Biography and Memoir
June 2025
Recent Releases
Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass: How I Went 77 Years Without...
by Dave Barry

Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist and novelist Dave Barry (Swamp Story) offers freewheeling reflections on his life and literary career in his first memoir. For fans of: David Sedaris.
Mark Twain
by Ron Chernow

In his well-researched latest, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Ron Chernow (Alexander Hamilton) offers a nuanced and richly detailed portrait of writer Mark Twain that's been deemed a "monumental achievement" (Booklist) and "essential reading" (Kirkus Reviews). For fans of: Charles Dickens: A Life by Claire Tomalin. 
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.
Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson
by Tourmaline

Award-winning filmmaker Tourmaline expands upon her 2017 documentary film Happy Birthday, Marsha! for this inspiring and incisive portrait of pioneering trans activist and drag queen Marsha P. Johnson, who played a key role during the Stonewall riots in 1969 and co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) in 1970. Further reading: Glitter and Concrete: A Cultural History of Drag in New York City by Elyssa Maxx Goodman. 
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.
Ant : the incredible journey of NBA rising star Anthony Edwards
by Chris Hine

The first in-depth look at the Minnesota Timberwolves rising star ranges from his backstory to his mindset, and the relationships that fueled his drive to greatness. Illustrations.
The Place of Tides
by James Rebanks

In this soulful account, nature writer Rebanks (The Shepherd's Life) reflects on working alongside one of the last traditional "duck women," who care for eider ducks during nesting season, on Norway's Vega Archipelago. 
Uncommon Favor : basketball, North Philly, my mother, and the life lessons I learned from all three
by Dawn Staley

"For the first time, Dawn Staley shares her inspiring life story. A three-time Olympic Gold medalist, six-time WNBA All-Star, and the first person to win the Naismith College Player of the Year award as both a player and coach, Staley has shattered expectations at every level of the game. While her name resonates with both longtime WNBA fans and newcomers, she has kept her personal life private. Uncommon Favor reveals the journey that led to Staley's success, including the challenges she faced."
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Hoover Public Library
200 Municipal Dr., Hoover, Alabama 35216
205-444-7800

https://www.hooverlibrary.org