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The Most Popular Histories and Biographies of the Last 10 Years, According to Goodreads

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Goodreads, with its more than 140 million members, can be a treasure trove of reader statistics. Recently, Goodreads editors decided to gather data on the most popular histories and biographies of the last 10 years.

They comprised the list by looking at reviews, ratings, and how many of the site’s members added books to their “Read” or “Want to Read” shelves. The resulting list is somewhat to be expected — with nonfiction heavyweights like Erik Larson and Walter Isaacson making appearances — but there are also some surprises. A couple of the books on the list, Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann and Hidden Figures
by Margot Lee Shetterly, have even been made into popular movies.

Below is a sampling of the most popular histories and biographies of the last 10 years, according to Goodreads.

cover of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

cover of The Library Book by Susan Orlean

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

cover of Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

cover of The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann

cover of The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein

cover of How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

cover of Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston

Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” by Zora Neale Hurston

cover of How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States by Daniel Immerwahr

How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States by Daniel Immerwahr

cover of The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra by Helen Rappaport

The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra by Helen Rappaport

The 1619 Project edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones book cover

The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones

Visit Goodreads for the full list.

Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.

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