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Biography and Memoir December 2025 |
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| Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts by Margaret AtwoodIn Book of Lives, Canadian author Margaret Atwood brings readers a long-awaited, “marvelously witty” (Kirkus Reviews) memoir. Writing as much about her craft as her life story, Atwood reveals how both have influenced one another, for instance explaining how the dystopian setting for The Handmaid’s Tale was in part inspired by a stint in 1980s Berlin. For another memoir that ruminates on the writing life, try Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami. |
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| Fire in Every Direction by Tareq BaconiQueer Palestinian author Tareq Baconi presents a candid and emotional coming-of-age journey. Baconi confronts layers of trauma set in motion by the marginalization of his Lebanese refugee family, unrequited love for a childhood friend, and cruel abuse at the hands of homophobic peers. As an adult, he is eventually able to reconcile his queer and Arab selves, and his self-discovery will especially inspire readers navigating their own complex identities. |
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Are You There, Spirit? It's Me, Travis: Life Lessons from the Other Side
by Travis Holp
Transformational life lessons from a psychic medium affectionately known as the Internet's gay uncle, culled from his own life and from thousands of client readings--to help you become the fullest possible version of yourself. Through stories and exercises, he opens us up to a new and expansive way of understanding our place in the world, helping us embrace our authenticity, overcome fear, welcome change, and live with real purpose. And on every page, as he leads us toward self-discovery and profound healing, his sparkling personality, optimism, and warmth remind us that we are all loved, and that a meaningful life is one filled with joy.
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| The Uncool by Cameron CroweIn the 1970s, writer/director Cameron Crowe was an up-and-coming teenaged rock journalist, writing for Rolling Stone and touring with the likes of Led Zeppelin and the Allman Brothers. Although peppered with upbeat road stories, Crowe’s memoir seamlessly weaves in more emotional passages about close relationships, his older sister’s suicide, and his later fame as a filmmaker. For fans of: Going into the City: Portrait of a Critic as a Young Man by Robert Christgau; the Crowe-directed film Almost Famous. |
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Coyote: The Dramatic Lives of Sam Shepard
by Robert M. Dowling
Sam Shepard was a true American original. A theater and film icon who lived life on a mythic scale, Shepard became an embodiment of the fierce independence and wild freedom of the American West. Taking us from the creative explosion of downtown New York City in the 1960s to Bob Dylan's legendary Rolling Thunder Revue tour, from Hollywood backlots and film shoots in the Mojave Desert to the horse ranches where Shepard went to escape it all, Robert M. Dowling's biography reveals this playwright, actor, and filmmaker as we've never known him before--
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| We Did OK, Kid by Anthony HopkinsOscar-winning actor Anthony Hopkins delights with a memoir that is “quiet and restrained but with some darker stuff going on underneath” (Booklist). The introverted only son of working-class Welsh parents who worried about his apparent aimlessness, Hopkins eventually found his way to amateur theater and then the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, all to his own great surprise. For such a venerated artist, his writing is as humble, candid, and thoughtful as the book’s title would suggest. Try this next: The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man by Paul Newman. |
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| John Candy: A Life in Comedy by Paul MyersPop culture writer Paul Myers documents beloved comedian and actor John Candy’s life and career, moving through his tenure on the cult classic program SCTV, his film appearances (Planes, Trains, and Automobiles; Uncle Buck), and his “lifelong struggle with anxiety, panic attacks, and body image” (Publishers Weekly). Candy broke countless hearts upon his death by heart failure at age 43, but Myers’ book is a life-affirming, heartwarming tribute. |
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| Racebook: A Personal History of the Internet by Tochi OnyebuchiSci-fi and fantasy author Tochi Onyebuchi, in a series of autobiographical sketches, conjures memories of growing up as a Black American in the internet age, and where these experiences find him today. Dropping references ranging from literature to video games, Onyebuchi yearns for the early years of internet streaming before online culture became rampantly toxic, and offers readers food for thought on topics like racial violence, multiple realities, and how online identities shape our selves. For fans of: the anthology Black Futures, edited by Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham. |
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| The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir by Roy Wood, Jr.Comedian and television personality Roy Wood, Jr.’s memoir is filled with lessons he learned the hard way from various “father” figures, including his real father, who played a peripatetic but influential role in his son’s life. Some of these figures offered Wood wisdom and advice, while others gave him examples not to follow, but they all made enough of an impression to become comedy gold in a debut that is also “refreshingly earnest” (Kirkus Reviews). If you like this, check out Being Henry: The Fonz…and Beyond by Henry Winkler. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Carrollton Public Library 1700 Keller Springs Road, Carrollton Texas 75006 4220 North Josey Lane, Carrollton Texas 75010 |
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