20 Best Books Based On True Stories (2023 Update)

32 true crime stories of murder & mayhem – readers love this series – more than 2,000 five-star reviews on amazon and goodreads. first three books of the true crime case histories series (2019)a quick word of warning. the true crime short stories within this three book collection are unimaginably gruesome. i start all of my true crime books with a quick word of warning. most news articles and television true crime shows skim over the vile details of truly horrible crimes. in my books i don't gloss over the facts, regardless of how disgusting they may be. i try to give my readers a clear and accurate description on just how demented the killers really were. i do my best not to leave anything out. the stories included in these books are not for the squeamish. – what you are about to read are my first three books. the stories in this collection will make you realize just how fragile the human mind can be. – a sampling of the stories include: the canal killer – a violent psychopath cuts off the head, hands, and feet of his girlfriends and dumps them in the canals of london and rotterdam. – the head in the bucket – a drug kingpin chops off the head of one of his dealers and carries it around in a home depot bucket. – the arizona torso killer – a petite trophy-wife shoots her husband, freezes his body, hacks him up with a jigsaw and dumps his torso in a dumpster behind a grocery store. – the oxford murder – a young college student strangles his girlfriend and crams her body into an eight-inch crawlspace beneath the stairs. – the girl in the barrel – a homeowner finds a fifty-five gallon barrel in the crawl space beneath his home. what they find inside the barrel unlocks a murder mystery dating back thirty years. – the dexter wannabe – a young man obsessed with the tv show dexter lures unsuspecting victims to his "kill room" and keeps a detailed diary of the dismemberment of his prey. – the murder of elizabeth olten – a fifteen-year-old girl wants to know what it feels like to kill a person. interpol's most wanted – when fishermen pull up the dead body of a man in the english channel, police stumble upon one of interpol's most wanted criminals. – the girl in the box – an unbelievable story of a psychopath who kidnaps a young girl and keeps her as a slave locked beneath his bed for seven years. – the green chain rapist – a beautiful young mother is butchered in broad daylight in a london park and the only witness is her two-year-old son. police then waste three years chasing the wrong man while the real killer slaughters another woman. – paige's secret life – a young single-mother of three goes missing and police realize she's been living a secret life that her friends and family didn't know about. – a walking shadow – a suicidal teenager, frustrated with the bank threatening to foreclose on the family home, kidnaps the bank manager's ten-year-old son and holds him for ransom. – plus 18 more truly disturbing true crime stories. – scroll up to get your copy

Would you believe … a pilot gets sucked out of his plane and survives, as does everyone else on board. a young american woman goes to paris to find herself and finds her long-lost family instead. a misunderstood word on a bus causes a 15-mile-long traffic jam. even more true stories, third edition, by sandra heyer, continues the true stories tradition with sixteen new or updated human-interest stories adapted from news sources around the world. the universal appeal of these real believe-it-or-not tales ensures a motivating reading experience for intermediate-level students of english. it's a book they won't want to put down. features: maximum story length is 1 ¼ pages. revised exercises for vocabulary development, reading comprehension, discussion, and writing help students develop language proficiency. new or updated challenge pages with authentic reading selections motivate students to read on their own. a new to the teacher section provides background information and teaching tips to help teachers make the reading class more interactive. the true stories series includes: true stories behind the songs more true stories behind the songs very easy true stories all new very easy true stories easy true stories, second edition all new easy true stories true stories in the news, third edition more true stories, third edition even more true stories, third edition beyond true stories

Raising a serial killerfather's search for answersin july of 1991 the country was shocked by the unfathomable crimes of serial killer jeffrey dahmer. but no one was more shocked than his parents. in a father's story, the reader is witness to the incremental unraveling of a parent's image of their child, and the "thousand different reactions" that follow. in his attempt to understand the nature of his son's psychosis, lionel dahmer methodically scrutinizes every possible contributing factor to his son's madness. his desperation is palpable as he searches for clues in the emotional, psychological, and genetic landscape of his son's life. riveting and soul-wrenching, this unprecedented memoir is the confession of a father who must "confront the saddest truth a human can know-that his child has somehow crossed the line that separates the human from the monstrous." echo point's updated edition is also available in hardcover (search for isbn 1648370535).

Imagine… finding yourself all alone on a mountain during a blizzard — and being saved thanks to a surprise phone call! having a party to celebrate your wedding — and there was no wedding! picking up a newspaper and seeing a photograph of twins who look exactly like you! these stories and more — humorous, poignant, astounding — and all true! true stories in the news, third edition, by sandra heyer, consists of 22 readings based on human-interest stories adapted from worldwide news sources and includes new, updated, and improved materials. the universal appeal of these believe-it-or-not stories ensures a pleasurable reading experience and encourages beginning-level students to read with fluency and confidence. features a photo and pre-reading questions introduce each story. average story length is 375 words. stories are told in the past and past progressive tenses. revised and improved exercises for vocabulary development, reading comprehension, pronunciation, discussion, and writing help students develop language proficiency. background information and teaching tips in an expanded to the teacher section help make the reading class more effective. audio cd with recordings of all stories is included in each textbook. a perfect partner with true stories behind the songs. the true stories series includes: true stories behind the songs more true stories behind the songs very easy true stories all new very easy true stories easy true stories, second edition all new easy true stories true stories in the news, third edition more true stories, third edition even more true stories, third edition beyond true stories

All year long lily and liam look forward to christmas on their grandparents' farm. it's always the perfect trip — walking to the lilac library, trimming the tree, giving gifts. but this year, thanks to a white cow alone in the meadow, things will be different. this christmas, lily and liam will find out the meaning of a true gift. from one of our most beloved authors comes a brand-new holiday classic that rings in the season by celebrating the joys of family, community, and true giving.

This is american history they don’t teach you in class: discover the “fascinating, funny” stories of the states that never were, from texlahoma to west florida (the new yorker) everyone knows the fifty nifty united states—but what about the hundreds of other statehood proposals that never came to pass? lost states is a tribute to such great unrealized dreams as west florida, texlahoma, montezuma, rough and ready, and yazoo. some of these states came remarkably close to joining the union. others never had a chance. many are still trying. consider: frontier legend daniel boone once proposed a state of transylvania in the appalachian wilderness. his plan was resurrected a few years later with the new name of kentucky. residents of bucolic south jersey wanted to secede from their urban north jersey neighbors and form the fifty-first state. the gold rush territory of nataqua could have made a fine state—but since no women were willing to live there, the settlers gave up and joined california. accompanying these tales are beautifully rendered maps detailing the proposed state boundaries, plus images of real-life artifacts and ephemera. welcome to the world of lost states!

"i hope the long walk will remain as a memorial to all those who live and die for freedom, and for all those who for many reasons could not speak for themselves."–slavomir rawicz in 1941, the author and six other fellow prisoners escaped a soviet labor camp in yakutsk–a camp where enduring hunger, cold, untended wounds, untreated illnesses, and avoiding daily executions were everyday feats. their march–over thousands of miles by foot–out of siberia, through china, the gobi desert, tibet, and over the himalayas to british india is a remarkable statement about man's desire to be free. while the original book sold hundreds of thousands of copies, this updated paperback version includes a new afterword by the author, as well as the author's foreword to the polish book. written in a hauntingly detailed, no holds barred way, the new edition of the long walk is destined to outrank its classic status and guaranteed to forever stay in the reader's mind. *** six-time academy award-nominee peter weir (master and commander, the truman show, and the dead poets society) recently directed the way back, a much-anticipated film based on the long walk. starring colin farrell, jim sturgess, and ed harris, it is due for release in 2011.

Declared “the best survival book in a decade” by outside magazine, 438 days is the true story of the man who survived fourteen months in a small boat drifting seven thousand miles across the pacific ocean.on november 17, 2012, two men left the coast of mexico for a weekend fishing trip in the open pacific. that night, a violent storm ambushed them as they were fishing eighty miles offshore. as gale force winds and ten-foot waves pummeled their small, open boat from all sides and nearly capsized them, captain salvador alvarenga and his crewmate cut away a two-mile-long fishing line and began a desperate dash through crashing waves as they sought the safety of port. fourteen months later, on january 30, 2014, alvarenga, now a hairy, wild-bearded and half-mad castaway, washed ashore on a nearly deserted island on the far side of the pacific. he could barely speak and was unable to walk. he claimed to have drifted from mexico, a journey of some seven thousand miles. a “gripping saga,” (daily mail), 438 days is the first-ever account of one of the most amazing survival stories in modern times. based on dozens of hours of exclusive interviews with alvarenga, his colleagues, search-and-rescue officials, the remote islanders who found him, and the medical team that saved his life, 438 days is not only “an intense, immensely absorbing read” (booklist) but an unforgettable study of the resilience, will, ingenuity and determination required for one man to survive more than a year lost and adrift at sea.

Included here are the story of a 30-something new yorker who was unable to stop fantasizing about suicide until he conveys healing words from her dead fiancé; an account of an encounter with a grieving young woman in a drugstore–and the message he conveys from her dead six-year-old son; and a disturbing story of an unsolved murder case solved by information he received from the other side.above all, this is a book filled with comfort, love, forgiveness, and hope. for thomas john, death is not the end, it is just the beginning. they care for us. they watch over us. and, in times of particular need, they offer us their help.

Categories: 2005 pulitzer prize finalists, illegal immigrants->united states, mexican-american border region. contributors: luis alberto urrea – author. format: paperback

#1 new york times bestseller mike lupica makes his return to the basketball court! there's a reason teammates call him "true." because for basketball phenom drew robinson, there is nothing more true than his talent on the court. it's the kind that comes along once in a generation and is loaded with perks–and with problems. before long, true buys in to his own hype, much to the chagrin of his mother, who wants to keep her boy's head grounded–and suddenly trouble has a way of finding him. that is, until a washed-up former playground legend steps back onto the court and takes true under his wing.

With insight, humor and fascinating detail, lacey brings brilliantly to life the stories that made england — from ethelred the unready to richard the lionheart, the venerable bede to piers the ploughman. the greatest historians are vivid storytellers, robert lacey reminds us, and in great tales from english history, he proves his place among them, illuminating in unforgettable detail the characters and events that shaped a nation. in this volume, lacey limns the most important period in england's past, highlighting the spread of the english language, the rejection of both a religion and a traditional view of kingly authority, and an unstoppable movement toward intellectual and political freedom from 1387 to 1689. opening with chaucer's canterbury tales and culminating in william and mary's glorious revolution, lacey revisits some of the truly classic stories of english history: the battle of agincourt, where henry v's skilled archers defeated a french army three times as large; the tragic tale of the two young princes locked in the tower of london (and almost certainly murdered) by their usurping uncle, richard iii; henry viii's schismatic divorce, not just from his wife but from the authority of the catholic church; bloody mary and the burning of religious dissidents; sir francis drake's dramatic, if questionable, part in the defeat of the spanish armada; and the terrible and transformative great fire of london, to name but a few. here anglophiles will find their favorite english kings and queens, villains and victims, authors and architects – from richard ii to anne boleyn, the virgin queen to oliver cromwell, samuel pepys to christopher wren, and many more. continuing the eminently readable, highly enjoyable (st. louis post-dispatch) history he began in volume i of great tales from english history, robert lacey has drawn on the most up-to-date research to present a taut and riveting narrative, breathing life into the most pivotal characters and exciting landmarks in england's history.

The stunning memoir of a muslim teen struggling to survive in the midst of the bosnian genocide–and the stray cat who protected her family through it all. *six starred reviews*a yalsa excellence in nonfiction finalist – a capitol choices remarkable book – a mighty girl best book – a malala fund favorite book selection – in 1992, amra was a teen in bihac, bosnia, when her best friend said they couldn’t speak anymore. her friend didn’t say why, but amra knew the reason: amra was muslim. it was the first sign her world was changing. then muslim refugees from other bosnian cities started arriving, fleeing serbian persecution. when the tanks rolled into bihac, bringing her own city under seige, amra’s happy life in her peaceful city vanished. – but there is light even in the darkest of times, and she discovered that light in the warm, bonfire eyes of a stray cat. the little calico had followed the refugees into the city and lost her own family. at first, amra doesn’t want to bother with a stray; her family doesn’t have the money to keep a pet. but with gentle charm this kitty finds her way into everyone’s heart, and after a few near miracles when she seems to save the family, how could they turn her away? here is the stunning true story of a teen who, even in the brutality of war, never wavered in her determination to obtain an education, maintain friendships, and even find a first love—and the cat who gave comfort, hope, and maybe even served as the family’s guardian spirit.

"randis later would testify at a criminal trial against her father, who was sentenced to prison for his crimes [of child abuse]. he was sentenced to up to 16 years in 2004. her painful — and ultimately triumphant — story is recounted in randis' first novel, "spilled milk." — stacy, brown, pocono record newspaper "i read this book in two days, i couldn't put it down."– chelsea deboer, teen mom 2 "kelly randis will [use] her first-hand experience as a sexual assault survivor to educate national leaders at the pentagon."– lt ashley valanzola, pentagon sexual assault prevention coordinator "the honest, raw openness of your writing style is compelling. your story touched me deeply."– juliet pritner, actress, law and order: svu brooke nolan is a battered child who makes an anonymous phone call about the escalating brutality in her home. when social services jeopardize her safety, condemning her to keep her father's secret, it's a glass of spilled milk at the dinner table that forces her to speak about the cruelty she's been hiding. in her pursuit of safety and justice, brooke battles a broken court system that pushes to keep her father in the home. spilled milk is a novel of shocking narrative, triumph and resiliency.

The sensational biography of princess diana, written with her cooperation and now featuring exclusive new material to commemorate the 20th anniversary of her death.when diana: her true story was first published in 1992, it forever changed the way the public viewed the british monarchy. greeted initially with disbelief and ridicule, the #1 new york times bestselling biography has become a unique literary classic, not just because of its explosive contents but also because of diana’s intimate involvement in the publication. never before had a senior royal spoken in such a raw, unfiltered way about her unhappy marriage, her relationship with the queen, her extraordinary life inside the house of windsor, her hopes, her fears, and her dreams. now, twenty-five years on, biographer andrew morton has revisited the secret tapes he and the late princess made to reveal startling new insights into her life and mind. in this fully revised edition of his groundbreaking biography, morton considers diana’s legacy and her relevance to the modern royal family. an icon in life and a legend in death, diana continues to fascinate.

#1 new york times bestseller – in the propulsive debut novel from the host of the #1 true crime podcast crime junkie, a journalist uncovers her hometown’s dark secrets when she becomes obsessed with the unsolved murder of her childhood neighbor—and the disappearance of another girl twenty years later. – one of the best books of the year: pop – sugar you can’t ever know for sure what happens behind closed doors. – everyone from wakarusa, indiana, remembers the infamous case of january jacobs, who was discovered in a ditch hours after her family awoke to find her gone. margot davies was six at the time, the same age as january—and they were next-door neighbors. in the twenty years since, margot has grown up, moved away, and become a big-city journalist. but she’s always been haunted by the feeling that it could’ve been her. and the worst part is, january’s killer has never been brought to justice. – when margot returns home to help care for her uncle after he is diagnosed with early-onset dementia, she feels like she’s walked into a time capsule. wakarusa is exactly how she remembers—genial, stifled, secretive. then news breaks about five-year-old natalie clark from the next town over, who’s gone missing under circumstances eerily similar to january’s. with all the old feelings rushing back, margot vows to find natalie and to solve january’s murder once and for all. – but the police, natalie’s family, the townspeople—they all seem to be hiding something. and the deeper margot digs into natalie’s disappearance, the more resistance she encounters, and the colder january’s case feels. could january’s killer still be out there? is it the same person who took natalie? and what will it cost to finally discover what truly happened that night twenty years ago? twisty, chilling, and intense, all good people here is a searing tale that asks: what are your neighbors capable of when they think no one is watching?

Don't forget our special:buy your choice of any 3 movies, get a 4th one free (add 4 to cart before you purchase)product descriptiontwo people find themselves in the midst of the worst tragedy imaginable..the family is diagnosed with aids. no couple ever tried harder to have children than roxy and vinnie ventola. for four years they endured test, injections and even a miscarriage. then, miranda, a beautiful baby girl, is born. their daughter becomes the center of their lives. they balance their successful tv writing careers with the joy of spoiling her, but suddenly, miranda becomes ill. while in the hospital, both of mirandas lungs collapse. roxy and vinnie soon learn the truth – miranda has aids. they, too have aids from the transfusion roxy received after her miscarriage.the ventolas begin their battle against this killer disease. the determination that brought miranda to them now gives them the courage to fight, and there is more love between them than anyone will ever know. starring: amy madigan, dennis boutsikaris, jane daly, jennifer hetrick, martha henry

New york times bestseller – reese’s book club pick – a “tender, beautiful and radiantly outraged” (the new york times book review) novel that follows a year of seismic romantic, political, and familial shifts for a teacher and her students at a boarding school for the deaf, from the acclaimed author of girl at war“for those who loved the oscar-winning film coda, a boarding school for deaf students is the setting for a kaleidoscope of experiences.”—the washington post – one of the best books of the year: npr, the washington post, publishers weekly, booklist – true biz (adj./exclamation; american sign language): really, seriously, definitely, real-talk – true biz? the students at the river valley school for the deaf just want to hook up, pass their history finals, and have politicians, doctors, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. this revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they’ll meet charlie, a rebellious transfer student who’s never met another deaf person before; austin, the school’s golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and february, the hearing headmistress, a coda (child of deaf adult(s)) who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both. as a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, charlie, austin, and february find their lives inextricable from one another—and changed forever. – this is a story of sign language and lip-reading, disability and civil rights, isolation and injustice, first love and loss, and, above all, great persistence, daring, and joy. absorbing and assured, idiosyncratic and relatable, this is an unforgettable journey into the deaf community and a universal celebration of human connection.

New york times bestseller – reese’s book club pick – a “tender, beautiful and radiantly outraged” (the new york times book review) novel that follows a year of seismic romantic, political, and familial shifts for a teacher and her students at a boarding school for the deaf, from the acclaimed author of girl at war“for those who loved the oscar-winning film coda, a boarding school for deaf students is the setting for a kaleidoscope of experiences.”—the washington post – one of the best books of the year: npr, the washington post, publishers weekly, booklist – true biz (adj./exclamation; american sign language): really, seriously, definitely, real-talk – true biz? the students at the river valley school for the deaf just want to hook up, pass their history finals, and have politicians, doctors, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. this revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they’ll meet charlie, a rebellious transfer student who’s never met another deaf person before; austin, the school’s golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and february, the hearing headmistress, a coda (child of deaf adult(s)) who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both. as a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, charlie, austin, and february find their lives inextricable from one another—and changed forever. – this is a story of sign language and lip-reading, disability and civil rights, isolation and injustice, first love and loss, and, above all, great persistence, daring, and joy. absorbing and assured, idiosyncratic and relatable, this is an unforgettable journey into the deaf community and a universal celebration of human connection.

New york times bestseller – "driving, wild and hilarious" (the washington post), here is the incredible "memoir" of the actor, gambler, raconteur, and saturday night live veteran. don't miss norm's new netflix special, hitler's dog, gossip & treachery! when norm macdonald, one of the greatest stand-up comics of all time, was approached to write a celebrity memoir, he flatly refused, calling the genre "one step below instruction manuals." norm then promptly took a two-year hiatus from stand-up comedy to live on a farm in northern canada. when he emerged he had under his arm a manuscript, a genre-smashing book about comedy, tragedy, love, loss, war, and redemption. when asked if this was the celebrity memoir, norm replied, "call it anything you damn like." praise for based on a true story"dostoyevsky by way of 30 rockefeller center . . . the best new book i've read this year or last."–the wall street journal "this book is absurd fiction. . . . scathing and funny."–the new york times "hilarious and filled with turns of phrase and hidden beauty like only a collection of norm macdonald stories could be."–esquire "raucous . . . a hilarious, innovative work."–a.v. club "part personal history and part meta riff on celebrity memoirs, the book, it quickly becomes clear, is also just partly true (and all hilarious)."–vulture "very, very, very funny! thanks, norm, for letting me be part of this booker prize-for-literature-quality effort."–david letterman "norm is brilliant and thoughtful and there is sensitivity and creative insight in his observations and stories. i seriously f**king love norm macdonald. please buy his book. he probably needs the cash. he's really bad with money."–louis c.k., from the foreword "norm is one of my all-time favorites, and this book was such a great read i forgot how lonely i was for a while."–amy schumer "i always thought normie's stand-up was the funniest thing there was. but this book gives it a run for its money."–adam sandler "norm is one of the greatest stand-up comics who's ever worked–a totally original voice. his sense of the ridiculous and his use of juxtaposition in his writing make him a comic's comic. who is funnier than norm macdonald? nobody."–judd apatow "norm macdonald is more than a triple threat–he's a septuple threat. he is smart, funny, wry, rakish, polite, rakish . . . no, wait. he is polite, insightful, and . . . aaaaah . . . warm. no. he's exciting. yeah. exciting! you never know what he'll do. okay, then make that unpredictable. add that up. he's amazing."–alec baldwin "norm is a double threat. his material and timing are both top-notch, which is unheard of. he is one of my favorites, both on- and off-stage."–dave attell "letterman said it best: there is no one funnier than norm macdonald."–rob schneider