Biography and Memoir
December 2023
Recent Releases
Class: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education
by Stephanie Land

Stephanie Land follows up her bestselling memoir Maid with a compelling exploration of the intersections between poverty and higher education, chronicling her attempts to attain a college degree (and financial stability) in her mid-30s. Try this next: Acceptance by Emi Nietfeld. 
Energy Follows Thought: The Stories Behind My Songs
by Willie Nelson

Grammy Award-winning country music superstar Willie Nelson shares the stories behind the lyrics to 160 of his songs (grouped thematically rather than chronologically) in this candid and engaging memoir laced with intimate insights and wry humor. For fans of: Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton.
On Great Fields: The Life and Unlikely Heroism of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
by Ronald C. White

Historian Ronald C. White offers fresh insights on the inspiring life and career of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, the Union Army volunteer who played a pivotal yet little-known role at the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. For fans of: Gettysburg by Stephen W. Sears.
The Risk It Takes to Bloom: On Life and Liberation
by Raquel Willis

Journalist and trans activist Raquel Willis chronicles her journey toward self-empowerment in this affecting and life-affirming memoir. For fans of: Redefining Realness by Janet Mock; I Have Always Been Me by Precious Brady-Davis. 
Being Henry: The Fonz . . . and Beyond
by Henry Winkler

Beloved Emmy Award-winning Happy Days and Barry actor Henry Winkler dishes on his rocky path to stardom in his heartwarming and self-deprecating memoir. Try this next: My Days: Happy and Otherwise by Marion Ross.
2023 Debuts
Not Funny: Essays on Life, Comedy, Culture, Et Cetera
by Jena Friedman

Comedian and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Jena Friedman (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm) dishes on her rise in the comedy scene and explores topics including cancel culture, workplace sexism, and celebrity worship in this irreverent essay collection that is "insightful and humorous in equal measure" (Publishers Weekly). For fans of: The Witches Are Coming by Lindy West. 
The Confidante: The Untold Story of the Woman Who Helped Win World War II and Shape...
by Christopher C. Gorham

Lawyer and history teacher Christopher C. Gorham reveals the lesser-known accomplishments of presidential adviser, political "fixer," and Assistant Secretary of Defense Anna Rosenberg, who became the first-ever recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1945. Try this next: A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell. 
Warrior: My Path to Being Brave
by Lisa Guerrero

Inside Edition investigative journalist and former sportscaster Lisa Guerrero reflects on pivotal moments in her life and career in her incisive memoir. For fans of: Uphill by Jemele Hill.
Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw: Reimagining Success as a Disabled Achiever
by Eddie Ndopu

In his engaging and conversational memoir, named one of Apple's Best Books of August 2023, South African disability rights activist Eddie Ndopu discusses ableism, coming out, and being the first Black disabled man admitted to the Master's in Public Policy program at the University of Oxford. Try this next: Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body by Rebekah Taussig. 
An Inconvenient Cop: My Fight to Change Policing in America
by Edwin Raymond with Jon Sternfeld

Former New York Police Department (NYPD) lieutenant and first generation Haitian American Edwin Raymond shares how he became a police reform activist and whistleblower in this thought-provoking memoir exploring how American policing reinforces systemic racism and dehumanization. Further reading: Break the Wheel: Ending the Cycle of Police Violence by Keith Ellison; Tangled Up in Blue: Policing the American City by Rosa Brooks.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Sonoma County Library
707-545-0831www.sonomalibrary.org