5 Sunbury Press Nonfiction Bestsellers to Kick Off 2026

A new year always brings a sense of possibility- a chance to reset goals, learn something new, and see the world with fresh eyes. At Sunbury Press, our nonfiction list is packed with stories, histories, and big-idea books that challenge, inspire, and stay with you long after the final page.

To help you start the year with purpose, we’ve rounded up five of our bestselling nonfiction titles- reader favorites that offer wisdom, resilience, curiosity, and courage. Whether you’re looking to deepen your knowledge or simply find your next great read, these books are a powerful place to begin.

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1. Family Declassified by Katherine Fennelly - A Story of Resilience and the Human Spirit

Why do people keep deep secrets about their lives and ancestry? In Family Declassified, Katherine Fennelly applies her expertise as a social science researcher to answer this question regarding her maternal grandfather, a Jewish Hungarian immigrant who arrived in the US one hundred years ago. A Google search for ‘Francis Kalnay’ yields more than 54,000 results—the vast majority related to the children’s book, Chucaro: Wild Pony of the Pampa, for which he won a Newbery Honor in 1959. Buried deep within the search results are a few references to his years at the Office of Strategic Services (OSS)- the precursor to the CIA. However, none describes how a foreign-born sailor overcame a childhood marked by tragedy and became the head of an elite espionage unit for the Allied Forces during World War II. At the OSS Kalnay was one of the few foreign-born Americans informed and ‘indoctrinated’ in what we now know as the ULTRA decrypts, the German Enigma messages that were used to capture or thwart almost all German offensive intelligence activity during the Second World War.

It took several years of reviewing previously unexamined government records and conducting personal interviews and genealogical searches to piece together the life of a man who hid his Jewish identity, the nature of his work as a spy, and the murder of his sister and nephew by Hungarian Nazis. The result is a manuscript that examines the nature of family myths and presents the gripping story of a man whose life was shaped by some of the most extraordinary events of the 20th century.

Great for: book clubs, reflective readers, and those who love deeply human storytelling.

2. Feather White by Mickey Maguire- History That Feels Alive

A 1970s Memoir: Commercial Fishing Out of Provincetown and the Backwoods Counterculture Movement in Nova Scotia

From the decks of off-shore scallop boats in the North Atlantic to the backwoods of the Maritime Provinces, Feather White chronicles a young man’s emergence from an alcoholic family and his search for his missing pieces.

His quest leads to building a hand-made log cabin in Nova Scotia in 1974 during what was still the height of the back to nature movement of the 60s. Throughout the province there were enclaves of young people beyond the power lines in pursuit of a better life, building cabins and learning the old ways from elderly neighbors and farmers.

On his way to pick apples to finance a cabin winter during fall of 1977, the author instead finds himself aboard a fishing vessel in one of the east coast’s most beautiful and quirky ports, Provincetown, Massachusetts.

The memoir charts the excruciating journey from ostracized half-share greenhorn to respected crew member. It relates several death-cheating experiences at sea, alcohol-clouded misadventures of rowdy crew, and how he used dogged determination and humor to succeed when many around him wanted nothing but failure.

Battling storms, both at sea and of the human variety, learning a perilous trade and finding solace by a crackling fire in a remote cabin, he must make peace with what drove him there.

Great for: boat lovers, lifelong learners, and readers who enjoy narrative nonfiction.

3. Failure Factory by Chris Papst - Big Ideas That Change How We Think

Baltimore City Public Schools is one of America’s largest and most funded school systems. Yet, historically, it is among the lowest performing. In 2024, despite a $1.7 billion budget, just 10% of students tested proficient in math. Investigative journalist Chris Papst follows the money to uncover why students continue to fail within a school system that’s failing Baltimore.

Failure Factory shines a critical light on America’s public education system by exposing what’s really happening inside classrooms and behind administrative doors. Reporting for Fox45 News in Baltimore, Papst spent eight years investigating public schools. What he learned is shocking.

A significant realignment has recently occurred in public education. The focus has shifted to value data and funding over students and futures. Failure Factory highlights this transition by exposing how academic outcomes are manipulated, while students are promoted through the grade levels without receiving the education they need. When students fail classes, their grades are often changed to passing. If schools appear dangerous, arrests and suspensions are no longer recorded. If graduation rates decline, academic metrics are adjusted - making it easier to receive a diploma.

For many, a career in education remains a noble calling. But a growing number of educators now view public schools as a means to acquire wealth. As Baltimore’s student enrollment has plummeted, budgets have surged. Taxpayers are funding staggering increases in six-figure salary jobs, as declining student outcomes cripple entire neighborhoods.

What’s happening in Baltimore schools is not unique; it’s ubiquitous. That new educational mindset, which prioritizes data over students and funding over futures, is quickly spreading across the country with equally dire consequences for local communities. Is your school system next? This book is your warning.

Great for: anyone who loves deep topics, conversation starters, and mind-stretching reads.

4. Affective Memories by Laurence Luckinbill- Real-World Lessons from Extraordinary Lives

This is the riveting, brutally honest story of a man’s struggle to make something of himself in the theater. Coming from meager circumstances in the Ozark Mountains, he fights his way up the shaky ladder toward fame. He makes mistakes, goes down blind alleys, fails and succeeds, again and again. But he never quits.

Rising from family alcoholism and dysfunction, Luckinbill takes us on an unforgettable journey from poverty, rejection, and sexual abuse to success on Broadway and in Hollywood. He writes candidly of his part in the social justice revolution of the original hit play and film The Boys in the Band, his roles in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Cocktail, and his TV series The Delphi Bureau. This award-winning actor also tells the story of his four-decade marriage to actress/singer Lucie Arnaz, his journalism, and his Great Americans plays. Through it all, he gains acceptance and forgiveness of his past, and peace and happiness for his future.

It’s a captivating portrait of the life of every person who ever fought for an impossible dream, and finally won it. It’s a story brimming with fierce empathy for all those who strive to rise, to become better, and who never stop reaching for a goal that is more authentic and finer even than dreams.

Great for: fans of memoir and inspirational nonfiction.

5. Black Clover by C. Lee Ryder- Mystery, Justice, and the Power of Family

Murder in a Small Pennsylvania Town and a Family's Fight for Justice.

Carl Wade Ryder, brother, son, and all-around good person, was murdered on August 5, 2006.

Blood was found at his home in Franklin County, PA.

All evidence pointed to one suspect: Scott North, a former employee of Carl’s, a regular attendee of Franklin County courts, and the son of a Chambersburg, PA cop. After burglarizing a tavern, a judge granted him work release, and then another dismissed a recent gun charge. Days later, he ran from his unsupervised worksite and began a crime spree that may have ended with the murder of Carl Wade Ryder.

The evidence was all there, but the police ignored most of it.

With nowhere else to turn, the family scoured the byways and hillsides of Amberson, Path Valley, and other areas in adjoining counties in search of Carl’s body. And finally, they found him in Huntingdon County, PA, 27 minutes away from his home.

When his body was found, the police revisited the investigation- but only by expanding the murder case to Huntingdon County, despite the blood in Carl’s home. For a year and a half, the case was passed off between the counties. With no help from officials, how could the Ryder family bring their beloved son & brother justice?

Black Clover is the true story of the heart-wrenching small town murder of the author’s brother and the lengths at which the legal system can be manipulated, if the family doesn’t fight back.

Great for: true-story fans, podcast listeners, and readers who love learning while being captivated.

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Why Start the Year with Nonfiction?

Nonfiction doesn’t just inform- it shapes the way we see ourselves and the world around us. These bestselling titles:

spark meaningful conversations
deepen understanding of real-world issues
inspire action, reflection, and growth

In short, they’re exactly the kind of companions that pair perfectly with a fresh calendar and new intentions.

Ready to Build Your 2026 Reading List?

Whether you’re reading for growth, curiosity, or inspiration, our nonfiction collection has something for every kind of reader.

Explore more Sunbury Press nonfiction titles and find your next favorite today: https://www.sunburypress.com/collections/sunbury-press?sort_by=best-selling
(And don’t forget to share your reading goals with us- we love hearing what’s on your list!)

Here’s to a year of great stories, bold ideas, and books that stay with you long after you’ve read them.