Biography and Memoir
February 2026

Recent Releases
Ain't Nobody's Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton
by Martha Ackmann

Martha Ackmann’s biography of country music legend Dolly Parton goes beyond the glamour to reveal the grit that propelled her to international stardom. Parton’s phenomenal talent was discovered while she was a teenager. Her business savvy and philanthropic generosity would be discovered later, namely by sexist Nashville executives trying to control her skyrocketing career. For the story of another feminist music star who refused to be put in a box, try Madonna: A Rebel Life by Mary Gabriel.
One Aladdin, Two Lamps
by Jeanette Winterson

Prolific novelist and essayist Jeanette Winterson considers the richness of storytelling traditions using One Thousand and One Nights as a guide. Amidst examples of tales spun by Shahrazad that draw parallels with the author’s experiences and the real world, Winterson holds out hope for humanity, expressed through our seemingly inexhaustible imagination. This is an original, thought-provoking work in the vein of Jane Hirshfield’s Ten Windows: How Great Poems Transform the World.
A Sicilian Man: Leonardo Sciascia, the Rise of the Mafia and the Struggle for Italy's Soul by Caroline Moorehead
A Sicilian Man: Leonardo Sciascia, the Rise of the Mafia and the Struggle for Italy's Soul
by Caroline Moorehead

Corruption, sleaze and violence were woven into the fabric of twentieth-century Sicilian life, as the Mafia rose to dominance; this is the story of one man who stood in opposition. 
Troublemaker: The Fierce, Unruly Life of Jessica Mitford by Carla Kaplan
Troublemaker: The Fierce, Unruly Life of Jessica Mitford
by Carla Kaplan

From British country homes to Republican Spain and civil rights America, the inspiring, wildly entertaining story of Jessica Mitford - investigative journalist, radical activist, renegade aristocrat.
Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President by E. Jean Carroll
Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President
by E. Jean Carroll

An autobiography of journalist and advice columnist E. Jean Carroll. Includes transcripts of testimony in the defamation trial against Donald Trump.
Judy Blume: A Life by Mark Oppenheimer
Judy Blume: A Life
by Mark Oppenheimer

The highly anticipated biography of one of the world's most treasured literary voices, showcasing a life as triumphant and inspiring as the stories she crafted. 
Funny Thing, Getting Older: And Other Reflections by Michael Morpurgo
Funny Thing, Getting Older: And Other Reflections
by Michael Morpurgo

Michael Morpurgo is one of Britain's most beloved novelists, best known for enchanting children with his books like War Horse and Private Peaceful. Here, collected for the first time, are his thoughts on nature, childhood, writing, politics and getting older. 
You with the Sad Eyes: A Memoir by Christina Applegate
You with the Sad Eyes: A Memoir
by Christina Applegate

In You with the Sad Eyes, Applegate will unveil the full story of her years in the public eye, and the painful moments the public didn't see. She writes about gravitating to the grunge that defined the 90s and finding belonging in the legendary scene at The Viper Room; sparkling on set with fellow comedy icons in the soon to be canonized franchise Anchorman; sharing her love of dance on stage in the Broadway revival of Sweet Charity; and returning to the Emmy stage to a standing ovation in 2024 after her diagnosis of MS. She'll dive into the darker moments underpinning her outward success: her relationship with her mother who fought addiction and won, even in the wake of her father's abandonment; the self-doubt and body dysmorphia that have dogged her from a young age; and the abuse and depression that eroded her health. Her path is ever lit though, by lifelong friends, chosen family, and her experience as a mother. 
Contact your librarian for more great books!