James Frey's A Million Little Pieces, Margaret B. Jones's Love and Consequences, Misha Defonseca's Misha: A Mémoire of the Holocaust Years—these works have marred the memoir genre but certainly not endangered it. As this bundle of fall titles attests, autobiographical reminiscence is alive and kicking, earning starred reviews from the likes of two of LJ's most discerning critics, Elizabeth Brinkley (EB) and Lynne Maxwell (LM).

Drug addiction, depression, and family dysfunction still rule theme-wise, but many of these reads are infused with just as much humor as illness. Love, often sorely deficient in memoirs, rises to the top in some instances. Are all of these books guaranteed to deliver the absolute truth? Maybe not, but they will keep you engrossed.

Expect more Short Takes on memoirs in the near future. We've found that the format helps us put the deluge in context and zero in on which of your patrons will want to read what. Besides recovery, self-discovery, and mental illness, we will tackle literary takes, Holocaust stories, adventures in cooking, and any other combination the publishing world throws at us. Buckle your seat belt, truth seekers.

In her efforts to subdue raging depression, TV and stage writer Aron tried to no avail virtually every mainstream and alternative remedy. Her adventures among the lunatic fringe are laugh-out-loud funny. In the end, Aron gets her life together by dismissing all of the "miracle cures" and discovering herself. Anyone who has overcome recurring bouts with the blues will relish this comic self-help tale.—Lynne Maxwell

First-time writer Burgess skillfully writes of how she discovered a powerful new love and broke away from her irascible, stubbornly reclusive mother. With Ken, 13 years her senior and no stranger to life's cruelties, she built a fairy-tale family life only to lose him and her mother to cancer just weeks apart. Burgess's scientifically themed prose is luminous and encompasses a strong spiritual dimension. This sweeping love story will particularly interest those who have endured similar tragedies.—Elizabeth Brinkley

Carter's husband died in the Twin Towers on 9/11; this is the ably told story of her enlightening journey from utter shock and emptiness to inner calm and wholeness. Throughout her grieving, she raised two small children, attended memorial after memorial, endured changing family dynamics, and navigated the complicated maze of 9/11 widow financial documents. A much-needed book for an underserved audience.—Elizabeth Brinkley

Personal trainer Friedman courageously takes on the life-threatening illness of eating disorders and exercise addiction. After a traumatic breakup with her longtime boyfriend, she went into a tailspin, finding control by restricting her caloric intake and exercising compulsively. Assisted by a supportive family and years of therapy, Friedman prevails. This book would be ideal for teenage and young adult women aiming to beat exercise bulimia.—Lynne Maxwell

In this gem of a memoir, Glyde, a talented British writer with two novels under her belt, provides gritty details of her life as an alcoholic. After hitting the bottom, she manages to swim back to the top, providing keen insight into the nature of dependency and the alcohol industry's culpability. Anyone who has been around the block with the bottle will heartily embrace this survivor's story.—Lynne Maxwell

Second-time memoirist Goldhammer (Still Life with Chickens) offers a small miracle of a book, slim in size but encompassing a multitude of revelations on motherhood and the empty nest. Witty and erudite, ranging over the vagaries of dating after divorce to shedding a reviewer's opinion of her as a "suburban matron," the author, along with her 16-year-old daughter, Harper, manages to meet the challenge of their inevitable separation with aplomb.—Elizabeth Brinkley

Poet and bookseller Lovelace's humorous and harrowing first memoir follows his gentle, loving mother's, his eccentric preacher father's, his younger brother's, and his own descent into bipolar disorder. It's a coming-of-age story of an entire family; how parents and siblings are affected by both their own and each other's bipolarity. Marked by otherness simply by being the evangelical preacher's son, Lovelace also had to cope with his role as the family's caretaker, which he managed with grace even though he grew up with only marginal stability. No one in the family lacks love for one another, and that's what makes this story so poignant.—Elizabeth Brinkley

Christopher and Tony Lukas's mother committed suicide when they were very young, but the boys were never told how she died—silence was the family's policy on its legacy of mental illness. Regardless, both brothers achieved great success in their fields (the author is a TV producer and director), and their bond was loving but fraught. Sadly, Tony, who won two Pulitzer Prizes for his journalism, committed suicide in 1997. Those interested in how mental illness afflicts generations and how to find strength and hope in the face of it will find this remarkably honest memoir resonant. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/1/08.]—Elizabeth Brinkley

As a teen, Novak joined the premiere skateboarding team and toured the world. Unfortunately, he also indulged in "recreational" drug use that led to debilitating heroin addiction and the abandonment of his career. Eventually repudiating the abject life of a junkie, he entered rehab and subsequently recovered with the help of fellow star skateboarder Bam Margera. This would be most powerful for an audience weaned on the X-Games; also a forthcoming film of the same name.—Lynne Maxwell

In her third memoir (after Drinking the Rain), Shulman details the transformative effects of her husband's traumatic brain injury at the age of 75. Prior to Scott's fall from a loft bed, their relationship had been one of two deeply committed yet autonomous souls. Steadfast in her opposition to a nursing home, the author decided to tend to her husband herself. A genuinely moving story, especially of interest to those who've experienced or known those who've suffered from traumatic brain injury or who have devoted their lives to caring for another.—Elizabeth Brinkley

In this astounding coming-of-age story, Smith, former managing editor of GQ, describes his father's transformation from Miami's famed decorator-to-the-wealthy into something altogether more strange—the then-backwater city's resident psychic healer who performed exorcisms and seances and rid both the rich and the poor of infections, cancer, and paralysis. Here's the twist: according to the author, Lew Smith could truly heal people. The problem is that the author wanted a normal dad, one who sells insurance, comes home from work, has a beer, and falls asleep in front of the TV. A 1970s teen rebellion ensued. Hilarious and touching; for fans of the goofball and paranormal.—Elizabeth Brinkley

In this feminist memoir, Straub, a writer and teacher of empowerment principles, memorializes her mother's unfulfilled life. Soon after she grew up, went into the world, and began teaching, her mother died a premature death from heart disease. At one point, Straub, overworked and burned out, realized she had given up her "feminine" life—one of contemplation and intuition—for a masculine one of overachievement and workaholism. As she untangles these threads, she processes her grief over her mother's death. For those interested in women's issues and spirituality.—Elizabeth Brinkley

This harrowing first memoir follows journalist Tracey's search for the roots of his family's "Irish madness," i.e., schizophrenia. As he traverses Ireland in a renovated camper, he visits sites that may have been cursed by the Druids, fairy mounds, and ancient shrines, trying to separate fact from fiction. He even interviews the Irish research team that first discovered the gene code for schizophrenia. Spared the disease himself, he records the anxiety his mother felt about having children and reveals his father's vain conviction, common in the 1940s and 1950s, that a stable household and good parenting would prevail over mental illness. Powerfully moving, Tracey's investigation will fascinate anyone interested in the mysteries of mental illness.—Elizabeth Brinkley

This is a paean to self-acceptance and self-esteem. Initially, though, first-time author Tyler—famous as a reality-TV star, a plus-size model, and a daughter of Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler—sketches a life fraught with addictions to drugs, cutting, and eating disorders. Fortunately, she gains valuable insight into her destructive patterns to re-create herself as a healthy, loving adult. For teens and twenty-somethings who can identify with Tyler's struggle.—Lynne Maxwell