I read so many different books, but these three nonfiction works are true standouts. All of them discuss major problems, from poverty and privilege to gun control and mass shootings, to the opioid epidemic, that everyone should be reading up on. These are powerful books that will really make you think. 

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond

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Matthew Desmond follows eight families in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and their experiences of being evicted and dealing with landlords. He presents several statistics about the struggles of finding affordable housing. I ended up reading this book twice because there was I was so fascinated by the information in it. It is a book that makes you think about how so many people are profiting off of the poverty that people live in everyday.

A Mother's Reckoning by Sue Klebold

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Sue Klebold, the mother of one of the shooters from the devastating Columbine High School attack, discusses her son and what she might have missed and what we can learn from the attacks. It provides so much perspective on mass shootings that we normally don't hear about. Regardless of your stance on gun control, this is a book to read if you want insight on a contentious issue from a thoughtful source.

Dreamland by Sam Quinones

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Sam Quinones tracks the roots of the opioid epidemic and discusses how opioids started infiltrating American culture. He covers traditional opioids, but also focuses on prescription opioids and their impact. I was absolutely hooked on this book from the moment I started it because Quinones looks at so many different facets of the opioid epidemic and how it grew so swiftly in the United States. He tracks opioids right from a major source and follows the path they take, while also covering pharmaceutical companies and the role they play.

The books above cover issues that are current and happening around us every day. Being aware of what is going on and learning as much as we can about different issues brings us closer to finding solutions to the devastating challenges people face all the time, even if we don't see it. Books like these made me realize what is going on around me, which is what makes these works so valuable. The more people that get informed, the better.