Top 10 Non-Fiction Stories that Read Like Fiction

We’ve all heard it said that truth is stranger than fiction. Well, quite often it simply is, and these ten books are the proof of the truism. They feature outrageous characters, unbelievable drama and intrigue, and more twists and turns than many a finely-crafted work of fiction – and they all really happened. So grab one – you will definitely be entertained, and you also just might learn something!

1 Vanished Smile

by R.A. Scotti

The story of the theft of the Mona Lisa – and the years it spent missing – is unbelievable and ridiculous and still a largely unsolved mystery. –Link

2 The Monster of Florence

by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi

Preston is best known for devising fantastic horror stories – little did he know, upon moving his family to Florence, that they would encounter a true-life serial killer to rival any he had written. –Link

3 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

by John Berendt

Who could have imagined a genteel southern city like Savannah would host so many fabulous and outrageous characters? Berendt’s compilation of their stories is lyrical, hysterical, and downright magical. –Link

4 The Hot Zone

by Richard Preston

Preston’s story of an ebola outbreak among monkeys at a primate research facility outside of Washington, DC is terrifying and horrifying and bound to scare you to bits – in the best possible way. –Link

5 Sixpence House

by Paul Collins

Hay-on-Wye is a Welsh town full of books, bookstores, and booksellers – and each carries a story of its own that is bizarre and intriguing and random. Collins’ account of his family’s decision to move to Hay-on-Wye is, in a word, a delight. –Link

6 The Demon in the Freezer

by Richard Preston

I challenge you to read his narrative about the dangers of smallpox and the possibilities of a smallpox bio-weapon and not spend the next several days wondering how to stockpile antibiotics and get yourself onto the vaccination list… –Link

7 The Sex Lives of Cannibals

by J. Maarten Troost

When Troost and his wife leave Washington, DC to move to an island in the South Pacific, he assumes he is in for the time of his life. Well, he is – but it is nothing like he imagined. Their travails will have you laughing hysterically – and thanking your lucky stars you stayed at home. –Link

8 The Devil in the White City

by Erik Larsen

Larsen’s thriller will have you on the edge of your seat as you read the intertwined stories of murder, culture, and the Chicago World’s Fair. –Link

9 The Know-it-All

by A.J. Jacobs

The hysterical story of one man’s quest to know everything – by reading the Encyclopedia Britannica. –Link

10 The Professor and the Madman

by Simon Winchester

Who could have imagined how difficult it was to compile the Oxford English Dictionary – or that a literal madman (as in an asylum inmate) would be responsible for helping to establish the meaning of language? –Link

About the author: A former corporate attorney and government relations/health policy executive, Jill-Elizabeth walked away from that world (well, skipped actually) and toward a more literary life (equally challenging, but infinitely more enjoyable).  If you enjoyed this review, please visit her at Jill-Elizabeth.com, the official home of All Things Jill-Elizabeth – that is, all of the teehees, musings, rants, book reviews, writing exercises, and witticisms of her burgeoning writing career.