|
|
|
|
Biography and Memoir April 2026 |
|
|
|
|
|
Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage
by Belle Burden
In March 2020, Belle Burden was safe and secure with her family at their house on Martha's Vineyard, navigating the early days of the pandemic together--building fires in the late afternoons, drinking whisky sours, making roast chicken. Then, with no warning or explanation, her husband of twenty years announced that he was leaving her. Overnight, her caring, steady partner became a man she hardly recognized. He exited his life with her like an actor shrugging off a costume.
|
|
|
|
America's Founding Son: John Quincy Adams, from President to Political Maverick
by Bob Crawford
America's Founding Son tells the tale of Adams's turbulent government career and his evolving views on slavery. Adams, along with lesser-known abolitionists Benjamin Lundy and Theodore Weld, found himself at the center of the coalition that leveled the first blow against slave power in the United States. The battles they fought would be foundational in the push for emancipation to follow. An entertaining deep dive into an under explored period in American history, America's Founding Son shows how John Quincy Adams and the grassroots activism of the 1830s and '40s shifted American politics forever.
|
|
| The Last Kings of Hollywood: Coppola, Lucas, Spielberg, and the Battle for the Soul of... by Paul FischerDocumentarian Paul Fischer’s collective biography charts the early careers of Hollywood titans Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg, whose rise coincided with the fall of the old studio system and ushered in the era of the blockbuster. Though each director has his own style and vision, Fischer’s gossipy, novelistic narrative shows the influence they had on each other as friends, competitors, and co-conspirators while changing the way movies are made. |
|
|
|
The Rolling Stones: The Biography
by Bob Spitz
A groundbreaking reckoning with the world's greatest rock 'n' roll band. At its heart the story is about two boys, Mick and Keith, and their unique, fraught, alchemical bond, often tested, never sundered. This is a story with many dark corners, including a surprising number of deaths. But whether Jagger and Richards sold their souls to the devil is at the crossroads for blues greatness or just squeezed their heroes for every drop of inspiration, in the end their connection to their music and to each other put them in a category of one, where they very much remain.
|
|
|
|
Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television
by Todd S. Purdum
Desi Arnaz is a name that resonates with fans of classic television, but few understand the depth of his contributions to the entertainment industry. This offers a captivating biography that dives into the groundbreaking Latino artist and businessman known to millions as Ricky Ricardo from I Love Lucy. Enriched with unpublished materials and interviews, reveals the man behind the legend and highlights his enduring contributions to pop culture and television. This book is a must-read biography about innovation, resilience and the relentless drive of a man who changed TV forever.
|
|
| Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery by Gavin NewsomCalifornia governor and potential 2028 presidential candidate Gavin Newsom’s book briskly lays out his rise in the Democratic party, reveals some of the struggles early in his life that propelled him into politics, and talks about some key achievements of his tenure, including overseeing California’s legalization of same-sex marriage seven years prior to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling. |
|
| Judy Blume: A Life by Mark OppenheimerA detailed, chronological view of an ambitious, talented woman seeking something beyond the strictures of her early marriage and motherhood. Though her work was sometimes controversial, she was able to produce children’s stories with a keen sense of realism in which young readers could actually see themselves. |
|
| Freedom Lost, Freedom Won: A Personal History of America by Eugene RobinsonJournalist Eugene Robinson, who spent COVID-imposed downtime unearthing documentation of his Black family’s history, relates the two centuries of struggle that family endured to simply be American. Though the stories of Robinson’s ancestors’ accomplishments inspire, his impressively researched book reveals a sobering theme: throughout its history, the United States has repeatedly found insidious ways to claw back hard-won African American liberties. |
|
|
|
My Gardening Life
by Mary Berry
Well-known and loved as a cookbook writer and presenter, My Gardening Life is Mary Berry's deeply personal account of the second great love of her life gardening. Full of anecdotes, pearls of wisdom, and beautiful photos of Mary's own garden, My Gardening Life is a unique memoir told through the gardens Mary has loved. As well as Mary's first-hand commentary, she also explains the vital role that being outside, connecting with nature, and celebrating the seasons has played in her life for 90 years.
|
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
|
|
|