As repeatedly promised, I will recap my reading year and I will do it in several instalments, as there’s a lot I’d like to highlight. It was an especially good year for non-fiction: I tried to edit this list further, but it got too painful – I already had to leave out Pomerantsev’s This is Not Propaganda, Marina Benjamin’s Insomnia and several other books I really liked. In the end, I prefer a slightly longer and more varied list: hopefully there’s something for everyone here.

In the chronological reading order, these were my absolute non-fiction favourites of 2019:

1. Something of His Art, Horatio Clare. I would never have found this book on my own, it was recommended to me by the excellent John Sandoe bookshop in London. It’s a mixture of travel, nature and culture writing and in form, follows Clare’s walk to Lübeck in the footsteps of J. S. Bach. What really sells the book, though, is the intelligence and humanity of Clare’s voice. It’s the opposite of flashy, a pleasant surprise that wins over all (accidental) readers. Bonus tip: if you are a Patrick Leigh-Fermor fan, check it out.

2. I Am I Am I am, Maggie O’Farrell. This is a memoir for people who don’t like memoirs (although I’m sure memoir-lovers would appreciate it as well). Short and impactful, it recounts the author’s brushes with illness and death, of which there are many. The first essay/chapter is genuinely scary and the last one had me in tears.

3. How Democracies Die, Steven Levitsky and Daniel Zieblatt. I read several books about the state of democracy last year (general verdict: not good) and this was the best of them. It’s a more rigorous and targeted account than most, but don’t be put off by the focus on the US (if, indeed, this is likely to put you off). The overall points on how democratifc countries become autocratic are often universal and there are examples from other parts of the world. The analysis of the US is also fascinating enough to hold the attention of those (me) who are not overly interested in American politics.

4. In Extremis: The Life of War Correspondent Marie Colvin, Lindsey Hilsum. This is an excellent biography or a remarkable woman. It would be a good read for anyone interested in journalism, current affairs and/or badass women. The text is delicately balanced between doing justice to Colvin’s achievements and the price paid for these achievements.

5. Winners Take All, Anands Giridharadas. The sub-title of this book is ‘the elite charade of changing the world’ and it takes a pretty well-aimed shot at the business elites who are eager to do everything to improve the world, unless it actually involves changing something. It is a very engaging – and often infuriating – read and warmly recommended to all Estonian opinion leaders who think the market and the private sector are the best answer to every problem.

6. Border, Kapka Kassabova. Another book that blends travel, history, memoir, nature and many other things, Kassabova’s lyrical-intellectual approach feels both timeless and refreshing. She travels extensively in the borderlands of Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece, examining the past and the present of these less-known areas. I have always found borderlands fascinating and this book demonstrates very clearly that I’m right. The mountains between Bulgaria and Greece are now one of my top dream travel destinations.

7. Superior, Angela Saini. Saini takes a look at the uncomfortable topic of race in science. She writes with a journalist’s approachability and emotional punch, but without oversimplifying. I read her Inferior (about the ‘scientific’ belief that women are inferior to men) first and liked it; Superior is even better in my view – maybe because I know the topic less well or maybe because my outrage is purer when there is no personal angle. And I was outraged all the time.

8. Trick Mirror, Jia Tolentino/How to Do Nothing, Jenny Odell. There has been a lot of hype about these two collections. Toledano’s is a more traditional compilation of essays, while Odell focuses specifically on the ills of the attention economy. I am recommending them together because I feel they often address similar issues from different angles. Toledano’s intense and hyperaware criticism comes directly from the lair of the beast (she used to write for Jezebel and Hairpin and is now with The New Yorker), while Odell’s vibe is more left-field and quietly insightful.

9. The Uninhabitable Earth, David Wallace-Wells. If you read one book from this list, read this. It’s not that The Uninhabitable Earth is objectively better than everything else here, but it’s timely, relevant, powerful and necessary. I have read a fair bit about climate change and so far, this has been simultaneously the most terrifying and the most useful book on the topic. The massive scope and complexity of the crisis often makes it difficult to grasp intellectually; Wallace-Wells gave me structure and clarity.

10. After Europe, Ivan Krastev. I fell a little bit in love with Krastev when read his book. He is a deeply intelligent, eloquent thinker; clear-eyed without being cynical – exactly my type. Unlike many European intellectuals, he has a profound understanding of the Central and Eastern parts of the continent. What’s not to like? After Europe is an insightful look at all the troubles Europe is currently facing and while Krastev’s deterministic streak is occasionally too prominent for me, it is still a brilliant read. Genuinely illuminating.

11. Why We Sleep, Matthew Walker. I was rather late to this much-praised bestseller and if I had read it sooner, the impact would probably have been even greater – by now, much of the content has been discussed in the public already. It is still excellent, however. If you are someone who’s rather proud of your ability to function on very little sleep or someone who is trying to sleep more (I am transitioning from the first to the second), this is exactly what you need to read.

You can find my original thoughts on most of these in my monthly wrap-ups (I’m missing the end of the year ones). Have you read any of the books on my list? And what were your non-fiction highlights of the year?

PS I did not manage to locate all the books, because there are books everywhere and it’s impossible, and I read the Krastev on Kindle.