12 Nonfiction Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2022

New York Times bestselling author Jami Attenberg bares her creative soul in this freewheeling memoir about following your dreams and finding your voice. The author looks back on her formative years as an adventure seeker and emerging writer, when she set out across the U.S. and around the world in search of excitement, inspiration, and meaning. Along the way, she honed her craft and grew to trust her artistic instincts. A “sparkling memoir… [that] shines with wit and empathy” (Publishers Weekly), I Came All This Way to Meet You brims with life, passion, and creative joy.

Publication date: January 11, 2022

Celebrated author and essayist Chuck Klosterman offers a wry and revealing journey through the final decade of the 20th century in this upcoming work of pop culture criticism. The 1990s don’t sound that long ago … until we remember that, back then, the Internet was still in its dial-up infancy, we were tethered to our landlines, and we had to look up someone’s name and number in a phone book before making a call. Oh, and grunge was a very big thing. Whether you fondly remember the ’90s and are craving a nostalgia trip or were a mere babe in arms and would love to learn more about the era, Klosterman’s The Nineties has got you covered.

Publication date: February 8, 2022

Our digital-first moment promises to connect us. And yet, we often feel more isolated and alone than ever before. In Find Your People, Jennie Allen urges us to actively seek out and sustain lasting communities — both for the health of the individual and the health of the collective. She cites scientific research that shows the lasting physical and mental benefits we derive from friendship and shares her own personal and spiritual experiences. Allen sees the very real loneliness that afflicts so many today, and she offers practical tips to help readers reconnect with life.

Publication date: February 22, 2022

In her highly anticipated new work, award-winning author Meghan O’Rourke skillfully synthesizes scientific and medical research with deeply personal experiences to examine the chronic illness epidemic in America. Such illnesses include autoimmune diseases, Lyme disease syndrome, and now, long COVID, all of which defy easy diagnosis and treatment. In The Invisible Kingdom, O’Rourke advocates for a radical shift in our approach to identifying and treating these debilitating conditions — conditions that affect millions of Americans and often leave patients and their families drained of hope.

Publication date: March 1, 2022

Life changed overnight for New York Times columnist Frank Bruni in 2017: He woke up one morning and realized he couldn’t see clearly out of his right eye. Doctors determined that a rare stroke had cut off the blood supply to his optic nerve, rendering Bruni functionally blind in his right eye — and they told him that the same disorder could impact his left eye as well. In his upcoming memoir, Bruni chronicles how he faced this new reality and turned to others who had confronted traumas of their own for guidance and wisdom. The Beauty of Dusk delivers an “uplifting exploration of human potential” (Kirkus Reviews) and is a powerful story of adapting, acceptance, and transformation.

Publication date: March 1, 2022

Bob Odenkirk’s decades-long career in show business is a bit like the performer himself: near-impossible to predict. In Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama, Odenkirk tracks his odyssey from dingey clubs in Chicago to writing for SNL and The Ben Stiller Show and eventually starring in his own comedy series, Mr. Show with Bob and David. That’s the “Comedy Comedy Comedy” part of Odenkirk’s saga. The “Drama” part begins with his out-of-left-field casting in a little show called Breaking Bad, where the actor’s scene-stealing portrayal of shady lawyer Saul Goodman led to a wildly popular spin-off series. Of course, all of this is told in typical Odenkirk fashion, with plenty of entertaining asides and off-kilter showbiz tales.

Publication date: March 1, 2022

Valerie Biden Owens is the younger sister and close confidante of President Joe Biden — and has been his campaign manager since he ran for class president in high school. She’s also a trusted political strategist who stands as one of the first female campaign managers in United States history. In this warm and candid memoir, Biden Owens lovingly recalls her formative years in the Biden household and how she and her siblings were raised to work hard and help others whenever they could. She shares the challenges she faced while breaking through gender barriers in politics and the triumph of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign. Beautifully told, Growing Up Biden offers a touching look at loyalty, civic service, and family.

Publication date: April 12, 2022

Audiences are used to seeing Viola Davis bring characters to vivid life on the stage and screen. In her upcoming memoir, we get an illuminating look at Davis herself, as she shares how her life experiences transformed her into the Academy Award–winning actor we know and love today. Davis traces the dramatic trajectory of her life and career, from coming of age in Rhode Island to walking the red carpet in Hollywood and receiving an Oscar for her performance in Fences. Rich with honesty and insight, Finding Me is a fascinating self-portrait of a preeminent performer.

Publication date: April 19, 2022

We may think we’re all crime solvers after watching an episode of Law and Order, but make no mistake: TV dramas are no substitute for the real thing. In this upcoming true-crime memoir, renowned cold case investigator Paul Holes offers an unflinching look at the life of a detective. Holes details the investigative, behavioral, and forensic techniques he used in solving a number of America’s toughest cases, from the murder of Laci Peterson and the kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard to his 20-year hunt for the Golden State Killer. Holes shares how his relentless pursuit of justice has taken its toll on his personal life, but that he’s committed to finding closure for victims and their families. Frank, compelling, and completely unguarded, Unmasked is a truly eye-opening read.

Publication date: April 26, 2022

Criminality, betrayal, and abuse of power in the City of Angels: It sounds like the beginnings of a gritty L.A. crime novel. And while it might read like one, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Paul Pringle’s debut nonfiction narrative is a shocking exposé of corruption at the University of Southern California, the largest private employer in Los Angeles. Pringle’s investigation began after he received a tip about a drug overdose in a luxury hotel involving the head of USC’s esteemed medical school. But as Pringle searched for answers, he unearthed a far bigger, more insidious scandal. In Bad City, Pringle chronicles his dogged quest for the truth, detailing how he and his fellow reporters cut through cover-ups to expose the crimes committed by one of L.A.’s most powerful institutions. It’s an investigative-journalism ride-along packed with twists and turns. Buckle up.

Publication date: July 19, 2022

Inequity permeates all sectors of society, but when it strikes at the health and survival of an individual, that raises the stakes exponentially. In his highly anticipated debut, Steven W. Thrasher, Ph.D., an award-winning journalist and a professor at Northwestern University, shines a sobering light on the disproportionate impact viruses have on marginalized communities. Thrasher’s career-defining research on the racialization, policing, and criminalization of HIV demonstrates that who you are and where you live has an outsized — and unjust — influence on your ability to survive illnesses. In The Viral Underclass, he shares the stories of friends, patients, teachers, and activists who faced life-or-death decisions within a biased health care system.

Publication date: August 2, 2022

This timely collection of political reflections and essays is penned by Brandi Collins-Dexter, former Senior Director at Color of Change and a visiting fellow at Harvard Kennedy School. Collins-Dexter boasts a sterling reputation as a researcher, writer, and political commentator who specializes in issues of Black participation in American politics and the U.S. economy. Indeed, she recently testified before Congress on disinformation, online privacy, and economic justice. In Black Skinhead, Collins-Dexter channels her expertise into a searing and necessary meditation on Blackness and the future of politics in America.

Publication date: September 20, 2022