Having already tackled the likes of William Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde, acclaimed biographer and novelist Peter Ackroyd now turns his considerable talent toward one of the most enigmatic writers in American history, Edgar Allan Poe. Ackroyd examines Poe's literary accomplishments--including his poetry, short stories, and contributions to the genres of detective and science fiction--and also looks at Poe's complicated and often sordid life and mysterious death at age 40. Almost 200 years after Poe's birth, he still fascinates readers and historians; check out this intriguing biography to find out why.

When historian Jennifer Baszile was three years old, her family moved to the predominantly white community of Palos Verdes, California, where Baszile and her sister were the only African-Americans in their elementary school. This memoir is Baszile's account of her childhood in the 1970s and 80s, during which she struggled to find her place as "the black girl next door" and tried to live up to her parents' high expectations. Poignant and illuminating, this book will appeal to readers who like coming-of-age stories or anyone interested in race relations in the post-segregation U.S.

In a memoir that "reads like a letter from an upbeat best friend" (Publishers Weekly), humorist and advice columnist Amy Dickinson--author of the syndicated "Ask Amy" and frequent panelist on NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me--reflects on her childhood and adult life. Dickinson recounts her youth in the small town of Freeville, New York, which she describes as "Lake Wobegon, only with worse weather and high unemployment," and talks candidly about her divorce and moving back to her hometown with her daughter. If you're in the mood for a fun and inspiring read, The Mighty Queens of Freeville is for you.

When Canadian journalist Jan Wong was 19 years old, the third-generation Chinese-Canadian was invited to spend a year at Beijing University. During her time there, she was an enthusiastic Maoist and an eager participant in the Cultural Revolution; she even betrayed a fellow student who confessed a hope to escape to America. Thirty years later, on the eve of the Beijing Olympics, a guilt-ridden Wong and her family traveled back to China--a very different place than the one she had left decades before--to find out what became of her former friend. Check out A Comrade Lost and Found for her fascinating and deeply personal story.

March 9, 1454. Though Christopher Columbus is credited with "discovering" the Western hemisphere, it is Florentine explorer Amerigo Vespucci whose name was used to christen these lands. Award-winning historian Felipe Fernández-Armesto looks at the life and times of this relative unknown, painting a portrait of him as a talented self-promoter and borrower of others' achievements but also a courageous and daring adventurer, jewel trader, sorcerer, and cartographer. Sweeping from the Renaissance court of Ferdinand and Isabella to the soil of the New World, this "dazzling" (Publishers Weekly) biography illuminates an entire era in addition to the man himself.

March 22, 1931. Depending on your interests, you may know William Shatner as the egotistic lawyer on the television series Boston Legal, or you may recognize him from his Priceline commercials. But he's undeniably best known for his portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise. In Up Till Now, Shatner talks about both his career and his personal life, including his early acting jobs, his many non-Star Trek roles, and how his alter ego, Captain Kirk, has influenced not only pop culture but his own sense of self. He's clearly a man capable of laughing at himself, so don't miss this entertaining memoir.

March 31, 1934. "I was born in Los Angeles during the Great Depression and was quickly whisked off to Beverly Hills," jests actor and former teen heartthrob Richard Chamberlain at the outset of this chatty and ultimately revealing memoir. Among the topics that Chamberlain ruminates on are his upbringing, his ongoing quest for personal happiness, and his starring roles in Dr. Kildare, The Thorn Birds, and Shogun. He also speaks openly about how his sexuality (Chamberlain is gay) affected his career. Pick up Shattered Love for an intimate look at this television star.

March 31, 1936. On the eve of her 65th birthday, acclaimed novelist and poet Marge Piercy (Three Women, Sex Wars, etc.) decided to share the story of her life and career. The result is this eloquent memoir, which details Piercy's turbulent Detroit childhood, her three marriages, and the companionship that she has enjoyed with pet cats throughout her life. She also speaks about her literary accomplishments and political activism. Even if you aren't familiar with Piercy's books, you are sure to like this emotionally rich book.

In 1983, Tami Oldham and her fiancé, Richard, set out to sail the four-masted Havana from Tahiti to San Diego. But 19 days into their voyage, the couple ran into Hurricane Raymond and Oldham was knocked unconscious; when she woke up, the only sign of Richard was his broken safety tether. Red Sky in Mourning is Oldham's account of how she not only survived the storm but also managed to steer the badly damaged Havana to Hawaii while grieving deeply for her fiancé. "Memorable and profound" (Booklist), Oldham's survival story will also satisfy adventure fans.

No mere gimmick to sell rum to bar-goers, Captain Morgan was an actual 17th-century Welsh privateer based in Jamaica and commissioned by the British to steal from Spanish ships. Smart and resourceful--and eventually "fabulously rich"--Henry Morgan also raided wealthy cities to prove that Spain, though dominant in the New World, was not invulnerable. It was due to him, his pirate armies, and their violent raid on Panama that Spain was eventually forced to give up its stranglehold on the Americas. Fer a rousin' tale o' adventure and greed, check out Empire of Blue Water.

In this "superlative" (Publishers Weekly) biography, author Evan Thomas illuminates the life and times of John Paul Jones, known as the "Father of the American Navy." Thomas traces Jones' humble Scottish origins, the murder charges that resulted in his flight to America, his achievements during the American Revolution, and his connections to such figures as Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. Featuring exciting, blow-by-blow recreations of naval battles, John Paul Jones is for military enthusiasts as well as fans of the legendary hero.

This well-researched biography of Captain James Cook places the famed British explorer within the cultural and historical context of the 18th century. Author and anthropologist Nicholas Thomas details how Cook not only travelled to previously unexplored lands in the South Pacific but also brought native peoples into contact with European civilization. If you like this "rich, vivid and deeply provocative" (Publishers Weekly) book and want to know more, pick up Martin Dugard's Farther Than Any Man: The Rise and Fall of Captain James Cook.