Our top non-fiction picks for Autumn

With hundreds of new books publishing this autumn, team Bookends have pulled out some of the incredible non-fiction titles that we are so excited to be publishing!

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

From the Academy Award®-winning actor, an unconventional memoir filled with raucous stories, outlaw wisdom and lessons learned the hard way about living with greater satisfaction. 

In this wise yet witty memoir, Matthew McConaughey writes a love letter to life.

“I’ve been in this life for fifty years, been trying to work out its riddle for forty-two, and been keeping diaries of clues to that riddle for the last thirty-five. Notes about successes and failures, joys and sorrows, things that made me marvel, and things that made me laugh out loud. How to be fair. How to have less stress. How to have fun. How to hurt people less. How to get hurt less. How to be a good man. How to have meaning in life. How to be more me.”

Greenlights is out October 20th and available to pre-order now.

The Secret Life of the Savoy by Olivia Williams

THE STORY OF THE SAVOY HOTEL’S FOUNDERS, THROUGH A CENTURY OF LUXURY

Tracing the history of the iconic Savoy Hotel through three generations of the D’Oyly Carte family, The Secret Life of the Savoy is a truly fascinating untold story that revives an extroardinary cultural legacy.

In three generations, the D’Oyly Carte family pioneered the luxury hotel and the modern theatre, propelled Gilbert and Sullivan to lasting stardom, made Oscar Wilde a transatlantic celebrity, inspired a P. G. Wodehouse series, and popularised early jazz, electric lights and Art Deco.

The Secret Life of the Savoy is out now. 

Nala’s World by Dean Nicholson

Instagram phenomenon @1bike1world Dean Nicholson reveals the full story of his life-changing friendship with rescue cat Nala and their inspiring adventures together on a bike journey around the world.

When 30-year-old Dean Nicholson set off from Scotland to cycle around the world, his aim was to learn as much as he could about our troubled planet. But he hadn’t bargained on the lessons he’d learn from his unlikely companion.

Three months after leaving home, on a remote road in the mountains between Montenegro and Bosnia, he came across an abandoned kitten. Something about the piercing eyes and plaintive meowing of the bedraggled little cat proved irresistible. He couldn’t leave her to her fate, so he put her on his bike and then, with the help of local vets, nursed her back to health.

Soon on his travels with the cat he named Nala, they forged an unbreakable bond – both curious, independent, resilient and adventurous. The video of how they met has had 20 million views and their Instagram has grown to almost 750k followers – and still counting!

Experiencing the kindness of strangers, visiting refugee camps, rescuing animals through Europe and Asia, Dean and Nala have already learned that the unexpected can be pretty amazing. Together with Garry Jenkins, writer with James Bowen of the bestselling A Street Cat Named Bob, Dean shares the extraordinary tale of his and Nala’s inspiring and heart-warming adventure together.

Nala’s World publishes September 29th and is available for pre-order now. 

Clanlands by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish 

A road trip book with a difference. Stars of Outlander – Sam Heughan & Graham McTavish – explore Scotland, a land of raw beauty, poetry, feuding, music, history, and warfare.

 
From their faithful camper van to boats, kayaks, bicycles, and motorbikes, join stars of Outlander Sam and Graham on a road trip with a difference, as two Scotsmen explore a land of raw beauty, poetry, feuding, music, history, and warfare.

Unlikely friends Sam and Graham begin their journey in the heart of Scotland at Glencoe and travel from there all the way to Inverness and Culloden battlefield, where along the way they experience adventure and a cast of highland characters. In this story of friendship, finding themselves, and whisky, they discover the complexity, rich history and culture of their native country.

Clanlands publishes November 3rd and is available to pre-order today. 

A Toolkit for Modern Life by Dr Emma Hepburn

In this warm, wise book, clinical psychologist Dr Emma Hepburn (Instagram’s @thepsychologymum) introduces her proven and practical tools for taking care of your mental and emotional wellbeing every day.
Using her trademark illustrations, Dr Hepburn (aka @thepsychologymum) shines a welcome ray of light into the neglected corners of your brain. From identifying what triggers unhappy thoughts to overcoming the fear of making mistakes, A Toolkit for Modern Life will help you to cultivate positive habits and feel more confident, happier and in tune with yourself.

* Call out and manage feelings of imposter syndrome
* Answer back to your inner critic
* Become aware of and monitor your emotional capacity
* Spot unhelpful thoughts and develop more helpful patterns of thinking
* Understand how the emotions cycle affects you
* Identify what triggers anxiety for you and how to intercept it
* Overcome the fear of making mistakes
* Spot and call out your ‘catastrophizing’
* Identify and disarm social media comparisons
* Align your decisions and actions with your core values
* Assemble your own mental health toolkit for life

A Toolkit for Modern Life is out now. 

The Flightless Traveller by Emma Gregg

Discover how to explore our beautiful world sustainably and responsibly with this trailblazing guide to flight-free travel.

Seeking options that are enjoyable and kind to the planet, award-winning travel writer Emma Gregg shows you how to get a no-fly holiday off the ground.

The Flightless Traveller presents 50 inspirational, life-affirming trip ideas for those who would like to fly less, or not at all. They include eco-friendly city breaks and coastal retreats, bike rides and sailing voyages, short jaunts on vintage railways and incredible intercontinental journeys.

Some shed new light on wonderful, well-known places. Others reveal destinations, activities and experiences you might have never considered before. Best of all, they make the journey an essential part of the adventure.

Get ready to recapture the authentic spirit of travel as you plan your next trip by land, river or sea.

The Flightless Traveller is out October 8th and available to pre-order now.