Biography and Memoir
November 2023
Recent Releases
Every Man for Himself and God Against All 
by Werner Herzog

Legendary film director and Academy Award-nominated documentarian Werner Herzog dishes on his life and career in this reflective memoir told in his signature idiosyncratic style: "As far as I'm concerned, the twentieth century, in its entirety, was a mistake." Read-alike: This Is Not My Memoir by AndrĂ© Gregory and Todd London.
A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, a History, a Memorial
by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen (The Sympathizer) incisively explores "the thin border between / history and memory" in his nonlinear memoir detailing how colonization, war, and a fractured sense of self have impacted him as the child of Vietnamese refugees. Read-alike: The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir by Thi Bui.
Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones
by Dolly Parton with Holly George-Warren; curated by Rebecca Seaver

Beloved country superstar Dolly Parton shares the stories behind her favorite fashion moments in this charming full-color memoir featuring 450 photographs, never-before-seen images from her personal archives, and insights from her designers and stylists. Read-alike: Supreme Glamour by Mary Wilson.
How to Say Babylon
by Safiya Sinclair

Whiting Award-winning poet Safiya Sinclair (Cannibal) recounts her flight from her strict Rastafarian upbringing in this evocative Read with Jenna Book Club Pick. For fans of: Educated by Tara Westover. 
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)
by Sly Stone with Ben Greenman

Groundbreaking funk musician and Sly and the Family Stone frontman Sly Stone reflects on the trials and triumphs of fame in his engaging and insightful tell-all. Read-alike: Too Hot: Kool & the Gang & Me by George Brown with Dave Smitherman. 
Focus on: Indigenous Voices
Living Nations, Living Words: An Anthology of First Peoples Poetry
by Joy Harjo (editor)

Joy Harjo, the United States' first Native Poet Laureate, edited this moving collection of poetry penned by Indigenous Americans, featuring work from both emerging and established authors. Read-alike: Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America by Matika Wilbur.
Thinning Blood: A Memoir of Family, Myth, and Identity
by Leah Myers

In her melancholy debut, Leah Myers, the last person in her family enrolled as a member of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, examines what it's like to be "a Native woman at the end of a culture." Read-alike: Black Indian by Shonda Buchanan.
White Magic: Essays
by Elissa Washuta

Sioux author Elissa Washuta (My Body Is a Book of Rules) offers funny and thought-provoking musings on Native identity, politics, and popular culture in this engaging memoir in essays. Read-alike: Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese's by Tiffany Midge.
Contact your librarian for more great books!

 Iredell County Public Library
 201 N. Tradd Street, Statesville, NC 28677
 704-878-3090
 www.iredell.lib.nc.us