Recommendations based on Hell's Princess: The Mystery of Belle Gunness, Butcher of Menby Harold Schechter

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. The Onion Field

    by Joseph Wambaugh
    A true crime story retelling a tragic kidnapping and its aftermath.

    This is the frighteningly true story of two young cops and two young robbers whose separate destinies fatally cross one March night in a bizarre execution in a deserted Los Angeles field. ... (Goodreads)

  2. Marie Antoinette: The Journey

    by Antonia Fraser
    A biography of Marie Antoinette, from her childhood in Austria to her reign as Queen of France and eventual execution during the French Revolution.

    Marie Antoinette's dramatic life-story continues to arouse mixed emotions. To many people, she is still 'la reine méchante', whose extravagance and frivolity helped to bring down the French monarchy; ... (Goodreads)

  3. The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple

    by Jeff Guinn
    A deep dive into the history of the Peoples Temple and the life of its leader, Jim Jones.

    2018 Edgar Award Finalist—Best Fact Crime “A thoroughly readable, thoroughly chilling account of a brilliant con man and his all-too vulnerable prey” ( The Boston Globe )—the definitive story of ... (Barnes & Noble)

  4. Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America

    by Gilbert King
    A gripping story of racial injustice in the Jim Crow-era America and the fight for justice.

    Devil in the Grove is the winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. Arguably the most important American lawyer of the twentieth century, Thurgood Marshall was on the verge of ... (Goodreads)

  5. Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders

    by Vincent Bugliosi
    A detailed account of the Manson Family and their brutal murders, as well as the trial that followed.

    Prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial, Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the twentieth century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca ... (Goodreads)

  6. The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History

    by John M. Barry
    Chronicling the 1918 influenza pandemic, examining the medical, social and governmental responses.

    At the height of WWI, history’s most lethal influenza virus erupted in an army camp in Kansas, moved east with American troops, then exploded, killing as many as 100 million people worldwide. It ... (Goodreads)

  7. I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer

    by Michelle McNamara
    A true crime book chronicling the author's investigation into the unsolved case of the Golden State Killer.

    A masterful true crime account of the Golden State Killer—the elusive serial rapist turned murderer who terrorized California for over a decade—from Michelle McNamara, the gifted journalist who died ... (Goodreads)

  8. The Tenth Island: Finding Joy, Beauty, and Unexpected Love in the Azores

    by Diana Marcum
    A journalist's journey to the Azores, discovering a new home and a sense of belonging in the remote islands.

    From a Pulitzer Prize–winning writer comes an exuberant memoir of personal loss and longing, and finding connection on the remote Azorean Islands of the Atlantic Ocean., Reporter Diana Marcum is in ... (Barnes & Noble)

  9. The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City

    by David Lebovitz
    A journey of culinary exploration in Paris, uncovering the secrets of its food culture.

    From the, New York Times, bestselling author of, My Paris Kitchen, and, L'Appart,, a deliciously funny, offbeat, and irreverent look at the city of lights, cheese, chocolate, and other confections., ... (Barnes & Noble)

  10. Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation

    by Bill Nye
    Bill Nye presents the evidence for evolution and debunks creationism in this accessible and informative book.

    Sparked by a provocative comment to BigThink.com last fall, and fueled by a highly controversial debate with Creation Museum curator Ken Ham, Bill Nye's campaign to confront the scientific ... (Goodreads)

  11. Wildflower

    by Drew Barrymore
    A collection of autobiographical essays that explore the ups and downs of Drew Barrymore's life, from childhood to present day.

    Wildflower is a portrait of Drew's life in stories as she looks back on the adventures, challenges, and incredible experiences of her earlier years. It includes tales of living on her own at 14 (and ... (Goodreads)

  12. An American Princess: The Many Lives of Allene Tew

    by Annejet van der Zijl
    The true story of Allene Tew, an American heiress who lived a life of glamour and tragedy in Europe during the early 20th century.

    A, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon Charts bestseller.,, Two-time Man Booker Prize winner Hilary Mantel names, An American Princess, as one of her favorite book of the year: “light and gracefully ... (Barnes & Noble)

  13. Gender Queer

    by Maia Kobabe
    A graphic memoir exploring the author's journey of self-discovery and coming to terms with their gender identity.

    2020 ALA Alex Award Winner 2020 Stonewall — Israel Fishman Non-fiction Award Honor Book In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last ... (Barnes & Noble)

  14. Don't Panic: The Official Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion

    by Neil Gaiman
    A comedic exploration of the universe, using wit and science-fiction.

    Told in the same fanciful, irreverent style as the Hitchhiker trilogy, with scraps of scripts, letters and comments from Adams, Don't Panic is the perfect companion to one of the most successful ... (Goodreads)

  15. Auschwitz

    by Laurence Rees
    An in-depth look into the horrors of the Auschwitz concentration camps during World War II.

    This vivid and harrowing narrative history of the most notorious concentration camp of the Holocaust preserves the authentic voices of survivors and perpetrators The largest mass murder in human ... (Barnes & Noble)

  16. The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State

    by Nadia Murad
    Nadia Murad's harrowing account of being kidnapped and enslaved by ISIS, and her subsequent fight for justice and awareness.

    WINNER OF THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE, In this intimate memoir of survival, a former captive of the Islamic State tells her harrowing and ultimately inspiring story. Nadia Murad was born and raised in ... (Goodreads)

  17. The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II

    by Denise Kiernan
    The true story of the women who worked in Oak Ridge, Tennessee during the Manhattan Project.

    The incredible story of the young women of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, who unwittingly played a crucial role in one of the most significant moments in U.S. history., The Tennessee town of Oak Ridge was ... (Goodreads)

  18. Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert's Story

    by Debbie Tung
    A young introvert's journey of understanding her identity and learning to embrace her differences.

    Sweet, funny, and quietly poignant, Debbie Tung’s comics reveal the ups and downs of coming of age as an introvert. This illustrated gift book of short comics illuminates author Debbie Tung's ... (Barnes & Noble)

  19. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI

    by David Grann
    Exposé of a series of murders of the Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma and the FBI's investigation.

    In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border

    by Francisco Cantú
    A memoir of a former border patrol agent's experiences on the US-Mexico border and the moral dilemmas he faced.

    For Francisco Cantú, the border is in the blood: his mother, a park ranger and daughter of a Mexican immigrant, raised him in the scrublands of the Southwest. Haunted by the landscape of his youth, ... (Goodreads)

  21. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies

    by Jared Diamond
    Tracing the origins of human civilizations through the lens of geography, technology, and biology.

    "Diamond has written a book of remarkable scope ... one of the most important and readable works on the human past published in recent years." Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and a national bestseller: ... (Goodreads)

  22. Death's Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab the Body Farm Where the Dead Do Tell Tales

    by William M. Bass
    Investigative journey into a unique laboratory dedicated to solving crimes using forensic science.

    Dr. Bill Bass, one of the world's leading forensic anthropologists, gained international attention when he built a forensic lab like no other: The Body Farm. Now, this master scientist unlocks the ... (Goodreads)

  23. Devil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three

    by Mara Leveritt
    Uncovering the truth behind a murder case that wrongfully convicted three innocent boys.

    In 2011, one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in American legal history was set right when Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley were released after eighteen years in prison. ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Prose Edda

    by Snorri Sturluson
    A collection of Norse mythology and legends, including the creation of the world, the gods and goddesses, and the end of the world.

    'What was the beginning, or how did things start? What was there before?', The Prose Edda is the most renowned of all works of Scandinavian literature and our most extensive source for Norse ... (Goodreads)

  25. Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin

    by Kathy Griffin
    Comedian Kathy Griffin recounts life stories and anecdotes from her career.

    Official Book Club Selection is Kathy Griffin unplugged, uncensored, and unafraid to dish about what really happens on the road, away from the cameras, and at the star party after the show. (It's ... (Goodreads)

  26. American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst

    by Jeffrey Toobin
    A riveting account of the notorious Patty Hearst kidnapping and trial.

    On February 4, 1974, Patty Hearst, a sophomore in college and heiress to the Hearst Family fortune, was kidnapped by a ragtag group of self-styled revolutionaries calling itself the Symbonese ... (Goodreads)

  27. Influencer: The Power to Change Anything

    by Kerry Patterson
    A guide to becoming an influencer, with practical advice on how to change behavior and make a difference in the world.

    "From the New York Times bestselling authors of Crucial Conversations . . . Whether your goal is to change minds, change markets, or change the world-anything is possible for an influencer.Everyone ... (Barnes & Noble)

  28. The Love Dare

    by Stephen Kendrick
    A 40-day challenge to strengthen and revitalize marriages through daily acts of love and selflessness.

    Unconditional love is eagerly promised at weddings, but rarely practiced in real life. As a result, romantic hopes are often replaced with disappointment in the home. But it doesn’t have to stay that ... (Goodreads)

  29. I Love Everybody

    by Laurie Notaro
    Humorous memoir of one woman's search for self-acceptance, with an irreverent twist.

    Here are more scathingly funny tales from the wild side! Laurie Notaro survived the debauched ride of her twenties and the bumpy road to matrimony. Now she’s ready to take on the thirtysomething ... (Goodreads)

  30. Bright Lights, Big Ass

    by Jen Lancaster
    A humorous memoir of a woman's journey to find herself and make her own way in the world.

    A Self-Indulgent, Surly, Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why It Often Sucks in the City, or Who Are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me? Jen Lancaster hates to burst your happy little ... (Goodreads)