Holiday books: Our 31 nonfiction picks

“Unfaithful Music and Diasppearing Ink” by Elvis Costello

(Penguin Random House)

The musician who brought the world “Everyday I Write the Book” finally makes good on his promise with this long, definitive autobiography.

“Gilliamesque” by Terry Gilliam

(Harper Collins)

The Monty Python member, animator and director of “Brazil” and “The Fisher King” tells his story in this manically illustrated book.

“I’ll Never Write My Memoirs” by Grace Jones,

(Simon and Schuster)

The model, actress and singer reveals what it was like to go from Studio 54 VIP to James Bond film costar in this ironically titled book.

“Why Not Me?”

(Handout)

Comedian, television showrunner and bestselling author Kaling’s second book is a humourous essay collection focusing on friendship, Hollywood and love.

“Sinatra: The Chairman” by James Kaplan

(Amazon )

The sequel to Kaplan’s “Frank: The Voice” arrives in time for Sinatra’s centennial; it covers a lotta livin’ — romances, successes, scandals, films and music — from 1954 until his last days.

“Los Lobos: Dream in Blue” by Chris Morris

(University of Texas Press)

The pride of East L.A. finally get a book about their incredible musical career. Journalist Morris chronicles the history of Los Lobos.

“The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels and the History of American Comedy” by Kliph Nesteroff

(Grove Press)

Nesteroff presents a history of the last century of comedy in the U.S., from the days of vaudeville to the new era of viral Internet videos.

“Year of Yes: How to Dance it Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person” by Shonda Rhimes

(Simon & Schuster)

Consider it handled. The “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal” creator explains her decision to challenge her introversion and how that changed her life.

“The Song Machine” by John Seabrook

(W. W. Norton )

New Yorker staff writer Seabrook explores how today’s pop hits are now less art than exacting science and why “Gangnam Style” gets stuck in your head.

“M Train” by Patti Smith

(Knopf)

The rock musician follows up her National Book Award-winning “Just Kids” with this reflection on life as an artist and a human being.

“The Courage to Act” by Ben Bernanke

(W. W. Norton & Company)

The two-term Federal Reserve chairman chronicles the institution’s response to the 2008 financial crisis that threatened to bring about a worldwide economic collapse.

“The New Tsar: The Rise and Reign of Vladimir Putin” by Steven Lee Myers

(Knopf)

A biography of the controversial leader who grew up poor in Leningrad, joined the KGB, and has steered Russia to new prominence as prime minister and president.

Alice Ellis Nutt

(Penguin Random House)

Pulitzer Prize-winner Nutt reports on a family who adopted infant male identical twins and faced challenges within and without when one grew up to be a transgender girl.

“Killing Reagan” by Bill O’Reilly

(Henry Holt and Company)

The writing team behind “Killing Lincoln” returns with another bestseller focusing on President Reagan, whose career was almost ended by a would-be assassin.

“Saving Capitalism” By Robert R. Reich

(Penguin Random House)

The former U.S. secretary of Labor argues that special interests have stacked the deck against American workers, resulting in the disappearance of the middle class.

“Where Everybody Looks Like Me: At the Crossroads of America’s Black Colleges and Culture” by Ron Stodghill

(HarperCollins Publishers)

Despite the vital role historically black colleges and universities have played in our culture, Stodghill argues, the current moment presents them with critical challenges.

“Objective Troy” by Scott Shane

(Penguin Random House)

The story of the battle between President Obama and al-Qaeda terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki, who became the first American citizen killed in a U.S. drone strike.

“The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife, and the Missing Corpse” by Piu Marie Eatwell

(W. W. Norton & Company)

The strange story of the uproar that ensued around 1900 when a British woman claimed that her dead father-in-law had actually been a secretive, wealthy duke.

“The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle” by Lillian Faderman

(Simon & Schuster)

A definitive, detailed and readable history of the movement for civil rights for gay, lesbian and transgender people, from the 1950s to the present day.

“The Making of Asian America” by Erika Lee

(Simon & Schuster)

A monumental work that covers Asians in America since the 1500s, exploring the ways in which they were needed and discriminated against, banned and lauded.

Michael McDonnell’s MASTERS OF EMPIRE

(Hill and Wang)

Before the Revolutionary War, the Anishinaabeg were a dominant force in the Great Lakes region; this is a history of these long-neglected Native Americans.

Paradise of the Pacific: Approaching Hawaii by Susanna Moore.

(Farrar, Straus and Giroux )

Hawaiian novelist Moore considers Hawaii’s efforts to reckon with colonization between 1777, when Capt. James Cook spotted Kauai, and the American annexation in 1898.

“Right Out of California” by Kathryn Olmsted

(The New Press)

Historian Olmsted looks at how the left of 1930s California prompted business leaders to create the powerful conservative movement that led to Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.

“Democracy” by Alecos Papadatos, Abraham Kawa and Annie Di Donna

(Bloomsbury)

This graphic historical novel from the authors of the hit “Logicomix” details the birth of democracy in war-torn Greece 2,500 years ago.

“The Devil’s Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America’s Secert Government” by David Talbot

(Harper Collins)

Bestselling author Talbot argues that as CIA director, Dulles was a deeply corrupt figure who operated with impunity at home as well as abroad.

“This Old Man” by Roger Angell

(Penguin Random House)

A collection of essays, letters and more from the 95-year-old New Yorker contributor best known for his intelligent writing about baseball.

“Negroland: A Memoir” by Margo Jefferson

(Penguin Random House)

Part memoir, part reflection on race and culture from an author who grew up in an upper-class African American household in Chicago.

My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Changed My Life by Ruth Reichl.

(Random House)

Reichl reflects on how her life was turned upside down when her magazine, Gourmet, was shut down in 2009 and how cooking helped her find her place again.

The Arab of the Future by

(Henry Holt and Company)

In this graphic memoir, Sattouf recounts his childhood moving between France, Libya and Syria with his mother and his capricious father.

Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume 3

(University of California Press)

The annotated conclusion of Mark Twain’s memoirs details the final years of the beloved humorist’s life, including rants against Teddy Roosevelt and travels in Bermuda.

“Dietrich and Riefenstahl”

(Liveright Publishing Corporation)

How the "Blue Angel" actress and the Nazi filmmaker came from similar backgrounds in Germany but ended up on very different sides of World War II.

“Goddess of Love Incarnate: The Life of Lili St. Cyr” by Leslie Zemeckis

(Counterpoint Press)

This biography goes behind the curtain with burlesque queen St. Cyr, an entertainer whose discipline was overshadowed by her figure.

“We Have the Technology: How Biohackers, Foodies, Physicians and Scientists are Transforming Human Perception, One Sense at a Time” by Kara Platoni

(Basic Books)

Oakland journalist Platoni explores new research that shows how sensory perception and human experience are unexpectedly complicated and changeable.

“Thunder & Lightning” by Lauren Redniss

(Random House)

The author and artist behind the award-winning “Radioactive” returns with a graphic book about the past, present and future of weather and how it affects humankind.

‘Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs’ by Lisa Randall

(Harper Collins)

Physicist Randall believes that dark matter is to blame for the extinction of dinosaurs, and she explains what this might mean for the future of life on Earth.

“The Invention of Science: A New History of the Scientific Revolution” by David Wootton

(Harper Collins)

Wootton explains how the work of scientists in the 16th and 17th centuries intersected with events, including the invention of the printing press, to reset how we perceive and engage with the world.

“Raw: My 100% Grade-A, Unfiltered, Inside Look at Sports” by Colin Cowherd

(Simon and Schuster)

The controversial sports radio host has never had much of a filter. His new book promises to bring readers an insider’s perspective on American sports.

‘Concussion’ by Jeanne Marie Laskas

(Penguin Random House)

The basis for the Will Smith movie, Laskas’ book tells the story of Dr. Bennet Omalu, the medical examiner who investigated chronic traumatic encephalopathy in football players.

I Feel Like Going Home by Ray Lewis with Daniel Pashner

(Touchstone)

The former Baltimore Ravens linebacker opens up about his childhood, his football career and the murder trial that almost ended his career.

“Find a Way” by Diana Nyad

(Penguin Random House)

Nyad’s 111-mile swim from Cuba to Florida at age 64 inspired the world; she explains how she was able to accomplish her incredible feat.

“Got to Give the People What They Want” by Jalen Rose

(Handout)

The basketball commentator played for six teams during his NBA career; in this book, he offers both stories and his takes on life on the hardwood.