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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 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

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.

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