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Biography and Memoir December 2025 |
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| Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts by Margaret AtwoodWhat it is: 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.
Read alike: For another memoir that ruminates on the writing life, try Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami. |
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| The Uncool by Cameron CroweWhat it is: 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.
For fans of: Going into the City: Portrait of a Critic as a Young Man by Robert Christgau; the Crowe-directed film Almost Famous. |
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Hotshot: A Life On Fire
by River Selby
What it is: The debut memoir of a female firefighter, Hotshot navigates the personal and environmental dangers of wildland firefighting. Drawing on years of firsthand experience on the frontlines of fire and years of research, Selby examines how the collision of fire suppression policy, colonization, and climate change has led to fire seasons of unprecedented duration and severity.
Read it for: A work of rare intimacy, Hotshot provides new insight into fire, the people who fight it, and the diversity of ecosystems dependent on this elemental force.
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Becoming Caitlin Clark: The Unknown Origin Story of a Modern Basketball Superstar
by Howard Megdal
What it is: A multifaceted portrait of Caitlin Clark's game-changing superstardom and the cultural foundation it was built upon. Spanning 100 years and several generations, Becoming Caitlin Clark traces the arc between the women who played the popular game of 6-on-6 basketball in the 1920s and Clark in the 2020s, examining her fame and style of play in the context of her predecessors.
Read it for: The story of the basketball-loving community that rallied behind her in college and beyond.
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| We Did OK, Kid by Anthony HopkinsWhat it is: 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.
Try this next: The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man by Paul Newman. |
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| John Candy: A Life in Comedy by Paul MyersWhat it is: 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).
Read it for: Candy broke countless hearts upon his death by heart failure at age 43, but Myers’ book is a life-affirming, heartwarming tribute. |
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My Next Breath: A Memoir
by Jeremy Renner
What it is: The gripping and inspiring story of acclaimed actor Jeremy Renner's near-fatal accident, and what he learned about inner strength, endurance and hope as he overcame insurmountable odds to recover, one breath at a time.
Reviewers say: "A sincere narrative of survival and self-reinvention." (Kirkus Reviews)
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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