Most anticipated of winter and spring 2025: Nonfiction
This winter and spring has some major nonfiction publishing—from Pulitzer Prize-winners to memoirs from tech billionaires and celebrities, to explosive narrative nonfiction and epic histories, to Nobel nominees and drug-dealing pastors. To help readers out, the Amazon Editors pulled together a list that readers (and our team) are most excited to read in the coming months. So, without further ado, here are our picks for the Most Anticipated Nonfiction (and if you’re looking for fiction, check out our list here).
Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch are famous for their narrative page-turners that expose a little-known historical “conspiracy” (their prior best-sellers cover Nazis and Abraham Lincoln)—and now they’re focusing on the first assassination attempt on John F. Kennedy’s life, right before he was inaugurated. Each short chapter ends on a cliff-hanger, begging you to read “just one more”—so you’ll gulp this up in one sitting, feeling like a fly in the wall in Jackie Kennedy’s intimate living room or on the lush grass outside JFK’s sprawling waterfront Florida estate. (January 14) —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
“The bawdy, fertile, redheaded matriarch of a sprawling Jewish-Mexican-Redneck American family has kicked it,” went the first line of Andy Corren's obituary for his late mom, Renay. The obituary went viral, a book deal followed, and the memoir. Think Running With Scissors but redneck, or Educated but gay. It's one of those dementedly hilarious books you will immediately want to buy three or four extra copies to give to the mischief-makers you love most. (January 14) —Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Editor
Bill Gates needs no introduction—he's revolutionized the world with Microsoft and is trying to do the same with his philanthropic efforts focused on climate change, education, and health. And in this memoir, which hits shelves in the beginning of February, he is vowing to share it all: from his childhood in Seattle, and early exposure to computers, to how he built his company, and set out a new path for successful business owners to give back. A remarkable innovator, it's no surprise that this is a memoir that readers are clamouring for. (February 4) —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
Nominated for the Nobel Prize in 2019, named TIME’s Women of the Year in 2022, Amanda Nguyen is once again offering a model of bravery and resilience as she shares her story of how she was raped, became an activist and through Congress passed the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act in 2016, which ultimately allowed her to fulfill her dream of becoming an astronaut. Moving throughout her life, Nguyen's clarion voice offers inspiration, action, and a model for standing up for yourself. (March 3) —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
Bill Gates calls Vaclav Smil one of his “favorite authors,” and his books “masterpieces”—and he’s far from the only fan of the professor and policy expert (who also wrote best sellers, and Amazon Editors’ Picks, How the World Really Works and Numbers Don’t Lie). Now, Smil is turning his data-driven approach to analyzing how to feed a ballooning population and eradicate food waste while preserving the earth’s resources. This eye-opening read will surely leave us with plenty to think about the way we eat today, and how that could (and should) all change tomorrow. (March 4) —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Two journalism and podcasting heavy hitters have partnered up to write a book that promises to reimagine the way we look at today’s biggest problems: from skyrocketing housing costs to inaccessible to healthcare to education-system woes. Ezra Klein (The New York Times) and Derek Thompson (The Atlantic) lay out the political, economic, and cultural decisions that have left us in a fearful “scarcity” mindset, and the path forward to abundance for all. This book promises to sooth and inspire anyone who doubts our nation’s ability to progress, or who feels anxious as we embark on a new year. (March 18) —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
When I first heard about this book, I immediately put it on the top of my ‘want to read’ list. A church pastor turned drug smuggler? Yes, please. John Lee Bishop’s life story is so crazy it could be fiction, but it’s all true—how he went from small-town life in the States to hardscrabble Mexico, to the detour that landed him in federal prison, and his road to redemption. I will be tearing into this memoir the minute it arrives. (March 25)— Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
The best-selling author of The End of Alzheimer’s is back with a revolutionary look at preserving brain health and function. Dr. Dale Bredesen will reveal the promising breakthroughs in his neurodegenerative research that may prevent—or even reverse—brain disease. Seeing how the number of people impacted is expected to skyrocket from six million to 13 million by 2050 (while one in 10 Americans over age 65 currently face symptoms of dementia), this powerful primer cannot come soon enough. (March 25) —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
This explosive expose by New York Times public health reporter, Gardiner Harris, takes readers behind the scenes of the Johnson & Johnson family and company—revealing their triumphs but also the dark (and I mean very dark) secrets. And it's purported to be both an unputdownable read and a shocking, disorienting one at that. The most unmooring part, of course, is just how ubiquitous their products are—from baby shampoo to headache relievers, to fentanyl. As a fan of Patrick Radden Keefe's Empire of Pain, I can't wait for this book—it's certainly sure to cause a stir when it releases. (April 8) —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
“You don’t get to be my age without navigating all kinds of transitions. Some you embraced and some you never expected. Some you hoped for and some you fought as hard as you could.” Melinda Gates’ newest book will share her reflections on life’s major transitions, from becoming a parent to losing a close friend to making a career change. I can’t wait to absorb the wisdom Gates shares about going through these pivotal moments we’re all destined to endure. (April 15) —Abby Abell, Amazon Editor
Roy Choi is a culinary star and the Netflix star of The Chef Show and it’s hard to believe, but this is his first cookbook! In The Choi of Cooking he addresses the struggle of healthy eating—we want to do it, but we also want to love what we eat. In 100 recipes, Choi shows us how we can have it all, with vegetable-forward recipes and more nutritious versions of not-so-healthy favorites. It’s all about balance, according to Choi, and this cookbook will no doubt inspire many a home cook in the new year. (April 15) — Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
In an Instagram post supporting her mother's announcement of her memoir, Beyonce wrote “Mama, I couldn't be prouder...you put your heart into this book. I'm happy for you to share some of the stories that shaped you into you are. To know you is to love you. But please don't spill too much Mama Tea.” And, I think it's safe to say that fans and readers might be hoping for the opposite...but we'll just have to wait and see! (April 22) —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
Millions of fans tune into Stanford neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman’s wildly popular podcast, Huberman Labs—and now he’s transferring his advice from the airwaves to the written word. His Protocols aim to “transform your life” by improving every facet: brain health, energy levels, boosting your mood, physical performance…. Can he accomplish that feat in a couple hundred pages? All those devoted fans will surely be ready to snap up this book to find out. (April 22)—Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
There are few military figures more revered and respected than retired US Navy Admiral William H. McRaven—and few more well-positioned to write a best-selling book. The author of The New York Times best sellers Make Your Bed and Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations has penned a new advice book that will help readers break crises down into five manageable phases. He also offers concrete advice, shares his own stories of triumph and setback as a Navy Seal, and encouragement on becoming a leader no matter what you’re up against. Wise words abound. (April 22) —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Kristin Kish was the underdog chef who packed her knives but didn’t end up going anywhere, coming out of Last Chance Kitchen to win Top Chef Season 10 (Seattle). Now Kish is the one using that catchphrase, as the current host of Top Chef. In her upcoming memoir we learn where she got the drive, passion, and purpose to blaze her own path in the kitchen and in life, and I can’t wait to take that journey with her. (April 22)— Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
The Pulitzer Prize winner, Rick Atkinson, returns to the Revolutionary War in this second volume in the series, which covers the middle years of the War. Timed to the 250th anniversary of the beginning of the Revolution, the meticulously researched and narrated The Fate of the Day is sure to bring out history buffs and offer, perhaps, new ways of thinking about the demands of democracy. (April 29) — Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
It’s a major event when Pulitzer Prize winning biographer Ron Chernow releases a new book. (After all, in addition to winning one of the most esteemed writing prizes of all time, he also penned the biography of Alexander Hamilton that was adapted by Lin-Manuel Miranda into the smash hit, Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway musical.) And Chernow’s take on America’s first literary celebrity, Mark Twain, couldn’t be better timed given all buzz around Percival Everett’s remix of Twain’s famous Huck Finn, James, which won the National Book Award and was one of the Amazon Editors’ Best Books of 2024. (May 13) —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Looking for more reading recommendations? Check out:
