Recs if you like King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution: A Story of Hubris, Delusion and Catastrophic Miscalculation...

What I was taught does not explain the world as I am witnessing it. So I compiled this list as a personal curriculum for histories that are critical of empire and capitalism, and actually shows us how we got here.

The list is not comprehensive, but I hope it helps people identify the gaps in their own historical education!

Nominees and winners of every category of the Good Reads Choice Awards for the year of 2025. Some books overlap so they were only entered once.

Nonfiction books from The New York Times' "100 Notable Books of 2025" list

Note: I will be deleting my PB account within the next two weeks, and I believe this list will be erased. Feel free to screenshot it if you see anything that interests you! ☺️ 3/17/2026