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While this is primarily a political biography, the book contains plenty of personal material about the Kennedy family to satisfy all levels of readers. An important contribution on this family dynasty.
While a lengthy first volume, this study is accessible and entertaining. A wide array of history buffs, and readers previously reluctant to consume a Kennedy biography, will enjoy this highly recommended account.
This thorough account of a remarkable life will have wide appeal.
The thorough and riveting narrative of both Philip and Alexander’s lives and accomplishments makes this an ideal choice for the general reader, with some fresh insights to offer to those familiar with the subjects as well.
Recommended to those seeking personal accounts of survivors of sexual violence, and those who have followed Queena’s story.
A tremendous biography and a great study of philanthropy that will have strong YA crossover appeal.
PREMIUM
The Freezer Door
Those familiar with Sycamore’s writing and activist work will welcome this new installment; those unfamiliar but interested in exploring an unconventional angle on LGBTQ+ issues may find it illuminating.
This first dedicated biography of an understudied politician sheds insight into the evolving politics of the 20th century.
There is much to learn from Egan’s experiences as a man with Down syndrome, his triumphs, defeats, and relentless drive.
This is a model of critical biography that will be appreciated by all lovers of history or biography.
PREMIUM
The Chiffon Trenches
This memoir of Talley’s life and the fingerprints he’s left on the world of fashion will appeal to fashion lovers and fans of celebrity memoirs, as well as those who enjoy stories of hard-earned, well-deserved success.
An icon for generations of women who fought for equality, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was known for her fiery dissents and thoughtful opinions. The following are recent books and media sources about this remarkable jurist, to recommend to readers of all ages looking to learn about or revisit her legacy
PREMIUM
I’ll Be Seeing You
With these reflections, Bergs sheds insight into the experience of caring for a parent. This eloquent book will especially appeal to those in an eldercare role.
In turn both entertaining yet serious, this informal biography will especially engage political buffs but also general readers of excellent biography.
PREMIUM
Eleanor
Roosevelt’s life does not necessarily lend itself well to concision. Blanche Wiesen Cook’s excellent volumes remain the definitive record.
This overdue biography will thrill gaming fans, and belongs in all major public and academic library collections.
Because of the current relative lack of stories by video gamers, this book will not only appeal to gaming enthusiasts, but will make an excellent addition to an academic library's business section. Recommended as well for large public libraries.
PREMIUM
Aftershocks
Owusu’s yearning for a maternal figure and acceptance of her identity surround this moving memoir. Recommended for readers who enjoy stories of identity and multiculturalism.
Tracing the growth of Louverture from revolutionary leader to mythic figure, this engrossing read reveals and recovers the historic place both he and the country of Haiti deserve to occupy in the story of the Atlantic world’s creation and re-creation.
PREMIUM
Hitler: Downfall: 1939-1945
A cogent retread of old ground, much of this densely detailed volume is about World War II and not Hitler personally; readers expecting a psychological deep dive should look elsewhere.
A candid memoir that reminds readers how much work we need to do to ensure that maternal care and mental illness are divested of stigma.
A well-crafted testament to a tumultuous time in American history and to one of the brave men who helped shape the world we know today. Essential for all collections.
An uneven biography, but a worthy addition to World War II and Holocaust memoirs.
For general readers interested in Washington as an individual, Henriques’s efforts should be lauded. Despite presenting his subject as flawed, one who succeeded in gaining fame across the ages in spite of them, the author’s high admiration of Washington is palpable. His analysis and narrative style, however, fall short of Joseph Ellis’s Founding Brothers.
This gripping read delivers penetrating explanations and fresh insights into previously unexamined dimensions of Malcolm X and his becoming and being El-hajj Malik El Shabazz within the context of Black life. Highest recommendation.
Fans of Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs books will appreciate the connections she draws between her childhood and themes throughout the series. Yet the book will appeal well beyond Winspear’s fan base as a literary memoir deeply linked to history and as a meditation on place and family. Readers of literary memoir and coming-of-age stories may also enjoy Frances Mays’s Under Magnolia.
This memoir is a delicious media investigation in itself, but will be valued by all who love a good success story.
Day offers an incredibly relatable story that is both open and unflinching in its honesty and self-reflection. Parts of the narrative are utterly gut-wrenching, but those same parts are also what makes this an essential book that is well worth reading.
This story will resonate with readers grappling with similar crises in their hometowns and is a recommended addition to memoir collections.
Tecumseh's life and the wider struggle for the Great Lakes and Ohio River valley now has a current, solid work by an accomplished author.
Ambitious, comprehensive, and highly recommended for public and academic libraries.
An exciting look into the life of the privileged for curious readers.
This story of a unique bond between two friends deserves wide readership in public libraries and is an ideal choice for book groups and discussions.
PREMIUM
Memoirs of a Kamikaze: A World War II Pilot’s Inspiring Story of Survival, Honor and Reconciliation
Odachi provides personal insight on the last days of empire, and his stories of crime in Tokyo give this memoir life. This book deserves a spot next to Yasuo Kawahara’s classic autobiography Kamikaze.
An additional purchase for large collections where expat memoirs are in high demand or where Carlson’s previous work has circulated well.
PREMIUM
The Erratics
Similar to Maya Shanbhag Lang’s What We Carry, this account is a touching portrayal of grief, family, and what is best left unspoken.
This richly detailed investigation will find an appreciative audience among Cold War scholars and current history readers. See Barry Gewen’s The Inevitability of Tragedy for more insight into Kissinger’s political underpinnings.
This moving, well-written book is recommended to readers who enjoy dark family memoirs.
PREMIUM
Inventory
A poetic and brutal reflection on the ways the unspoken past haunts the present, the construction of histories from fragments and secrets, and the physical, mental, and emotional traumas that result when violence becomes part of the daily landscape.
Exploring issues of gender, religion, and culture, as well as the tensions between tradition and modernity, this wonderful account is highly recommended for readers interested in gender, immigration, and Judaic studies.
Lloyd offers an inspiring account for women entering the field of journalism and a deeper understanding of life under Jim Crow segregation, as well as a fuller picture of diversity in 21st-century newsrooms.
A quick, fascinating read about a former Mardi Gras queen trying to find her path in life. Recommended for all memoir collections.
Reid’s saga will appeal to readers seeking a faith-filled approach to confronting the worst that life throws at them.
For readers who enjoy memoirs of education journeys and complex familial relationships.
PREMIUM
The Hungover Games: A True Story
Bridget Jones’s Diary meets Sex in the City, Heawood’s entertaining account should appeal to fans of similar memoirs on single parenting, motherhood, and relationships.
McCloskey and Lerman’s natural storytelling style make this an enjoyable read even when addressing tough subjects. This will be essential for collections focused on social justice, the wrongly convicted, and spiritual transformation.
There is clearly a lot to mine from Flynn’s youth, but this memoir is both disjointed and illusory, featuring imagined monologs from Flynn’s mother to engage audiences further. Best for die-hard fans of Flynn’s first memoir. [See Prepub Alert, 1/29/20.]
A vivid and engaging biography recommended for readers of World War II history and women’s studies.
PREMIUM
The Names of All the Flowers
An elegantly written and heartbreaking reflection on family, sibling love, and personal and racial grief. Those seeking to understand the impact of the school-to-prison link will learn much, while those who have experienced its effects will likely find plenty here that resonates.
A highly sympathetic, spirited portrait of a major figure of the late Plantagenet and early Tudor reigns. Interested readers might also seek out Michael Jones and Malcolm Underwood’s The King’s Mother.
Moore’s narrative style shines, weaving moments of lightness into a story of pain and conflict, family and war, loss and reunion. Recommended for readers of women’s stories and those interested in learning about African lived experience both on the continent and in the diaspora.
PREMIUM
The Education of John Adams
An accessible and highly recommended biography. Fans of David McCullough’s John Adams will appreciate the nuanced insights into Adams’s beliefs offered here
This thoughtful and affecting memoir of navigating life after loss reads like a comforting novel, inspiring others to follow their dreams and never give up on the possibilities of discovery and self-reflection. Readers seeking women’s biographies and studies in planetary science will relish this heartfelt story.
Frey brings a breath of fresh air to both the personal memoir genre and the business world. Her writing is crisp and her personality winning. A must-read.
An introspective and self-assured memoir that unfortunately suffers from a jumpy narrative in later chapters. Recommended for readers interested in refugee and immigration stories, but the book may disappoint those hoping for details on politics and policy proposals.
Those who recall the news stories about Wall’s murder will be drawn to this biography and will finish with a deep respect for her contributions to the field. It will especially appeal to readers interested in the craft of journalism and true crime.
Readers who enjoy books about medical workers around the world such as Tracey Kidder’s Mountains Beyond Mountains, as well as Atul Gawande’s works, will appreciate this unflinching and inspiring read.
PREMIUM
The Heart and Other Monsters
Andersen’s genuine love for her sister is compelling; many readers will relate.
PREMIUM
Filthy Beasts
An engrossing family memoir to be read and enjoyed by those facing any number of life’s challenges.
Mrazek’s work showcases a wealth of primary-source material, and skillfully invites readers into Florence’s remarkable life. An engaging read for all interested in women’s or 20th-century history.
Thoroughly supported by a wide array of archival research, Greenspan’s detailed and authoritative yet equally interesting and readable study will appeal to readers of World War II and Cold War history, espionage, and nuclear history.
This well-written memoir will please a specific audience who will identify with the author’s zeal for museums, art, and art history.
An excellent, exhaustively researched, thoughtful biography with appeal to armchair historians and academics alike.
PREMIUM
The Beauty in Breaking: A Memoir
Poignant, helpful, and encouraging, Harper’s lessons from life in and outside of the emergency room ultimately teach readers how to trust the healing process.
Overall, this compelling portrait of addiction, intense love, and codependency should captivate many readers.
An excellent choice for book clubs seeking meaningful conversation about mental health, and for public libraries collecting resources for caregivers.
A bittersweet tribute to home and family in breathtaking prose that will appeal to lovers of memoirs and history, as well as anyone who enjoys beautifully crafted writing.
A beautiful celebration of one family’s life of service and commitment to racial justice, this important book should be welcomed by both historians and general readers interested in American history, social change, and civil rights issues.
Will appeal to fans of Girl in the Woods who are curious about what happened next in Matis’s story.
PREMIUM
Stray
Though there may be interest owing to the author’s high-profile first book, this too often self-indulgent memoir does not serve to enlighten readers about Danler’s experience or life in general.
This biography succeeds in illuminating the controversial politician and will be enjoyed by readers of current events, American government, and history.
Smee and Macrory present a well-written book that illuminates the actions on the British home front during the Great War and what it means for a soldier to sacrifice all. Highly recommended for Anglophiles and those interested in World War I history.
Recommended for those seeking new information about a Founding Father and students of American history.
A critical and timely piece in the era of the #metoo movement, this work will appear to a wide audience.
An engaging account of a man who accepts life-altering challenges as opportunities to improve himself and the lives of others, this should prove an enjoyable read for anyone interested in immigration memoirs or medical tales.
A moving, heartbreaking memoir about a traumatic event and the path to healing.
Academic readers who want more biographical information about Keynes will be captivated by this depiction of his life and thinking.
PREMIUM
Betsey
A breezy treat for fans wanting more about the woman behind the whimsical clothes. [See Prepub Alert, 9/30/2019.]
This passionately told account of Albright’s “afterlife” will inspire readers to become involved in the issues meaningful to them. Recommended for all interested in politics, leadership, and women’s studies. [See Prepub Alert, 12/1/19.]
This authoritative and exhaustive biography will challenge general readers, but will find an appreciative audience among political scholars and modern philosophy academics. A solid companion to Thomas Schwartz’s Henry Kissinger and American Power.
Jollett’s absorbing memoir of self, discovery, and rediscovery will have a wide audience.
PREMIUM
Bright Precious Thing
Caldwell presents an affecting, realistic argument for friendships and personal connections, particularly the enduring ones, which help us face what the author calls the “mirage” at the end of our lives. [See Prepub Alert, 1/8/20.]
PREMIUM
Empty
This memoir will resonate with those who have experienced issues with food or know someone who has.
A haunting, profound investigative memoir that will resonate with readers as both a compelling true crime story and an affecting literary work. Bonner creates a sense of closeness with readers that makes this book a challenge to put down or forget. [See Prepub Alert, 1/29/2020.]
PREMIUM
In the Shadow of the Valley
An engaging read that will connect with fans of Tara Westover’s Educated and those interested in the ability of the human spirit to overcome adversity.
PREMIUM
Attention: A Love Story
Overall, an average memoir about one woman’s struggle with addiction and subsequent attempts to find acceptance.
A delightful memoir of people and place that will draw in Deb’s fans and attract plenty of new ones.
Part travelog, part grief memoir, this is for readers who want to experience the thrill of solo travel as experienced by someone slowly losing a parent.
Indispensable reading for anyone interested in late 20th-century U.S. politics.
Rosenthal’s grief journey is expressed with candor, humor, and gratitude. Fans of Amy Krouse Rosenthal will want to know about the next phase of Jason’s life. Also recommended for readers either experiencing grief or wanting to understand how to support someone experiencing loss.
Gender, race, and sexuality are all foremost themes throughout the book, and it is a notable read for those particularly interested in these topics. However, Talusan’s account also offers an intensely personal example of how one’s relation to oneself changes over time, shaped by circumstances and personal choices, making it a compelling story for a wide variety of readers.
PREMIUM
Good Boy: My Life in Seven Dogs
Boylan’s candor and distinctive writing style will appeal to readers of reflective memoirs. A solid choice for libraries looking to expand their LGBTQ biography collections.
Barron’s page-turner will appeal to readers interested in modern Greek history, the Cold War, and Watergate. Highly recommended.
This strident critique of the American military and its place in American society and culture, combined with Edstrom’s firsthand experiences in Afghanistan, will interest readers seeking primary source accounts of the War on Terror.
Highly recommended for those interested in the life of Liu Xiaobo, recent Chinese history, or the global fight for human rights and democracy. Readers of this work should also consider Liu’s No Enemies, No Hatred: Selected Essays and Poems.
Recommended for readers who enjoyed the memoirs of journalists and writers Marie Colvin, Clarissa Ward, Martha Gellhorn, and Anne Garrels, and anyone wishing to learn more about social and political life in West Africa.
PREMIUM
The Adventurer’s Son: A Memoir
Dial’s memoir is a beautiful book that will speak most ardently to parents, but also to adventurers, travelers, scientists, and all those who find joy in exploring the world.
A sometimes inspiring but overall poorly told story of living with chronic pain.
Often previously studied, McCarthy’s career and consequences merit this additional analytical treatment that will satisfy curious readers of history. A definitive biography that will stand the test of time.
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