"Everyone, if they live long enough, will lose their way at some point," writes memoirist and poet Nick Flynn at the outset of this mesmerizing memoir about the months leading up to his first child's birth. In 2007, as his partner's due date approached, Flynn became obsessed with news reports about torture at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, which in turn led him to revisit his past, including his relationships with his mother, who committed suicide at age 42, and his ex-con father. Written in a non-linear fashion with poetry interwoven throughout, The Ticking Is the Bomb is an artful and deeply moving memoir that will "mystify, enlighten, trouble and amaze," (Kirkus Reviews).

In author Elizabeth Gilbert's mega-bestselling Eat, Pray, Love, she detailed her year-long journey around the world following the breakup of her marriage. Now, in Committed, Gilbert chronicles how she--a self-professed marriage skeptic who vowed to never walk down the aisle again--took the plunge with her Brazilian-born lover, Felipe. Though the pair was actually pushed down the aisle by the U.S. government, who gave them an ultimatum--marry or Felipe cannot enter the country again--Gilbert comes to realize that she might have a happily-ever-after love story after all. Also containing information about the history of marriage around the globe, Committed is sure to be another must-read.

As a freshman at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the late 1990s, Alex Lemon had a promising future ahead of him. He was set to star as the catcher on the school's baseball team, but a series of bizarre symptoms began to plague the young athlete, and it wasn't long before Lemon learned that he had suffered a stroke. The news hit him hard, and he turned to drugs and alcohol at the very time he should have been focusing on his health; additional strokes followed, as did a risky brain surgery. Depressed and deeply troubled, it wasn't until Lemon's free-spirited single mother intervened that Lemon truly began to recover both physically and emotionally. His memoir of his health crisis is so vivid and gripping that it is "impossible to put down" (Kirkus Reviews).

Though Lady Anne Boleyn, the second wife of England's King Henry VIII, has been dead for nearly 500 years, her life and death continue to fascinate weekend historians and serious scholars alike. In The Lady in the Tower, bestselling author Alison Weir sheds light on Anne's courtship with and brief marriage to the monarch, and she also examines the courtly intrigue and political machinations surrounding Anne's downfall and execution. In the process, Weir debunks certain historical "facts" about Anne and also offers new insights into her character. If you enjoy this compelling and absorbing biography and want to know more about Henry's other wives, check out Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII.

February 6, 1895. While the name George Herman Ruth, Jr., may not immediately ring a bell, you're certain to recognize him by his nickname: Babe Ruth. This portrait of the legendary slugger, whom many consider the greatest baseball player of all time, draws on interviews, recently discovered documents, and Ruth's personal scrapbooks to trace his life from his bleak Baltimore childhood to his rise through the Major Leagues. In addition, author Leigh Montville documents the athlete's larger-than-life personality and infamous off-the-field antics. For more on Ruth, pick up Tom Stanton's Ty and the Babe: Baseball's Fiercest Rivals.

February 10, 1930. During his five decades in Hollywood, actor Robert Wagner has experienced numerous personal and professional highs and lows. He's been a product of Hollywood's studio system as well as a star on television; he's found love--and lost it--multiple times, including with actresses Barbara Stanwyck (they began a secret four-year affair when he was 22 and she 45) and Natalie Wood, whose tragic death shocked the world; and he's rubbed elbows with legends like Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and Tony Curtis. Check out Pieces of My Heart to get the full scoop on this talented actor's life and relationships.

February 18, 1922. According to biographer Jennifer Scanlon, Helen Gurley Brown--the author of the 1962 bestseller Sex and the Single Girl and the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine for 32 years--deserves a place right alongside the likes of Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem in the history of feminism. While not everyone may share Scanlon's views on the impact or value of Brown's unique form of female empowerment, all readers will find the story of Brown's climb from a small town in the Ozark mountains to the top of New York City both inspiring and entertaining. Don't miss this story of the world's original Carrie Bradshaw.

February 27, 1932. From Princess Grace to Frank Sinatra, bestselling biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli has tackled numerous celebrity biggies, and in this book he focuses on Hollywood legend (and two-time Oscar winner) Elizabeth Taylor. Taraborrelli examines her privileged birth in England, her rise to fame as a child star, her struggles with drugs and alcohol, and her philanthropic work as an AIDS activist. Of course, there's also plenty of dish on Taylor's eight marriages to men like Eddie Fisher and Richard Burton. Even if you think you've heard it all before, you're sure to be surprised by this irresistible book.

When his young son, Rowan, was diagnosed with autism, author Rupert Isaacson was terrified that he might never be able to communicate with his child. But when Isaacson, a lifelong horseman, began riding his neighbor's horse with Rowan in his lap, the boy showed signs of improving. Isaacson was struck with a seemingly crazy idea: why not take Rowan to Mongolia, where the last-known wild horses exist, and where his son could benefit from shamanic healers? In The Horse Boy, Isaacson recounts their experiences riding horses in Asia and how their journey impacted Rowan. Their moving story may give hope to readers whose lives have been affected by autism.

When most of us hear the word autism, we think of people who clearly don't "fit in" and who have trouble communicating with the rest of the world. But as Dawn Prince-Hughes, who was 36 years old when diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome--an autistic spectrum disorder--reveals, the condition includes a wide range of individuals, including those who appear normal to everyone else. Here Prince-Hughes describes her struggle to connect with others, the bond she made with gorillas at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, her pursuit of a Ph.D. in anthropology, and her eventual ability to develop human relationships. This memoir is an enlightening window into the world of autism as well as a memorable look at the power of human-animal relationships.

Throughout his childhood, John Robison (whose brother is writer Augusten Burroughs) struggled to communicate with others and feel "normal." As an adult, he achieved success working with electronics and as an engineer at a toy company, but he still felt as though he couldn't connect with others. Then, finally, at the age of 40, he was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. Look Me in the Eye is his amazing and darkly funny story of life with an undiagnosed medical condition as well as his childhood in a dysfunctional family. "A fantastic life story (highlights include building guitars for Kiss) told with grace, humor, and a bracing lack of sentimentality," notes Entertainment Weekly.

Dustin Hoffman's Oscar-winning performance in the 1988 film Rain Main brought much attention to a disorder that many people were unfamiliar with at the time: savant syndrome, which can bring seemingly super-human mental capacities--but also impairments and disabilities--to those with the condition. In Born on a Blue Day, 27-year-old autistic savant Daniel Tammet shares his inspiring life story, including his difficult childhood, his incredible ability to see numbers and words in a visual way, and his compulsive need for order and routine. Check out this "riveting account" (Kirkus Reviews) for a fascinating look into the incredible power of the human brain.