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.
Roadside: My Journey to Iraq and the Long Road Home
by Dylan Park-pettiford

A military memoir by a biracial child of refugees and survivors, Roadside is about life and death, about family lost and gained, and about America, as a dream and a reality. It's about the roads one takes to leave home and find it again.
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.
Focus on: Pride Month
Burn the Page: A True Story of Torching Doubts, Blazing Trails, and Igniting Change
by Danica Roem

The first openly trans person elected to a U.S. state legislature discusses her lonely and closeted childhood and how she re-wrote her own future by deciding to run for office.
Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation
by Hannah Gadsby

Award-winning comedian Hannah Gadsby's bestselling "can't-miss" (Library Journal) memoir-in-essays chronicles their fraught coming-of-age in 1980s Tasmania, surviving sexual abuse, the evolution of their stand-up comedy, and more. Try this next: Save Yourself by Cameron Esposito.
The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening
by Ari Shapiro

This debut memoir-in-essays from NPR's All Things Considered co-host and former White House correspondent Ari Shapiro offers an incisive behind-the-scenes look at the stories behind Shapiro's reportage and is equal parts amusing and affecting. For fans of: All I Did Was Ask: Conversations with Writers, Actors, Musicians and Artists by Terry Gross. 
In the Shadow of the Mountain: A Memoir of Courage
by Silvia Vasquez-Lavado

Grappling with alcoholism and memories of childhood sexual abuse, Peruvian-born Silicon Valley executive Silvia Vasquez-Lavado began climbing mountains, eventually starting a nonprofit to help girls heal through adventure and becoming the first openly gay woman to climb the Seven Summits. For fans of: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Dive Into Summer Reading!
Mon, May 12–Sat, Aug 2

Grown-ups, you can join the 2025 Summer Reading Program for a chance to win gift cards, art supplies, Stanley cups, and more! Choose between the Timed or Title challenge and earn an entry ticket for every five hours of reading or five titles read. To get started, log your reading online through Beanstack or pick up a reading log from the Adult Library Services Desk.
 
Helen Plum Library
411 South Main Street Lombard, IL 60148
Phone: (630) 627-0316

Library Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-9pm • Sat 9am-5pm • Sun 1-5pm