Non-Fiction & Historical Fiction Books for 2015

I usually read a couple of historical fictions every year.  And this year is no exception to that rule.  But I also read a bunch of non-fictions, which I rarely do.  Here are chronological lists of both from 2015, along with ratings and what made me read them.

Non-Ficion:

Ballad of the Whiskey Robber - Julian Rubinstein - 2.5.  This was our January book for the Los Gatos Library Tuesday Evening Book Club.

Mastering the Mechanics of Civil Jury Trials - Tyler Draa.  There's no rating on this one because I was an early reader for my friend Tyler.  Now, the book is in the marketplace, thanks to Tyler's publisher, Balcony7.

Daring to Dream Once Again - Dinah Lin - 2.5.  Our RBC member and author, Ann Bridges, introduced me to Dinah.  So I wanted to read her memoir.

A House in the Sky - Amanda Linkhout, Sara Corbett - 3.0.  Heidi and her mom, Barb, strongly suggested I read this memoir.

Alex Haley's Roots:  An Author's Odyssey - 2.5.  Fellow RBC member and author, Betty Auchard, suggested I read this.  She put Adam and me together.

Being Mortal - Atul Gawande - 3.75.  Phil suggested I read this quite a while ago, and I didn't do anything about it.  I got one more push some time later (I can't remember who did the pushing).  The combo of pushes pushed me over the edge.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot - 3.25.  Joni's cousin, Besi, strongly recommended this one.  So I said "Sure."

Ordinary Light - Tracy K. Smith - 3.0.  This is a memoir that I got as an ARC from a publisher (I get a few of these each year).

Historical Fiction:

Orphan Train - Christina Baker Kline - 4.0.  This was another Los Gatos Library Tuesday Evening Book Club selection.

Edge of Eternity - Ken Follett - 4.25.  This is book 3 of Follett's Century Trilogy and my top book of the year.

The Race for Paris - Meg Waite Clayton - 3.25.  I read this one because I know Meg personally and will read anything she writes.

The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah - 3.5.  My friend Linda gave this to me and told me to read it.  So I did.

San Francisco - Marian Lindner - 2.0.  This is another local author that I know.  And it's her debut novel about the 1906 earthquake.