Biography and Memoir
June 2025
Recent Releases
My Next Breath
by Jeremy Renner

The gripping and inspiring story of acclaimed actor Jeremy Renner’s near-fatal accident, and what he learned about inner strength, endurance and hope as he overcame insurmountable odds to recover, one breath at a time.
The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland
by Michelle Young

Journalist and Columbia architecture professor Michelle Young's unputdownable latest chronicles the daring exploits of French art historian and museum curator Rose Valland, who became a member of the French Resistance during World War II and fought tirelessly to save artworks looted by the Nazis. Try this next: Fragile Cargo: The World War II Race to Save the Treasures of China's Forbidden City by Adam Brookes.
Karen: A Brother Remembers
by Kelsey Grammer

Actor Kelsey Grammer reflects on the 1975 kidnapping, rape, and murder of his teenage sister Karen in this affecting account of grief and healing. Try this next: The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir by Griffin Dunne.
Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson
by Claire Hoffman

Having disappeared in 1926 before reappearing with a kidnapping story, America's most famous evangelist used spectacle, storytelling, and the newest technology—including her own radio station—to bring God's message to the masses, but was she everybody's saintly sister, or a  con-artist sinner?
Look Ma, No Hands: A Chronic Pain Memoir
by Gabrielle Drolet

A humorous, charming, profound debut memoir about chronic pain, accessibility, and young adulthood, by an acclaimed essayist and cartoonist. In 2020, Gabrielle Drolet developed a condition that made her unable to use her hands. It only worsened over time, and as a writer and artist, she had to learn new ways of creating and expressing herself.
Focus on: Pride Month
A Renaissance of Our Own: A Memoir & Manifesto on Reimagining
by Rachel E. Cargle

Black queer activist Rachel E. Cargle's empowering blend of self-help and memoir reveals how she created her knowledge, empathy, and action (KEA) framework to dismantle oppressive systems and create healing ones in their place. Further reading: How to Live Free in a Dangerous World: A Decolonial Memoir by Shayla Lawson.
I Was Better Last Night
by Harvey Fierstein

This witty memoir from four-time Tony Award-winning actor and playwright Harvey Fierstein explores the author's coming out and commitment to gay rights activism, his creative process and artistic coming of age, and working on Broadway hits including Torch Song Trilogy, La Cage aux Folles, and Kinky Boots. Try this next: Baggage: Tales from a Fully Packed Life by Alan Cumming.
Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation
by Hannah Gadsby

Award-winning comedian Hannah Gadsby's bestselling "can't-miss" (Library Journal) memoir-in-essays chronicles their fraught coming-of-age in 1980s Tasmania, surviving sexual abuse, the evolution of their stand-up comedy, and more. Try this next: Save Yourself by Cameron Esposito.
The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening
by Ari Shapiro

This debut memoir-in-essays from NPR's All Things Considered co-host and former White House correspondent Ari Shapiro offers an incisive behind-the-scenes look at the stories behind Shapiro's reportage and is equal parts amusing and affecting. For fans of: All I Did Was Ask: Conversations with Writers, Actors, Musicians and Artists by Terry Gross. 
In the Shadow of the Mountain: A Memoir of Courage
by Silvia Vasquez-Lavado

Grappling with alcoholism and memories of childhood sexual abuse, Peruvian-born Silicon Valley executive Silvia Vasquez-Lavado began climbing mountains, eventually starting a nonprofit to help girls heal through adventure and becoming the first openly gay woman to climb the Seven Summits. For fans of: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed.
Contact your librarian for more great books!