Best nonfiction books of February 2025, as chosen by the Amazon Editors
It’s only the second month of 2025, and I’ve already found one of my favorite books of the year (so far): Seeking Shelter, a stunning narrative account of a devoted mother who can’t escape homelessness—despite doing nearly everything right on paper (focus on her kids’ education, hold down a job).
I’m also fascinated with two reads that make me question my device use and social media, one written by a Pulitzer Prize finalist, the other by a popular MSNBC host—as well as reads that make me dream about extravagant vacations, revel in dishy gossip, and examine the strength of love (and grief).
And if that’s not enough, the Amazon Editors also recommend reads across categories: romance (millions are clamoring for Rebecca Yarros’ latest), history (adventure! corruption!), mystery, and our favorite Top 10 new releases.
Evelyn is fiercely protective of her children—helping each one finish their homework every night, creating a safe place for them to sleep and play, surrounding them with her mighty love and dreams for their future. She is also homeless—and readers of this narrative nonfiction are along for the ride of their unbelievable struggle for survival. (Literally, as the entire family of six lives in their Toyota Highlander at times, while Evelyn juggles her job, childcare, and the chaotic streets of Los Angeles.) Jeff Hobbs’ compassion and storytelling shines on every page, with an intimacy that won’t let you look away from how issues like “lack of affordable housing” and “education policies” utterly devastate families. And yet, there is hope, especially after Evelyn meets another mom, Wendi, who turned her family’s life around, and is called to help others. This deeply moving story of a devoted mother striving to provide for her children will linger long after you’ve turned the last gut-punch of a page. It’s one of the most powerful books I’ve ever read. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
What do the ancient tale of Gilgamesh, the pop star Doja Cat, civil rights activist and writer James Baldwin, Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky, and boundary-breaking drag queen RuPaul all have in common? Charming podcaster Kelsey McKinney tells us in just a few pages, setting up her rollicking, smart history of gossip. A blast to read, this pop nonfiction book is written conversationally, with stick-in-your-brain anecdotes and plenty of research and expert interviews to add heft. Gossip isn’t a frivolous pastime—it’s contributed to human evolution, shaped the world we live in today, and has played a unique role in the rise of political polarization and “cancel culture.” There are benefits to gossip—and a dark side to restricting it. In other words, it’s serious business, but so much fun. From biblical times to modern times, gossip is a tool for connection, and for survival—whether you’re whispering about your neighbor or your favorite celebrity. But you didn’t hear this from me. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
This memoir will gut you—then put you back together again. Alternating chapters between the immediate aftermath of Geraldine Brooks’ husband’s sudden death, and three years later when she actually takes time to grieve, Memorial Days is emotional, pragmatic, and filled with the keen of observations of this literary luminary’s broken heart. In some ways, this is a portrait of love—a remarkable marriage between two Pulitzer Prize winners (one nonfiction, the other fiction), who revel in one another’s intellectual pursuits as they chase stories across the world and then ultimately decide to build a family on the small island of Martha’s Vineyard. It’s also a story of the day-to-day demands incurred when a spouse dies—the paperwork, muddling through insurance, projecting strength for loved ones and children. And then, of course, it’s about how society does not allow for grief—and so Geraldine Brooks (Horse, March, People of the Book, Year of Wonders) sets out to release it by bringing her husband’s journals to a small island off her beloved Australia. There, she attempts to free “that howl that has become the beast in the basement of my heart.” Yes, Memorial Days is filled with sorrow, but also the enduring joie de vivre of her late husband, the heart-expanding truth of what love and adoration can offer. It’s a book that belongs on the shelf next to Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking and Paul Kalanithi’s When Breath Becomes Air. —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
There’s something about the winter—those dark days inside spent scrolling our phones—that makes us reconsider our relationship to technology. Nicholas Carr (Pulitzer Prize-nominated author of The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains) has written a must-read for anyone who’s felt uneasy about how social media has taken over our lives. Pitched as an “Anxious Generation for social media,” Bloom’s book leans heavily on the history of communication, and why its evolution makes us second-guess ourselves, and every facet of our lives. Bloom points to concrete evidence that puts into words that uncomfortable feeling many people have after binging on TikTok or Instagram. With smart insights on every page, you’ll feel empowered to close your phone and go outside and touch grass (no matter how cold and dark it is) after reading this timely examination. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
MSNBC host Chris Hayes turns to Greek mythology—the ancient story of Odysseus fighting to resist the tempting call of the Sirens—to set the scene for his pithy new book that makes a clarion call to take back our attention spans. And the only place our attention is not being hacked a million different ways? Sleep. For now. Readers of Johann Hari (author of one of our Best Books of the Year, Stolen Focus) and Yuval Noah Harari (ditto, with Sapiens and Nexus) will find plenty of reasons to put their phone down and get lost in this book. And reasons to be afraid and angry. And called to action: to reclaim our privacy, our attention, and the everyday joy of life beyond our digital screens. If you feel buried under an avalanche of content and unsure how to focus, Hayes’ smart and thought-provoking book will show you where to turn. —Lindsay Powers
Brian Kelly is more famously known as “The Points Guy,” viral for leveraging his credit card points into luxurious getaways to far-flung destinations, always flying first class. Now, he’s compiled his best advice into a singular book that’s packed with actionable ideas to save money and time. “While the internet and social media are helpful resources, we’ve gotten to a point where there’s just too much information (and rampant misinformation), making it difficult to figure out how to win at travel,” Kelly says, while busting myths about outdated “tricks” to use for better airline and hotel prices. Kelly also pulls back the curtain on his own life, such as the time his dad inexplicably let him plan a family trip at age 12 to the Cayman Islands, and his experience roaming the world as a gay, single dad. With more than 100 million devoted readers of his blog, Kelly is skilled at appealing to every type of traveler, from seasoned sightseers to wannabe wanderlusters. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
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