LibraryAware New Nonfiction March 2021

Biography & Memoir

The Beauty of Living Twice
by Sharon Stone

The Nobel Peace Summit Award-winning actress, activist and humanitarian chronicles her efforts to recover and rebuild after a massive stroke, discussing how her health challenges were also shaped by industry standards, childhood traumas and family bonds.

Behind the Lens: My Life
by David Suchet

The long-awaited autobiography of much-loved actor David Suchet.

Black Boy Out of Time: A Memoir
by Hari Ziyad

A cultural critic and screenwriter discusses gender, race and the challenges of growing up Black and queer as one of nineteen children in a blended family in Cleveland, Ohio.

The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race
by Walter Isaacson

A portrait of the Nobel Prize-winning scientist explores the impact of James Watson’s The Double Helix on her career and how her team’s invention of CRISPR technology enabled revolutionary DNA-editing approaches to fighting disease.

Eleanor in the Village: Eleanor Roosevelt’s Search for Freedom and Identity in New York’s Greenwich Village
by Jan Jarboe Russell

The best-selling author of The Train to Crystal City documents the lesser-known story of Eleanor Roosevelt’s abrupt relocation to 1920 Greenwich Village, discussing the former First Lady’s motivations and how the region shaped her progressive political views.

Elegy for Mary Turner: An Illustrated Account of a Lynching
by Rachel Marie-Crane Williams

Powerful and haunting, this depiction, detailed with full-color artwork, names those who were lynched and tortured in late May 1918 in Valdosta, Georgia, including one black woman, Mary Turner, who was eight months pregnant at the time.

The Empathy Diaries: A Memoir
by Sherry Turkle

The MIT psychologist and best-selling author of Reclaiming Conversation illuminates humanity’s search for authentic connection in the face of today’s unprecedented challenges, explaining how empathy shaped her own complicated coming-of-age and survival experiences.

Fierce Poise: Helen Frankenthaler and 1950s New York
by Alexander Nemerov

A coming-of-age portrait describes the gender barriers that challenged Helen Frankenthaler’s education, security and achievements as a successful postwar artist, discussing the factors, from the works of Jackson Pollock to her relationship with critic Clement Greenberg, that shaped her ambitions.

Grace & Steel: Dorothy, Barbara, Laura, and the Women of the Bush Dynasty
by J. Randy Taraborrelli

The best-selling author of Jackie, Ethel, Joan documents the lesser-known stories of the women of the presidential Bush dynasty, sharing insights into how they fought for marriage equality and raised their children to defend American values.

Johnny Cash: The Last Interview and Other Conversations
by Johnny Cash

The interviews spotlight the subjects that made Cash as relatable as he was mysterious and brings together decades of insight as deeply profound as was his unforgettable baritone.

Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue: A Life's Work Fighting for a More Perfect Union
by Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Traces the long history of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s work for gender equality and a “more perfect Union.”

Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight
by Julia Sweig

A magisterial portrait of Lady Bird Johnson, and a major reevaluation of the profound yet underappreciated impact the First Lady’s political instincts had on LBJ’s presidency.

The Marathon Don't Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle
by Rob Kenner

The founding editor of Vibe presents an in-depth portrait of the hip-hop mogul, artist and activist to share insights into his motivational lyrics, visionary business savvy and tragic murder in a neighborhood he was trying to rebuild.

Mr. Humble and Dr. Butcher: A Monkey's Head, the Pope's Neuroscientist, and the Quest to Transplant the Soul
by Brandy Schillace

The story of an American neurosurgeon’s Cold War-era attempts to not only perform a brain transplant, but also his work to perfect surgery that would all the soul to live on after the death of the body.

Northern Light
by Kazim Ali

An examination of the lingering effects of a hydroelectric power station on Pimicikamak sovereign territory in Manitoba, Canada.

On the Hoof: A 3,800-Mile Adventure: Pacific to Atlantic
by Jesse Alexander McNeil

The true tale of a voyage that broke a man down and built him back up, with the help of his horse.

The Other Madisons: The Lost History of a President's Black Family
by Bettye Kearse

Bettye Kearse, a descendant of an enslaved cook and, according to oral tradition, President James Madison, shares her family story and explores the issues of legacy, race, and the powerful consequences of telling the whole truth.

The Secret Gospel of Mark: A Poet's Memoir
by Spencer Reece

A memoir of a life saved by poetry.

Tiger Girl and the Candy Kid: America’s Original Gangster Couple
by Glenn Stout

The author of Young Woman and the Sea presents the story of Jazz-Age gangsters Margaret and Richard Whittemore, describing how their murderous pursuit of the American Dream was shaped by historical events and tabloid sensationalism.

To the Greatest Heights: Facing Danger, Finding Humility, and Climbing a Mountain of Truth
by Vanessa O'Brien

This riveting and uplifting memoir by Vanessa O’Brien, record-breaking American-British explorer, takes you on an unexpected journey to the top of the world’s highest mountains.

The Waters Between Us: A Boy, a Father, Outdoor Misadventures and the Healing Power of Nature
by Mike Tougias

A reminiscence of growing up loving the woods and waters and fields and fauna of Massachusetts.

When Women Invented Television: The Untold Story of the Female Powerhouses Who Pioneered the Way We Watch Today
by Jennifer Armstrong

The best-selling author of Seinfeldia documents the lesser-known story of how four trailblazing women from the radio era, including Irna Phillips, Gertrude Berg, Hazel Scott and Betty White, helped establish the foundation of the modern television industry.

General Nonfiction

Ageless: The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old
by Andrew Steele

A young scientist takes readers into the frontiers of the science of aging, and reveals how close we are to an astonishing extension of our life spans and a vastly improved quality of life in our later years.

Already Toast: Caregiving and Burnout in America
by Kate Washington

Despite feeling profoundly alone while providing care to her sick husband, a writer discusses how she discovered she was one of millions of exhausted and stressed unpaid caregivers in America and argues that more should be done to support them.

Assume Nothing: A Story of Intimate Violence
by Tanya Selvaratnam

An award-winning filmmaker recounts the intimate abuse she suffered from former New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, using her story as a prism to examine the domestic violence crisis plaguing America.

The Babysitter: My Summers With a Serial Killer
by Liza Rodman

Documents the co-author’s childhood summer experiences in 1960s Cape Cod under the care of a friendly neighbor, who years later was discovered to be the infamous serial killer of numerous women.

Bring Back Our Girls: The Untold Story of the Global Search for Nigeria's Missing Schoolgirls
by Joe Parkinson

A work of investigative journalism reveals the blinding possibilities—for good and ill—of digital activism in our interconnected world.

Come Fly the World: The Jet-age Story of the Women of Pan Am
by Julia Cooke

Documents the high standards once required of Pan Am stewardesses, from second-language fluency and a college education to youth and a trim figure, sharing the stories of remarkable, high-achieving women who served during the jet age.

Comeback Season: My Unlikely Story of Friendship With the Greatest Living Negro League Baseball Players
by Cam Perron

An award-winning sports writer describes his teenage correspondences with several surviving former Negro League players, sharing remarkable career stories about how their days on the field were impacted by racism, the KKK and major league color barriers.

Fortune's Many Houses: A Victorian Visionary, a Noble Scottish Family, and a Lost Inheritance
by Simon Welfare

A unique and fascinating look at Victorian society through the remarkable lives of an enlightened and philanthropic aristocratic couple, the Marquess and Marchioness of Aberdeen, who tried to change the world for the better but paid a heavy price.

Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-click America
by Alec MacGillis

The award-winning ProPublica senior reporter and author of The Cynic examines how Amazon’s trillion-dollar network of delivery hubs, data centers and corporate campuses reflects the company’s increasing influence over local and federal governments.

Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation
by Kevin Roose

Technology columnist lays out a hopeful, pragmatic vision of how people can succeed in the machine age by making themselves irreplaceably human.

The Girl Explorers: The Untold Story of the Globetrotting Women Who Trekked, Flew, and Fought Their Way Around the World
by Jayne E. Zanglein

An account of the inspiring achievements of the Society of Woman Geographers organization details how its members were excluded from male-dominated exploration programs and included such luminaries as Blair Niles, Amelia Earhart, Gloria Hollister and Anna Heyward Taylor.

Hooked: Food, Free Will, and How the Food Giants Exploit Our Addictions
by Michael Moss

The best-selling author of Salt Sugar Fat reveals how the processed food industry targets the human body’s evolutionary instincts with unsafe products while taking advantage of legal loopholes to avoid health liabilities.

The Hospital: Life, Death and Dollars in a Small American Town
by Brian Alexander

The award-winning author of Glass House presents an intimate portrait of a small American hospital to identify the economic and systemic causes of today’s lower life-expectancy rates and poorer health quality.

Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York
by Elon Green

Documents the decades-long effort to capture the “Last Call Killer” of 1980s and 1990s New York City, discussing how he took advantage of period discrimination to prey upon gay victims against a backdrop of the AIDS epidemic.

Life's Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive
by Carl Zimmer

The New York Times “Matter” columnist investigates the science community’s conflicting views on what it actually means to be alive as demonstrated by laboratory attempts to recreate life and the examples of particularly remarkable life forms.

Liftoff: Elon Musk The Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX
by Eric Berger

The Ars Technical senior space editor chronicles the gripping inside story of how Elon Musk and his team transitioned from a shaky startup to the triumphant rocket company behind the first four historic SpaceX flights.

The Loneliest Polar Bear: A True Story of Survival and Peril on the Edge of a Warming World
by Kale Williams

An Oregonian science and environmental reporter shares the heartbreaking but hopeful story of abandoned polar bear cub, Nora, discussing the efforts of dedicated zookeepers, veterinarians and conservationists who are working to rescue the species from extinction.

Lying for Money: How Legendary Frauds Reveal the Workings of the World
by Dan Davies

A former Bank of England regulatory economist presents an informative explanation of how high-level financial crimes occur, discussing such career-shaping cases as the Great Salad Oil swindle, the Pigeon King International fraud and the Portuguese Banknote Affair.

The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees
by Douglas W. Tallamy

The best-selling author of Nature’s Best Hope reveals the ecological importance of the oak tree, discussing its month-by-month role in the planet’s seasonal cycles and home safety provisions for essential insects and animals.

Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen: The Emotional Lives of Black Women
by Inger Burnett-Zeigler

A Northwestern University clinical psychologist challenges common cultural misconceptions to reveal the real-world systemic abuse, health traumas and abandonment that disempower today’s Black women and force them to hide behind masks of strength.

North by Shakespeare: A Rogue Scholar's Quest for the Truth Behind the Bard's Work
by Michael Blanding

The award-winning author of The Map Thief details a renegade scholar’s investigation into the life of an Elizabethan courtier, whose eventful life the former believes may have been the unrecognized true inspiration for many Shakespearean plots.

Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-fighter Manual
by Luvvie Ajayi Jones

The award-winning podcaster, motivational speaker and author of the best-selling I’m Judging You shares whimsical, transformational advice based on her grandmother’s techniques to counsel readers on how to overcome fear-related obstacles and pursue meaningful goals through disruptive choices.

Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting
by Lisa Genova

The Harvard-trained neuroscientist and best-selling author of Still Alice presents an exploration of the intricacies of human memory that distinguishes between normal and concerning memory loss while explaining the profound roles of sleep, stress and other contributing influences.

Shooting Midnight Cowboy: Art, Sex, Loneliness, Liberation, and the Making of a Dark Classic
by Glenn Frankel

Documents the making of the Oscar-winning film against a backdrop of 1960s New York violence and director John Schlesinger’s commercial failures, detailing how the production launched Hollywood careers and reflected a dramatic shift in American popular culture.

Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind
by Judson Brewer

The presenter of the highly viewed “A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit” TED talk outlines a step-by-step, clinically proven plan to break the cycles of worry and fear that drive anxiety and addictive habits.

Women in White Coats: How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine
by Olivia Campbell

Documents the true stories of three pioneering women who defied Victorian-era boundaries to become the first women doctors, discussing how they banded together to support each other and advocate for women’s health in a male-dominated field.

A World on the Wing: The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds
by Scott Weidensaul

The author of the Pulitzer finalist Living on the Wind explores the remarkable science of global bird migration to illuminate the navigational and physiological feats that enable birds to fly across oceans, over mountains and uninterrupted for months.

Your Brain Is Always Listening: Tame the Hidden Dragons That Control Your Happiness, Habits, and Hang-ups
by Daniel G. Amen

The “Brain Warrior’s Way” podcaster and best-selling author of The End of Mental Illness presents a metaphorical guide to recognizing and managing strong emotions to avoid self-sabotage, overcome unhealthy behaviors and promote more fulfilling relationships.

The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy: What Animals on Earth Reveal About Aliens - and Ourselves
by Arik Kershenbaum

Using universal laws that govern life on Earth, a noted Cambridge zoologist presents an engaging, scientifically sound exploration of what life may be like on other planets and in space, discussing such speculative topics as supersonic animals and alien emotions.

Essays/Poetry

Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World
by Mark Aldridge

Celebrating the centennial of one of the world’s greatest literary characters, this definitive “biography” of Poirot , written by a Christie expert, traces the detective’s development from the earliest conceptions through each book’s publication to today.

The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred
by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

A leading theoretical physicist looks at how science is subject to the same kind of racism and sexist that exists in other fields and lays out a new approach for everyone to experience and understand the cosmos.

Festival Days
by Jo Ann Beard

A new collection from the award-winning author of The Boys of My Youth and In Zanesville.

Gory Details: Adventures from the Dark Side of Science
by Erika Engelhaupt

Blending humor and journalism, and featuring interviews with leading researchers, the author of National Geographic’s popular Gory Details blog investigates the gross, strange and morbid absurdities of our bodies and our universe.

I, Grape Or, the Case for Fiction: Essays
by Brock Clarke

In these essays, acclaimed novelist and short story writer Brock Clarke examines the art (and artifice) of fiction from unpredictable, entertaining, and often personal angles, positing through a slant scrutiny of place, voice, and syntax what fiction can and can't do.

Night Rooms: Essays
by Gina Nutt

A collection of personal essays that weaves together fragmented images from horror films and cultural tropes to meditate on anxiety and depression, suicide, body image, identity, grief, and survival.

Notes from the Bathroom Line: Humor, Art, and Low-grade Panic from 150 of the Funniest Women in Comedy
by Amy Solomon

An anthology of original essays, short stories, poetry and art by more than 150 of today’s most popular comediennes reflects their boundary-breaking achievements and includes contributions by such notables as Nicole Byer, Margaret Cho and Natalie Morales.

Processed Meats: Essays on Food, Flesh, and Navigating Disaster
by Nicole Walker

Explores how heritage, food, and cooking can change, harm, and sometimes help fix our bodies and our planet.

So Many Ways to Lose: The Amazin' True Story of the New York Mets—the Best Worst Team in Sports
by Devin Gordon

A good-natured assessment of the "best worst team" in baseball celebrates the Mets' strong championship records and two World Series wins as well as the unique and spectacular losses that have further cemented fan support.

Who Will Pay Reparations on My Soul?: Essays
by Jesse McCarthy

A young critic’s essays on race and culture, from Toni Morrison to trap, herald the arrival of a major new voice in American letters.