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Biography and Memoir February 2026 |
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| Ain't Nobody's Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton by Martha AckmannWhat it is: Martha Ackmann’s biography of country music legend Dolly Parton goes beyond the glamour to reveal the grit that propelled her to international stardom. Parton’s phenomenal talent was discovered while she was a teenager. Her business savvy and philanthropic generosity would be discovered later, namely by sexist Nashville executives trying to control her skyrocketing career.
For fans of: For the story of another feminist music star who refused to be put in a box, try Madonna: A Rebel Life by Mary Gabriel. |
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JFK: Public, Private, Secret
by J. Randy Taraborrelli
What it is: In this definitive portrait of John Fitzgerald Kennedy--one of America's most consequential and enigmatic presidents--J. Randy Taraborrelli delivers a deeply researched and authoritative biography.
Read it for: JFK as never before captured by history: brilliant yet fallible, revered yet human--a figure whose legacy continues to shape America and the world.
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All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation
by Elizabeth Gilbert
What it's about: In 2000, Elizabeth Gilbert met Rayya. They became friends, then best friends, then inseparable. When tragedy entered their lives, the truth was finally laid bare: The two were in love. They were also a pair of addicts, on a collision course toward catastrophe.
Reviewers say: "Fans of her more lighthearted memoir and novels may be shocked by this book’s intensity, but it’s a brave story with an ultimately hopeful outcome." (Booklist)
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Focus on: Black History Month
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The Second Life of Tiger Woods
by Michael Bamberger
What it's about: Bamberger, who has covered Woods since the golfer was an amateur, draws upon his network of sources inside locker rooms, caddie yards, clubhouses, fitness trailers, and back offices to tell the story of the legend's return, [revealing] how this athlete clawed his way back to the top.
Reviewers say: “Gripping . . . Even non-Tiger fans might find this amazing comeback story appealing.” (Kirkus Reviews)
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Mayor Harold Washington: Champion of Race and Reform in Chicago
by Roger Biles
What it is: Raised in a political family on Chicago's South Side, Harold Washington made history as the city's first African American mayor. His 1983 electoral triumph, fueled by black support, represented victory over the Chicago Machine and business as usual. Once in City Hall, Washington confronted the back room deals, aldermanic thuggery, and palm greasing that fueled the city's political regime.
Read it for: Biles charts the infamies of the Council Wars era and Washington's own growth through his winning of a second term--a promise of lasting reform unfulfilled when the mayor died in 1987.
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The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life's Journey
by Muhammad Ali
What it's about: In The Soul of a Butterfly the great champion takes readers on a spiritual journey through the seasons of life, from childhood to the present, and shares the beliefs that have served him well. After fighting some of the fiercest bouts in boxing history, today Muhammad Ali faces his most powerful foe -- outside the boxing ring.
Read it for: Ali's reflections on topics ranging from moral courage to belief in God to respect for those who differ from us. Written with the assistance of his daughter Hana, The Soul of a Butterfly is a compassionate and heartfelt book that will provide comfort for our times.
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Life on the Outside: The Prison Odyssey of Elaine Bartlett
by Jennifer Gonnerman
What it is: A groundbreaking work of reportage on the hidden consequences of America's prison boom Life On the Outside tells the story of Elaine Bartlett, who spent sixteen years in prison for selling cocaine.
Read it for: Writing with a passion and an empathy that recall There Are No Children Here and Cold New World, Jennifer Gonnerman calls attention to this mounting national crisis by crafting an intimate family portrait-a story of struggle and survival, guilt and forgiveness, loneliness and love.
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Rickey: The Life and Legend of an American Original
by Howard Bryant
What it is: From the author of The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron comes the definitive biography of Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, baseball's epic leadoff hitter and base-stealer who also stole America's heart over nearly five electric decades in the game.
Reviewers say: "Satisfying… a readable, appropriately fast-moving portrait of a baseball giant." (Kirkus Reviews)
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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