Entertainment Weekly has issued it’s Top Ten Best Of list for 2013. Here are their choices for best nonfiction books.
Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink – Pulitzer Prize winner Sheri Fink’s landmark investigation of patient deaths at a New Orleans hospital ravaged by Hurricane Katrina – and her suspenseful portrayal of the quest for truth and justice.
Fosse by Sam Wasson – An intensively researched biography of choreographer Bob Fosse.
With or Without You by Domenica Ruta – A haunting, unforgettable mother-daughter story for a new generation—the debut of a blazing new lyrical voice.
The Last Train to Zona Verde by Paul Theroux – An ode to the last African journey of the world’s most celebrated travel writer.
The Good Nurse by Charles Graeber – This book more than chronicles nurse Cullen’s deadly career and the breathless efforts to stop him; it paints an incredibly vivid portrait of madness and offers a penetrating look inside America’s medical system.
The Telling Room by Michael Paterniti – In the picturesque village of Guzmán, Spain, in a cave dug into a hillside on the edge of town, an ancient door leads to a cramped limestone chamber known as “the telling room.” Containing nothing but a wooden table and two benches, this is where villagers have gathered for centuries to share their stories and secrets—usually accompanied by copious amounts of wine.
Frozen in Time by Mitchell Zuckoff – A breathtaking blend of mystery and adventure and is a poignant reminder of the sacrifices of our military personnel and a tribute to the everyday heroism of the US Coast Guard.
The Cooked Seed by Anchee Min – An immigrant story that takes the author from the shocking deprivations of her homeland to the sudden bounty of the promised land of America, without language, money, or a clear path.
Book of Ages by Jill Lepore – A revelatory portrait of Benjamin Franklin’s youngest sister and a history of history itself. Like her brother, Jane Franklin was a passionate reader, a gifted writer, and an astonishingly shrewd political commentator. Unlike him, she was a mother of twelve.
Going Clear by Lawrence Wright – An investigation into The Church of Scientology.
For the Top 10 list for movies, TV, albums and songs, see the December 13, 2013 issue of Entertainment Weekly.