14 of My Favorite Non-Fiction Books (2026)

Saving money on favorite non fiction books does not have to be complicated. We rounded up the essentials so you can spend less and skip the guesswork.

Key Takeaways

• As many of you know, I’m a HUGE fan of books and reading.
• Making reading a priority — even if it’s just a few pages a day — can make a big difference in your life!
• These are 14 of the best non-fiction books I have ever read.

As numerous of you know, I’m a HUGE fan of books and reading. Making reading a priority — even if it’s just a few pages a day — can make a big difference in your life! These are 14 of the best non-fiction books I have ever read. I hope you love them as much I do!

Why I Love Reading Non-Fiction:

1. Good Books Challenge Your Mind

While it’s key to relax and enjoy entertainment, if that’s all we feed our minds, our thinking can become stagnant. For those who don’t regularly engage in mentally demanding work or study, reading is a powerful way to sharpen critical thinking skills.

I’ve always been an analytical person. I naturally ask questions and want to understand why something is true rather than simply accepting it at face value. That’s one reason I love good books. They challenge me to reconsider long-held beliefs, examine ideas from new perspectives, and better understand what I believe and why. Reading stretches the mind, encourages deeper thinking, and lets you us continue learning and growing.

2. Good Books Change Your Perspective

Beyond the mental exercise, books also expand our understanding of the world. They introduce us to experiences, people, and situations we may never encounter firsthand.

For example, reading biographies of single mothers or parents raising children with disabilities has given me a deeper appreciation for their challenges and strengthened my ability to empathize with them. Books about different cultures, historical periods, and life experiences have broadened my perspective, deepened my understanding of history, and increased my gratitude for numerous of the freedoms and conveniences we enjoy today.

Books have challenged, shaped, and changed me. They continue to influence how I live as a wife, mother, friend, business owner, writer, and thinker. They have encouraged me to deepen my faith, learn new concepts, develop stronger character and leadership skills, and communicate more effectively. Perhaps most importantly, they have pushed me to think beyond my own experiences and see the world through a wider lens.

Reading doesn’t require hours each day to make a difference. Even a few minutes a day can help sharpen your mind, broaden your perspective, and enrich your life.

With that in mind, I wanted to share 14 of my very favorite non-fiction reads today. These are books that have truly stuck with me for months and years after reading them and ones I frequently refer to and recommend in conversations with others…

My 14 Favorite Non-Fiction Books:

1. Find Your People

I picked this book up after Micah was born. I was feeling like I had pulled back into my shell the last few months of his pregnancy due to feeling so sick and tired and I had lost some of the regular connection and community in my life as a result. I knew things needed to change and this book served as the perfect launching pad for me to step out and start initiating again.

If you are longing for community, if you’ve been hurt by relationships, or you just feel a little lonely where you are, Find Your People is a fantastic read. I read it and then followed through with her suggestions… and they worked! In fact, in just a few months, I had developed multiple new relationships and deepened relationships I already had, and I felt so much more connected as a result.

Sometimes, we just need a little nudge. This book was that nudge for me. I appreciated the author’s honesty and vulnerability , and the practical encouragement she gave to take steps to build deeper connections. I feel like the new community and deepened connections that came as a result of what I learned through this book are something that will forever impact my life.

2. Unoffendable

One of my favorite books in 2022, I still have not been able to stop recommending it, thinking about it, or talking about it!

In a society where it feels like we are wired to find offense everywhere we look, what would it be like to choose to not be offended? Regardless of what other people have said or done, We get to choose how we respond. 

This doesn’t mean that we let people walk all over us or that we don’t set boundaries, but it does mean that we can choose to either be a victim or a victor. We can choose to either be offended and hurt and upset, or we can acknowledge our feelings, grieve our loss, and choose to forgive.

I highly recommend that every Christian read this book! Jesse and I did an entire podcast episode centered on it because I found it so helpful!

3. Raising Emotionally Strong Boys

Do you struggle with kids who get easily irritated or have angry outbursts? Do YOU find yourself getting frustrated by your kids and then beating yourself up because you are frustrated at your kids and you don’t want to be? 

Do you wish you had practical tools and suggestions for how to navigate hard conversations with your kids and how to help them face difficulty and disappointment in life?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, PLEASE do not walk, RUN and go get a copy of Raising Emotionally Strong Boys by David Thomas. Of all the books I’ve read in the last few years, I feel like this one is the one I have recommended the most, by far. 

Even if you don’t have boys, even if you don’t have kids, it’s worth a read. If you want a taste of it, go listen to the 30-minute interview I did with the author on The Crystal Paine Show. I learned so much and it impacts me every single day in how I parent.

4. Raising Worry-Free Girls

Whether you have sons or daughters, I think this is a valuable read. Yes, all of her stories, anecdotes, and advice are more girl-driven, but I think much of it applies to boys (and adults!), too.

There is an epidemic of anxiety going on among our youth. This book will give you some starting places, excellent tools, and lots of food-for-thought to help you combat your kids’ anxiety.

I found so numerous new insights, wise advice, and practical ideas for us to implement in our home through the pages. This book is not a replacement for counseling or therapy, but it would be a fantastic starting place if you feel like your child might be struggling with anxiety.

5. Atomic Habits

This is, by far, my very favorite book on habits. James Clear, the author, does such a excellent job of unpacking why and how to build good habits.

I’ve read a lot of books on this topic and I feel like he has a very fresh and encouraging approach. The book is not written from a Christian perspective so I disagree with some of his worldview and conclusions, but there are so numerous excellent nuggets of truth and inspiration in this book.

If you feel like you are forever failing at follow through or you just can’t seem to stick with good habits, I highly recommend reading this book.

I listened to it first and loved it so much that I bought a hard copy and then slowly read it again a year later. That tells you how valuable I found it!

6. The Whole-Brain Child

I honestly cannot stop talking about this book. Poor Jesse has had to listen to me rave again and again about it!

This was highly recommended to us by one of our kids’ counselors and one of their therapists a few years ago and I was so glad I read it. It is packed with excellent suggestions and strategies for helping our kids process the world, relate better with others, and feel more loved and secure.

It is not written from a Christian perspective, but I found the sections on brain science to be fascinating and really enlightening. If you are a parent or work with kids in any capacity, I highly recommend this book to help you better love, understand, teach, and nurture the kids in your life.

7. Deep Work

Deep Work is a little more scholarly than most books I read, but I’m so happy I stuck with it because it really challenged me to think of how I’m approaching life and work and whether I’m investing time every day in what the author refers to as “deep work” , that kind of work that is meaningful and really makes a difference.

In this book, Cal Newport encourages you to have periods every day where you are completely offline and not distracted by all of the hustle and bustle of life to allow for this “deep work”.

If you struggle to focus or get things done, if you wish you could be more structured in your day, or if you’d like to look back on your week and guarantee that you devoted time to work that matters, I’d definitely recommend reading Deep Work.

Note: I was privileged to have Cal Newport on my podcast. You can hear our interview here.

8. Final Thoughts

Before you check out, double-check favorite non fiction books against current offers and any coupons you can stack. Small habits like this add up to real savings over a year.

Originally published at moneysavingmom.com.