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Biography and Memoir March 2023 |
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| Reckoning by V, formerly Eve EnslerWhat it is: a powerful, decades-spanning collection of essays, poems, journal entries, and articles penned by V (formerly Eve Ensler), the Tony Award-winning playwright of The Vagina Monologues.
Is it for you? V's impassioned chronicle frankly addresses difficult topics including grief, addiction, reproductive justice, sexual violence, and more.
Book buzz: This "elegant and timely book" (Kirkus Reviews) was named a Top 10 Memoir of the Season by Publishers Weekly. |
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| Bad Mormon by Heather GayWhat it's about: Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Heather Gay's complicated relationship with the Mormon faith in which she was raised.
Read it for: an irreverent account of spirituality lost and found; dishy gossip on Gay's Real Housewives castmates.
Want a taste? "Everything in my life confirmed my identity, my faith, and my future. Until it didn't." |
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| Life on Delay: Making Peace with a Stutter by John HendricksonWhat it is: The Atlantic senior editor John Hendrickson's candid memoir of how his lifelong stutter has impacted his life.
Topics include: the bullying and unsuccessful therapy Hendrickson endured as a child; the depression and substance abuse he battled as an adult; his relationship with his wife, Liz, who has a neuromuscular disorder.
Featuring: interviews with speech therapists, researchers, and fellow stutterers, including Joe Biden, "the most famous living stutterer." |
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| Love & Justice: A Story of Triumph on Two Different Courts by Maya Moore Irons and Jonathan Irons; foreword by Bryan StevensonWhat it's about: In 2007, future WNBA player Maya Moore met wrongfully convicted Jonathan Irons via a prison ministry program, and the two developed a connection while Irons served his sentence.
What happened next: In 2019, Moore retired from the sport to help secure Irons' release; the pair later married, welcoming a son in 2022.
Don't miss: letters and poems the pair penned over the years. |
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| Unraveling: What I Learned About Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the... by Peggy OrensteinWhat it's about: how bestselling author Peggy Orenstein (Boys & Sex) found solace in the "enforced pause" of the COVID-19 pandemic by undertaking a unique project.
What she did: Orenstein learned how to knit a sweater from scratch, which involved shearing a sheep, spinning and dyeing its wool, and creating her own patterns.
Read it for: a funny and reflective account of a difficult period in Orenstein's life, which saw the death of her mother, her father's declining health, and her daughter leaving for college. |
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| B.F.F.: A Memoir of Friendship Lost and Found by Christie TateWhat it's about: Group author Christie Tate's lifelong difficulties maintaining female friendships.
Why you might like it: Tate's warts-and-all chronicle sees her reckoning with mistakes of the past to find fulfilling relationships now.
Further reading: For another book about the transformative power of friendship, read Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman. |
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| The Love You Save by Goldie TaylorWhat it is: Daily Beast editor Goldie Taylor's compelling memoir detailing how she persevered in the face of her traumatic coming-of-age.
Is it for you? Though Taylor's account ends on a hopeful note, her journey toward healing included grappling with rape, pregnancy and miscarriage, suicide attempts, and her father's murder.
Book buzz: The Love You Save was named one of The Root's Most Anticipated Books of January, a Good Morning America Best Book of January, and an Essence Must Read Book of the Year. |
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| A Guest at the Feast: Essays by Colm TóibínWhat it is: a collection of 11 previously published pieces from prizewinning Irish novelist Colm Tóibín (The Magician).
Topics include: Tóibín's upbringing and early career highlights; religion; sexuality; battles with testicular cancer; the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reviewers say: "Erudite essays from one of the world's finest writers" (Kirkus Reviews); "Tóibín's fans will relish these sharp reflections" (Publishers Weekly). |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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