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Last week, I shared with you 5 fiction stories that shaped me.

It was a celebration of made-up people, places, and events that feel so real I simply can't forget them.

Today, I wanted to expand on that and highlight 5 powerful nonfiction stories that have stayed with me over time. There's something especially extraordinary about powerful true stories.

Do we have any in common?

The Diary of Anne Frank:

No story is more personal than a diary, and no diary in history has had more impact than Anne Frank's. Through her young eyes and old soul, we learned not just what happened in World War II, but how it really felt. Her profound wisdom beyond her years is what keeps me coming back.

Educated by Tara Westover:

I've read several memoirs about difficult upbringings, but Westover's is the one that's always closest to the top of my mind. Her tale of growing up in a survivalist, abusive household only to later attend Harvard made my jaw drop. I still feel shocked when I think about it.

The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett Graff:

Every American who was alive on 9/11 has a story. But, this oral history of 9/11 was curated and told by 500+ people, minute by minute, and the result is utterly fascinating. It's history in a form that feels raw and immerses you deeply in each moment.

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight:

I'm cheating here a bit because this memoir of the founder of Nike is technically my husband's favorite nonfiction story (though I loved it too). But the story made such an impact on him that I had to share it. Before he read it, he wasn't a reader and struggled particularly with self-help books that felt only aspirational and unrealistic to most people. However, this book encompassed the very real roller coaster ride that is business ownership with narrative depth that made my husband a book lover.

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi:

This was the first audiobook I listened to, which hooked me on the format. It sounds cliche or like a pun to say that it was breathtaking, but it was. A 36-year-old neurosurgeon diagnosed with terminal cancer questions the meaning of life in the face of his mortality, which makes you, as the reader, think deeply, too.

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I hope you, too, can take a moment to reflect on a true story that is so impactful that the author feels like a friend.

Remember, it's a good day to read a book.

-Jules