Biography and Memoir
December 2025

Recent Releases
Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts
by Margaret Atwood

In 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. 
The Uncool
by Cameron Crowe

In 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. 
David Davis, Abraham Lincoln's Favorite Judge by Raymond J. McKoski
David Davis, Abraham Lincoln's Favorite Judge
by Raymond J. McKoski

A biography of Davis's public life.
Star of the Show [Deluxe Edition]: My Life on Stage by Dolly Parton
Star of the Show: My Life on Stage
by Dolly Parton

My life on stage.
John Candy: A Life in Comedy
by Paul Myers

Pop 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.
Heart Life Music by Kenny Chesney
Heart Life Music
by Kenny Chesney

In college, [Country Music Hall of Fame member] Kenny Chesney found himself on a barstool with a guitar and an unexpected connection between people, life, and songs. His heart caught fire. With Nashville's vibrant creative scene, characters, legends, and places now long gone from the city he encountered in those early days, Chesney explores the quest to find himself as an artist and a man, as well as a sense of home anywhere there's an ocean. These are the stories of the unlikely game changer who became the sound of coming of age in the 21st century, made friends with his heroes, rocked stadiums, and founded a No Shoes Nation--
John Williams: A Composer's Life by Tim Greiving
John Williams: A Composer's Life
by Tim Greiving

John Williams is the most famous film composer of all time. He wrote as many universally well-known tunes as the Beatles or Beethoven, if not more; his themes for Jaws, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, E.T., Jurassic Park, and Harry Potter are beloved around the world by multiple generations. This is the first major biography, achieved with unprecedented access to Williams and new interviews with Steven Spielberg and Yo-Yo Ma, among many others.
We Did OK, Kid
by Anthony Hopkins

Oscar-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. 
Joyride: A Memoir by Susan Orlean
Joyride: A Memoir
by Susan Orlean

This memoir explores writing, coming up with ideas, and getting work done.
The Dirt Beneath Our Door: My Journey to Freedom After Escaping a Polygamous Mormon Cult by Pamela Jones
The Dirt Beneath Our Door: My Journey to Freedom After Escaping a Polygamous Mormon Cult
by Pamela Jones

Pamela Jones had sixty-one siblings, five sister wives, nine children, and one carefully concealed hidden dream: to escape the violent, misogynistic, fundamentalist Mormon cult that kept her perpetually pregnant, broken, and brutalized. Now, in a deeply moving and unflinching memoir, she shares her story for the first time.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Pekin Public Library
301 S 4th St; Pekin, Illinois 61554
309-347-7111    www.pekinpubliclibrary.org/