Smyrna Public Library: Biography and Memoir: March 2026

Recent Releases

Elizabeth Cady Stanton: A Revolutionary Life
by Ellen Carol DuBois

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a singular leader, thinker, and organizer whose fight for women's emancipation stretched from the 1840s to her death in 1902. Yet her legacy has been marked by controversy. In this landmark biography, eminent historian Ellen Carol DuBois paints a fresh portrait of this complex crusader whose tireless work made contemporary feminism possible.

North of Ordinary: How One Woman Left It All Behind for Wilderness and Wonder in Alaska's Frozen Frontier
by Sue Aikens

In North of Ordinary, Sue Aikens tells the unforgettable story of abandonment, grit, and fierce independence - from navigating deadly storms and surviving a horrific bear attack to learning how to build a life, a home, and a sense of self where most would see only desolation.

Judy Blume: A Life
by Mark Oppenheimer

Journalist, historian, and longtime Blume aficionado Mark Oppenheimer pens a multidimensional portrait of the acclaimed author through extensive interviews with Blume herself, invaluable access to her papers and correspondence, and thoughtful analysis of Blume's beloved novels.

America's Founding Son: John Quincy Adams, from President to Political Maverick
by Bob Crawford

During the tumultuous period between the era of the Founding Fathers and the disunion of the Civil War, John Quincy Adams was the man standing in the breach. America's Founding Son tells the tale of Adams's turbulent government career and his evolving views on slavery.

Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!
by Liza Minnelli

This is the autobiography of EGOT icon Liza Minnelli. This fascinating, untold story reveals the intimate truth of the only child born to Hollywood legends Vincente Minnelli and Judy Garland. For the first time, here is Liza up close: Raw, strong, sexy, hilarious and heartbreaking.

Leaving Home: A Memoir in Full Colour
by Mark Haddon

Simultaneously heart-breaking and hilarious, this is a book about being different and seeing the world differently. As bracing as it is embracing, Leaving Home is about escaping a place that never felt like home and learning to create somewhere that does.

You with the Sad Eyes: A Memoir
by Christina Applegate

Unflinchingly honest and darkly funny, You with the Sad Eyes unveils a side of Christina Applegate we've never seen, forever cementing her formidable and iconoclastic legacy. Now, at her most intimate and vulnerable, she unveils a story not even those closest to her fully know.

Adult Braces: Driving Myself Sane
by Lindy West

In bestselling author Lindy West's ambitious memoir, she brings readers along on an uproarious cross-country road trip as she unpacks her last few tumultuous years, rediscovers herself, and reinvents her marriage in the process.

Bonfire of the Murdochs: How the Epic Fight to Control the Last Great Media Dynasty Broke a Family -- And the World
by Gabriel Sherman

When Rupert Murdoch made a fateful decision about who should inherit his media colossus, he believed that pitting his children against each other would produce the most capable heir. Twenty-five years later, that gamble would tear apart one of the world's most powerful families and trigger a multi-billion dollar reckoning in a succession battle featuring betrayals, lawsuits, and revenge plots.

Getting Naked: The Quiet Work of Becoming Perfectly Imperfect
by Valerie Bertinelli

From beloved actress and bestselling author Valerie Bertinelli, her most vulnerable book yet offering wisdom hard-won through divorce, menopause, and generational pain. She presents a powerful message of self-acceptance and embracing the past with compassion.

Contact your librarian for more great books!