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Biography and Memoir August 2026 |
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The Lost Founder: James Wilson and the Forgotten Fight for a People's Constitution
by Jesse Wegman
As a young lawyer, James Wilson made a celebrated case for American independence in an essay that inspired the famous words We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. He wrote the first draft of the Constitution and, along with the more famous James Madison, played perhaps the essential role in its ultimate creation. He was later brought down by reckless land speculation and died of malaria in the back room of a North Carolina tavern while hiding from his creditors. Instead of being remembered as one of the nation's great political thinkers, Wilson was virtually written out of history. But in The Lost Founder, Wegman brings to life the most prescient of the earliest patriots and makes a convincing argument that scandal should not diminish the life and impact of a brilliant, complicated man whose vision for his country could not be more relevant today.
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| Fully Baked: A Messy Memoir by Rosebud BakerIn comedian and former SNL writer Rosebud Baker’s Fully Baked, she reflects on an upbringing colored by dysfunction and tragedy, and how the experience taught her the value of laughter in the face of trauma. Baker’s “joke-dense” (Booklist) debut recounts her tumultuous journey to discovering her talent for standup and, eventually, choosing sobriety, marriage, and motherhood -- heavily laced with her trademark sarcasm and dark humor. For fans of: What in the World?! by Leanne Morgan. |
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| The Double Dutch Fuss by Phill BranchIn his autobiography, director Phill Branch addresses the difficulties of growing up Black, queer, and artistic in an environment where strict codes of masculinity reigned, enforced chiefly by a domineering father whose love was dependent on his son’s conforming to rigid expectations. Branch found some freedom when he moved to Los Angeles after college, stopped hiding his identity, and finally patched things up with his dad. Read-alike: Yet Here I Am: Lessons from a Black Man’s Search for Home by Jonathan Capehart. |
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| Gowanus Crossing: A Brooklyn Boyhood by Vincent CoppolaJournalist and debut memoirist Vincent Coppola takes a trip back to 1960s Gowanus, Brooklyn, the tough-as-nails Italian American neighborhood of his youth. With gritty lyricism, Coppola captures a tightly knit place where outsiders were mistrusted, people feared the police and the mafia equally, the Catholic church held absolute sway, and family life was hardly less chaotic. For another lively work of urban history, try Talkin’ Greenwich Village by David Browne. |
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| Catching Sight: How a Guide Dog Helped Me See Myself by Deni Elliott with Graham BuckDeni Elliott, a professor of ethics who was born with limited eyesight, co-authors her memoir with Graham Buck, the dog trainer who matched her with guide dogs Alberta and Koala, both of whom are charismatic characters in her story. Elliott narrates their shared adventures with humor and wit, helping readers appreciate both the challenges of vision-impaired disability and the amazing intelligence and sensitivity of her canine helpers. |
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| Push the Wall: My Life, Writing, Drawing, and the Art of Storytelling by Frank MillerLauded comics author and artist Frank Miller (Dark Knight Returns, Sin City) tells his life story with a tone as edgy as his comics oeuvre. His passion for storytelling remains undimmed as he peppers his career highlights with advice for fellow creators, exhorting readers to “push the wall” -- i.e. force creative boundaries outward to make something new. Miller’s book, generously illustrated with his groundbreaking artwork, will appeal to fans of Magic Words: The Extraordinary Life of Alan Moore by Lance Parkin. |
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| Becoming George: The Invention of George Sand by Fiona SampsonAuthor Amantine-Lucile-Aurore Dupin de Francueil (better known by her male pseudonym George Sand) was not just one of the 19th century’s most prolific novelists, she was also a pioneering feminist before such a concept existed. Biographer Fiona Sampson unpacks her literary influence alongside the controversy she constantly courted -- dressing like a man, lesbianism, affairs with famous figures, etc. -- in a detailed tribute to a gender-bending maverick. For fans of: Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife by Francesca Wade. |
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| When the Revolution Comes: A Fight for the Future of the Working Class by Chris SmallsWhen Chis Smalls, an employee at an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island, figured out that he was repeatedly passed over for advancement opportunities because he was Black, he staged a walkout and was fired for it. But that was only the beginning. Smalls’ autobiography recounts his founding of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) to combat unfair pay and poor working conditions at the only unionized Amazon warehouse in the country. For other inspiring examples of labor activism, try Get on the Job and Organize by Jaz Brisack. |
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