1860, the 2024 book sets the stage with the growing unrest as the United States became even more at odds with itself.

Larson is the New York Times bestselling author of The Splendid and the Vile, which introduced readers to his masterful way of recounting significant points in history. This has led The Demon of Unrest to become one of the more highly anticipated non-fiction books of 2024 since it perfectly combines the immersiveness of fiction with the chilling reality of real-world history.

Larson used a combination of diaries, slave ledgers, and plantation records to write The Deom of Unrest, which Goodreads describes as a "political horror story."

10 The Dead Don’t Need Reminding By Julian Randall

The Dead Don't Need Reminding: In Search of Fugitives, Mississippi, and Black TV Nerd Sh*t is another unique approach to exploring mental health and racial identity in the United States, all through the wry and witty storytelling style of MG author Julian Randall. The story sees Randall dive into his family history in Mississippi, inspired by the writer's experiences at the edge of depression.

The Dead Don't Need Reminding is Randall's nonfiction debut, having initially gained notoriety for his MG Pilar Ramirez book series. This certainly makes the May 2024 release intriguing, especially with the promise of a fresh and comical approach to Randall's fight for survival, which, according to Goodreads, he explores through media like Into the Spiderverse and Jordan Peele movies.

The Pilar Ramirez Books By Julian Randall Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa 2022 Pilar Ramirez and the Curse of San Zenon 2023

9 You Never Know: A Memoir By Tom Selleck

The ever-charming Tom Selleck has been widely loved by his fans since his days on Magnum, P.I. (1980 - 1988), and his status has only continued through his time on other long-running series like Blue Bloods. Therefore, it's no surprise that the actor's upcoming memoir, You Never Know, is among the more highly anticipated of 2024.

In You Never Know: A Memoir, Selleck chronicles his experiences in show business and his life outside the industry. His story begins way before Magnum, P.I., of course, with his early days paying his dues as an actor. Selleck describes the problematic balance between career and family, giving readers a rare look into the star's memories, friendships, and personal favorite projects in Hollywood.

8 Magical/Realism By Vanessa Angélica Villarreal

Magical/Realism: Essays on Music, Memory, Fantasy, and Borders is the perfect non-fiction work for fiction lovers. Author Vanessa Angélica Villarreal's essays explore her journey of reconnection with her heritage and ancestors in Mexico while using current popular media, like Game of Thrones, to explore cultural erasure and the damages of migration and colonialism.

Villarreal doesn't stop at Game of Thrones to dig up what has been buried in both recent and distant history. Several forms of media, such as music, video games, movies, and TV shows, are spattered with the fantasy that helps audiences make sense of the real world. On this border between what is real and magical, Villarreal finds her own answers and uses her 2024 book to share them with readers.

Related 10 Best Movies That Nail Magic Realism Movies like Groundhog Day that utilize magical realism often revive old stories, breathe life into cliches, and force audiences to pause and think.

7 Rebel Girl: My Life As A Feminist Punk By Kathleen Hanna

The punk scene of the 1990s was a pivotal moment in American culture, and Kathleen Hanna was among the rebels who made it all possible. Her band Bikini Kill was a prominent voice in 90s feminism, with songs like "Rebel Girl" inspiring thousands with its powerful lyrics. Of course, these impactful words were rooted in Hanna's own experiences, which she outlines in her 2024 memoir, Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk.

Rebel Girl begins with Hanna's troubled childhood, which ultimately leads to her days as a punk girl band member during her college years. Here, she was a victim of male anger and violence simply for existing in the punk scene as a woman. Hanna's memoir is a tribute to the female experience, spattered with the influence of other prominent voices of '90s punk.

6 Rise Of A Killah: My Life In The Wu-Tang By Ghostface Killah

Ghostface Killah's memoir, Rise of a Killah: My Life In The Wu-Tang, will be released in May 2024. The rapper has been a member of the popular hip-hop group the Wu-Tang Clan since its inception in 1992. His book has been described as "both a visual record and a real-feel narrative of a performer's life" (via Rolling Stone) and will follow his journey from his upbringing to his fame.

Ghostface's Rise of a Killah follows up the memoir released by fellow Wu-Tang member, Raekwon, From Staircase to Stage: The Story of Raekwon and the Wu-Tang Clan, which makes the 2024 book all the more exciting. This also follows up on U-God's 2018 book Raw: My Journey Into the Wu-Tang Clang, and with all these memoirs, fans of the hip-hop group can construct a relatively complete picture of what it meant to its members.

5 I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This, But I'm Going To Anyway By Chelsea Devantez

Comedian and podcaster Chelsea Devantez takes an unabashed approach to sharing her life with readers in her 2024 memoir, I Shouldn't Be Telling You This, But I'm Going to Anyway. The book details all the nitty-gritty of her upbringing and career. The stories within are all about TMI, from uncomfortable appointments at the gynecologists to the outrageous and disturbing (but somehow still comical) experiences at Mormon church camp.

A significant part of what makes I Shouldn't Be Telling You This unique is the way that Devantez focuses each story on a woman who influenced her life in some way.

A significant part of what makes I Shouldn't Be Telling You This unique is the way that Devantez focuses each story on a woman who influenced her life in some way. This varies from friends, strangers, and celebrities, each contributing their own piece of the puzzle to the overall tale of the author's life.

4 Tiger, Tiger By Peter de Jonge & James Patterson

Release Date: July 15, 2024

Tiger Woods is easily the G.O.A.T in the world of golf, but his career has been plagued by scandals in the last decade or so. Of course, such a rise and fall from grace is often fascinating to the public, which is why Peter de Jonge and James Patterson's 2024 book on the subject has been so highly anticipated. Tiger, Tiger boasts itself as "his story as it has never been told before," exploring every detail of Woods' thrilling life and career.

Tiger, Tiger starts with a young Woods watching his idol, Jack Nicklaus, win his sixth Masters and follows the boy up to his first Green Jacket win at the young age of 21. Of course, de Jonge and Patterson see the golfer through his record-smashing career, public scandals, and the decade-long stint of repeated losses. Still, Tiger, Tiger is a story of inspiration, exploring how such a significant downfall could still wind up with a promising and happy ending.

3 Smart Rivals: How Innovative Companies Play Games That Tech Giants Can’t Win By Feng Zhu & Bonnie Yining Cao

Discovering the secrets of business takes research and planning, and Feng Zhu and Bonnie Tining Cao (a Harvard Business School professor and a Bloomberg journalist) have done this for you in Smart Rivals: how Innovative Companies Play Games That Tech Giants Can't Win. The 2024 book uses research to discover ways smaller companies can use unique techniques to hold their own against their massive competitors.

Traditionally, small businesses would look to giants like Coca-Cola and try to copy their techniques, but in Smart Rivals, Zhu and Cao explain that this isn't the way to go. The pair have traveled worldwide to discover the most effective product features and benefits that larger companies cannot offer. In doing so, this 2024 non-fiction book can potentially save the American businesses that need it most.

Related Every Book Being Turned Into A Movie Or TV Show In 2024 Novels are a great source of inspiration for new films and TV shows, and many production studios rely on these adaptations for future content.

2 Hyperefficient: Optimize Your Brain To Transform The Way You Work By Mithu Storoni

Non-fiction literature can sometimes help readers master their minds, and this is precisely what Mithu Storoni aims to do with Hyperefficient: Optimize Your Brain to Transform the Way You Work. Her previous self-help books, Stress-Proof: The Scientific Solution to Protect Your Brain and Body--and Be More Resilient Every Day (2017), and the sequel, Stress-Proof: The Ultimate Guide to Living a Stress-Free Life (2019), resonated with those on the seemingly endless journey of stress regulation. This has led Dr. Storoni's 2024 addition to be highly anticipated.

While Storoni's previous works revolved around reducing stress, Hyperefficiency introduces science-backed methods to get your brain working for you rather than against you. Places of employment expect their employees to be as efficient as possible, but expecting high levels of productivity from the brain is a slippery slope. Hyperefficiency revolves around making adjustments to work so that it moves with the rhythm of the brain (rather than the other way around).

1 It’s A Gas: The Sublime and Elusive Elements That Expand Our World By Mark Miodownik

New York Times bestselling author Mark Miodownik has the perfect follow-up to his comically scientific books Stuff Matters and Liquid Rules, this time in the form of the upcoming 2024 book It's a Gas: The Sublime and Elusive Elements That Expand Our World. Both educational and entertaining, this non-fiction work will provide answers regarding the world's most mysterious substances.

It's a Gas will explore the impact of gases like carbon dioxide, hydrogen, laughing gas, steam, and more, diving into how humanity has managed to capture its power in technology—sometimes to its detriment. Miodownik also uses his 2024 non-fiction book to explore the further uses we could put these remarkable gases to, therefore ushering the world into an even greater era.