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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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Roald Dahl: Teller of the Unexpected
by Matthew Dennison
What it is: In this brand-new biography, Matthew Dennison re-evaluates the traditional narrative surrounding Dahl-that of school sporting hero, daredevil pilot, and wartime spy-turned-author. They examine surviving primary resources as well as Dahl's extensive literary output.
What makes this unique?: Dennison presents the often divisive author as a man full of contradictions who believed the main purpose of his children's books is to turn kids into readers and not necessarily teach them a lesson.
Reviewers said: With the resurgence of Matilda's popularity, this biography will most likely find a home on most biography shelves for book-loving adults. Dennison is not shy about discussing Dahl's marital issues and reputation as a bully. The biographer is squarely on Dahl's side though, and some readers might be turned off by his sometimes gush-filled treatment of the subject.
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Remember Me Now: A Journey Back to Myself and a Love Letter to Black Women
by Faitth Brooks
What it is: Anti-racism educator and activist Faitth Brooks wondered, "Would the world care about and remember me if I was killed?" In Remember Me Now, Faitth grapples with the answer, charting the story of her activist grandparents and ancestors, as well as chronicling her own journey.
What makes this unique: Filled with transporting stories, poems, and letters to sisters of all walks of life this is a transformational read that calls Black women to be their own activists.
Reviewers say: At its best, the text is vulnerable, earnest, and formally inventive: Brooks uses poetry and letters to her Black sisters to elucidate the finer points of her healing. At times, though, the author leans heavily on exposition instead of scene-setting, making it feel more like a monologue than a story. Overall, though, Brooks’ insight, compassion, and astute political analysis make this memoir a worthwhile read. A sincere and inspiring celebration of Black womanhood and coping with trauma.
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The Hard Parts: A Memoir of Courage and Triumph
by Oksana Masters
What's the story?: In this jaw-dropping story of triumph over adversity, Oksana Masters, the United States's most decorated winter Paralympic or Olympic athlete, tells her story of overcoming extraordinary Chernobyl disaster-caused physical challenges to create a life that, by example, challenges everyone to push through what is holding them back.
Read this for: This is Oksana's astonishing story of journeying through a series of dark tunnels-and how, with her mother's love, she finally found her way into the light.
More about the author: Oksana Masters was born in Ukraine in 1989 and faced numerous physical challenges due to in utero radiation poisoning from Chernobyl. She is America's most decorated Winter Paralympian. In 2020, she won the Laureus World Sports Award in the category of "Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability." Her story has appeared in numerous media outlets from Sports Illustrated to The New York Times to the Players' Tribune.
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Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes
by Stephen A. Smith
What it's about: America's most popular sports media figure tells it like it is in this surprisingly personal book. He not only dishes out his signature uninhibited opinions but also reveals the challenges he overcame in childhood as well as at ESPN, and who he really is when the cameras are off.
Topics include: The greatest highs and deepest lows of his life and career. He gives his thoughts on Skip Bayless, Ray Rice, Colin Kaepernick, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Cowboys, and former President Donald Trump. But he also pulls back the curtain and talks about life beyond the set, sharing authentic stories about his negligent father, his loving mother, being a father himself, his battle with life-threatening COVID-19, and what he really thinks about politics and social issues. He does it all with the same intelligence, humor, and charm that has made him a household name.
Is it for you?: Provocative, moving, and eye-opening, this book is the perfect gift for lovers of sports, television, and anyone who likes their stories delivered straight to the heart.
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Code Name Blue Wren: The True Story of America's Most Dangerous Female Spy
by Jim Popkin
Book buzz: This book was named Apple Book of the Month for January.
What's inside: The incredible true story of Ana Montes, the most damaging female spy in US history, drawing upon never-before-seen material and to be published upon her release from prison.
Read this for: Investigative journalist Jim Popkin weaves the tale of two sisters who chose two very different paths, plus the unsung heroes who had to fight to bring Ana to justice. With exclusive access to a "Secret" CIA behavioral profile of Ana, family memoirs, and Ana's incriminating letters from prison, Popkin reveals the making of a traitor--a woman labelled "one of the most damaging spies in U.S. history" by America's top counter-intelligence official.
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A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe
by Mark Dawidziak
What it is: Mystery of Mysteries is a brilliant biography of Edgar Allan Poe that examines the renowned author's life through the prism of his mysterious death and its many possible causes. It is a moment shrouded in horror and mystery.
Is it for you?:A new life of the enigmatic writer. TV and film critic Dawidziak draws on published and archival sources, including more than 50 interviews with Edgar Allan Poe scholars and other experts, to create a colorful portrait of the poet, critic, and story writer.
Critics say: A brisk, satisfying biography of a literary icon who still fascinates.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Michigan City Public Library
100 E. 4th Street
Michigan City, Indiana 46360
219-873-3044mclib.org/ |
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