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Biography and Memoir September 2026 |
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| Unsayable: A Life in Writing by Michael CunninghamIn his memoir, acclaimed novelist Michael Cunningham (The Hours) continually returns to the concept of articulation, claiming that writing is simply finding a way to express that which resists being put into words. Cunningham cannily pinpoints moments from his early life -- bouncing a ball, or watching his mother bake a cake -- as opportunities to fall in love with and ponder our relationship with language. Unsayable is a book for “readers hungry for gorgeous prose” (Publishers Weekly). |
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| A Guide to Open Water Lifesaving: Lessons on Love, Care, and Survival by Virginia EubanksIn 2015, journalist Virginia Eubanks’ partner, J., was the victim of two separate assaults near their home, one of which resulted in serious injuries. The PTSD that J. suffered over the ensuing years was soon passed along to Eubanks, as she became J.’s primary (unpaid) caregiver. She found a way of coping by immersing herself in lifesaving and wilderness survival, and her book reveals striking parallels between emergency rescue and care work, which too often falls to loved ones. For another exploration of the costs of unpaid labor, try Everyone but Myself by Julie Chavez. |
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I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie: A Memoir
by Jaclyn Smith
From Charlie's Angels star, miniseries queen, and businesswoman Jaclyn Smith comes a heartfelt memoir chronicling the making of a global phenomenon and her story beyond the screen. Intimate, honest, and down-to-earth, I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie tells the life story of an accomplished woman who has inspired generations of Angels who have come after her.
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Never Say Die: A Memoir
by Ke Huy Quan
In this stunning and compulsively readable memoir, the Oscar-winning star of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Goonies, and Everything Everywhere All at Once, Ke Huy Quan, tells the story of his journey from Vietnamese refugee to 80s child star to the most inspiring comeback in Hollywood history. Never Say Die is the story of Ke's extraordinary life, a love letter to the movies and people that shaped him, and a powerful testament to never giving up on your dreams.
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| I'm a Lot: Surviving Myself and All the People I've Been by Alison LeibyComedian Alison Leiby’s memoir in essays is both hilarious and thought-provoking. In a society where people -- especially women -- struggle under the weight of expectations, Leiby’s witty anecdotes help explain how she figured out the secret to living her best life: having the courage to be herself, labels be damned. Readers will pick up her inspiring message and run with it. For fans of: Well, This Is Exhausting by Sophia Benoit. |
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| American Alt: A True Story of Madness and Friendship in a Fractured Country by Chris LockhartIn 2021, Michael Dodd, a veteran and avid outdoorsman, was committed to a mental hospital for plotting to kidnap the governor of Washington. Dodd, who was diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, requested the help of his childhood friend, the author Chris Lockhart, in piecing together his fractured sense of self through narrative therapy. Their talks form the backbone of Lockhart’s haunting “exploration of mental illness and friendship in the wreckage of American decline” (Publishers Weekly). |
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Focus on: Hispanic Heritage Month
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| Devout: Losing My Faith to Find Myself by David ArchuletaBy the time David Archuleta was 17, he had become the first runner-up on American Idol and was ready to parlay his newfound fame into a singing career. Except…he experienced persistent feelings of same-sex attraction. David’s long journey toward self-acceptance involved deciding whether he wanted to come out and risk alienating his fans, his Honduran American family, and his Latter-Day Saints church -- a struggle many readers will find relatable. Read-alike: What Mattered Most by Ty Herndon. |
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| Keeper of My Kin: Memoir of an Immigrant Daughter by Ada FerrerPulitzer Prize-winning historian Ada Ferrer (Cuba: An American History) relates the toll that emigrating from Cuba to the United States took on her family, especially her older half-brother Poly. When 10-month-old Ada and her mother left for New York City in 1963, a dispute with Poly’s father meant the boy had to be left behind, a heartbreaking turn that the author believes cast a shadow over the rest of Poly’s troubled life. For more emotionally intense stories of immigrant families, try Why Didn’t You Tell Me? by Carmen Rita Wong and A Body Across Two Hemispheres by Victoria Buitron. |
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In the Dream House
by Carmen Maria Machado
What it's about: In this inventive collection of short essays, award-winning author Carmen Maria Machado (Her Body and Other Parties) unflinchingly recounts a relationship with an unstable woman that devolved into physical and psychological abuse.
Book buzz: In the Dream House was longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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