Library Lin’s Curated Collection of Superlative Nonfiction: Reading Lists for Book Lovers

by Linda Maxie

Library Lin’s Curated Collection of Superlative Nonfiction is a librarian’s A-list of nonfiction books organized by subject area—just like a library. Linda Maxie (Library Lin) combed through 65 best books lists going back a century. She reviewed tens of thousands of books, sorted them according to the Dewey Decimal Classification system, and selected an entire library’s worth for you to browse without leaving home. Here you’ll findSummaries of outstanding titles in every subjectSuggestions for locating reading material specific to your needs and interestsIn this broad survey of all the nonfiction categories, you will find titles on everything from the A-bomb to Zen Buddhism. You might find yourself immersed in whole subject areas that you never thought you’d be interested in.

571 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 5, 2022

About the author

Linda Maxie is a retired librarian with a passion for matching the right book with the right reader. After earning an MLS from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, she spent her library career obsessively poring over book reviews to build outstanding collections to connect her patrons with perfect books. After retirement, she continued her quest with Library Lin’s Curated Collection of Superlative Nonfiction (LCCN), a portable library of outstanding nonfiction covering the entire Dewey Decimal Classification system. She follows that effort with this volume of biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. She lives in Virginia with her husband Roger, and their rescued mixed-breed canine, Dusty Marie.

Reviews

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that provides librarians and readers the Dewey system and recommended books in that section. For example, books with the Dewey numbers 300-399 are under the umbrella of Social Sciences. 301 is Sociology & Anthropology and 307 is Communities. The book recommends books in every section with a brief outline of its contents or author. This is a useful guide.


I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michael Doane]

Library Lin’s Curated Collection of Superlative Nonfiction is an exceptional achievement in literary organization, curation, and reader guidance. Linda Maxie does what very few authors have ever done, distill a century’s worth of “best of” lists, sift through tens of thousands of titles, and reshape them into an accessible, comprehensive, and incredibly engaging resource. The use of the Dewey Decimal Classification system gives the entire collection a sense of clarity and structure that makes it easy for readers to navigate, regardless of their background or reading habits.

What makes this book stand out is how it manages to be both scholarly and inviting. Every summary feels like a personal recommendation from a deeply knowledgeable librarian who understands not only the content of these books, but the reader’s journey. Whether it’s technology, psychology, world events, philosophy, or niche topics readers never knew they’d enjoy, this curated guide opens doors to subjects that spark curiosity and inspire exploration. It’s a 571-page masterwork crafted with impressive vision, precision, and heart.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful. As I read the Kindle edition, I marked books of interest. At 34% of the way through I decided to set it aside & come back to it later as a reference book.