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Biography and Memoir October 2025 |
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| Awake by Jen HatmakerPopular Christian living author and podcaster Jen Hatmaker courageously explores the heartbreaking and humiliating end of her marriage of 26 years and the challenges of reclaiming her independence. Hatmaker, suddenly a single mother of five, is relatable as she searchingly poses questions about her purpose and identity that she had taken for granted for so long. For fans of: Untamed by Glennon Doyle. |
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| Backstage: Stories of a Writing Life by Donna LeonCelebrated mystery author and creator of the Guido Brunetti series Donna Leon gives her readers a peek into the workings of a prolific creative mind. In brief but gorgeously crafted essays, Leon relates memorable scenes from her life and talks about some of her inspirations, including Venice, the books of Ruth Rendell, and Baroque music. Readers looking for other authors’ musings about life and art should try A Memoir of My Former Self: A Life in Writing by Hilary Mantel. |
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| Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist by Daniel Pollack-PelznerTheater and culture writer Daniel Pollak-Pelzner’s debut charts the startling rise of Lin-Manuel Miranda -- creator of the Broadway hits Hamilton and In the Heights -- from inner-city kid to worldwide phenomenon. Pollack-Pelzner interviewed Miranda and other intimate sources, and his background and expertise render him an “astute observer of the more human side of creating art” (Kirkus Reviews). Try this next: How to Survive a Killer Musical by Douglas J. Cohen. |
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| Milena and Margarete: A Love Story in Ravensbrück by Gwen StraussMilena Jesenská and Margarete Buber-Neumann were both prisoners in the Ravensbrück concentration camp during the Holocaust, where they met and formed a passionate romantic relationship. Though the camp’s records were burned before it was captured, historian Gwen Strauss has rescued the women’s stories in an inspiring, heartbreaking account of queer and Holocaust history. For fans of: Lovers in Auschwitz by Keren Blankfeld. |
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| Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati RoyBooker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy shares vivid memories of growing up poor in India and her complicated relationship with her single mother, Mary. It is a raw account of living with a headstrong, volatile, and sometimes abusive parent, but one who also ignited the author’s dedication to Indian women’s rights, and whose death in 2022 left Arundhati overcome with grief. For fans of: I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy. |
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| The New Book: Poems, Letters, Blurbs, and Things by Nikki GiovanniThis posthumous book of essays and poems from author and poet Nikki Giovanni serves as a vital reminder of her lasting impact on racial justice and civil rights while providing an intimate glimpse into Giovanni’s life and passions. While this collection covers a lot of topical ground, it is mainly a moving and inspiring look back on “a life lived with passion, purpose, and fierce pride” (Library Journal). |
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| Sister Wife: A Memoir of Faith, Family, and Finding Freedom by Christine Brown WoolleyReality TV star Christine Brown Woolley speaks earnestly about her Mormon faith and upbringing and candidly about her choice -- following the conclusion of her TLC show Sister Wives -- to leave the tradition of fundamentalist polygamy in which she was raised. If you like this, be sure to read Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear by Jinger Duggar Vuolo. |
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| Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley with Mary Jane RossMore than 50 years after her divorce from the King of Rock and Roll, Priscilla Beaulieu Presley candidly recalls finding her independence after her relationship with Elvis, which had dominated her life since she was 14. Presley is frank about her triumphs (success as an actor) and tragedies (the deaths of her daughter and grandson), as well as the grief she felt after her ex-husband’s death. Try this next: Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story by Leslie Jamison. |
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Contact the Reference Desk at 847-720-3230 for more great books! |
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