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The latest memoir by fierce and fabulous Lewis easily switches between moving confessionals and fiery calls to eradicate oppression.
A deeply personal account of a unique life and the bravery it takes to be the person one is meant to be.
Disruptive, tender, and beautiful, this book is a reversal of women’s apologies and a demand for more
Bee’s memoir is experimental in form but will appeal to a variety of reader, challenging singular beliefs of what it means to be a daughter, sister, lover, wife, lawyer, and mother.
PREMIUM
The Time Left Between Us
DeFonzo worked for more than a decade to preserve Del’s past and the historical context. Hers is a deeply personal venture but also one of significant importance now and for all future generations to learn from. Recommended to readers of World War II nonfiction, history, and family memoirs.
PREMIUM
Acne: A Memoir
It should be a welcome addition to any collection seeking uncommon admissions of all-too-common trauma, suffering, and lessons learned. This is sure to speak to those who struggled with personal tragedy, dysfunctional family, and hormones.
PREMIUM
The Analyst: A Daughter’s Memoir
This memoir looks into the past of medical research and provides some context as to how far the field has come today. Anyone interested in the history of mental health care and genetic diseases would find this memoir fascinating.
A raw, emotional memoir filled with highs and lows. The inspirational ending gives readers hope when Leon uses his self-will and determination to change and accept the love from those around him.
A gripping, brutally honest memoir that deals with some heavy themes but will leave readers feeling hopeful and reflective by the end. Readers who enjoy examining the human spirit will be drawn to this book.
A powerful, provocative narrative, designed to remind readers that it is often silence that empowers oppression, allowing it the power to endure in unchallenged ways.
An essential read for anyone with an interest in accessible futures, community building, and social justice. Readers who enjoy Kai Cheng Thom and Adrienne Maree Brown will embrace this.
Readers of a similar age may relate to Rae’s life experiences and pop culture references (especially Sex and the City), cheering on her candid journey to healing and self-acceptance.
PREMIUM
Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama
A high-quality addition and a must-listen for even casual fans of the robust “comedic memoir” genre of audiobooks.
PREMIUM
Keith Haring Journals
Unlike The Andy Warhol Diaries, which is gossipy fun but rarely introspective, Haring’s journal is beautifully written, thoughtful, and filled with passionate opinions and very personal details.
Currently 10 states and the District of Columbia have “medical aid in dying” statutes, and more states have legislation pending. This memoir will undoubtedly provide comfort and support for other people navigating a similar road.
A beautiful story of resiliency that never shies away from the horrors and hardships that made Haslam the woman she is today. Recommended for fans of Brené Brown and those who enjoy self-empowerment books.
PREMIUM
Hello, Molly! A Memoir
Shannon’s narration, which combines unbridled enthusiasm, humor, and raw emotion, especially when writing of her father, elevates a biography that is sure to please fans.
PREMIUM
If There Are Any Heavens
Montemarano’s unique literary memoir offers an absorbing, visceral experience of the pandemic and should easily find a dedicated audience.
PREMIUM
Acceptance
A gripping firsthand account of a teenager navigating homelessness and the foster care system. It should appeal to many and may be of particular interest to school counselors, foster parents, psychologists, social workers, and others who work with children in difficult situations.
Less a journey of discovery and more the account of a complicated daughter-mother relationship laden with guilt and neglect.
PREMIUM
Fruit Punch
This memoir is troubling and difficult at times, but also candid and familiar. Recommended for general collections.
Intense and ultimately hopeful, this gripping account of working toward women’s rights and against unjust systems provides significant firsthand insights into transnational feminism.
Fitzgerald’s stories are introspective and exude self-awareness. Readers will leave with a true soft spot for him.
Recommended for fans of Morris’s fiction and those who would like to improve their listening skills.
D’Emilio’s youthful reminiscences make for a classic work of literature that deserves a wide readership. One hopes this memoir is only the first in a succession.
PREMIUM
Illegally Yours
An earnest and entertaining backstory to an accomplished creator, best suited to readers of celebrity memoirs, inspirational stories, and coming-of-age narratives.
MacCracken’s focus on the strength of her husband and the inspiring bond between them as they realize that their journey together is coming to an end will surely bring comfort to others facing similar situations.
Suitable for all ages, this intelligent book on finding new ways to understand things will find eager and welcoming readers.
PREMIUM
Nocturnal Admissions: Behind the Scenes at Tunnel, Limelight, Avalon, and Other Legendary Nightclubs
A fun homage to ’90s pop culture and nightlife that will interest readers who lived it or who wish they had.
Rodgers tells it the way she saw it, often stripping away the celebrity glamour of growing up in a revered musical theater environment. Green is a welcome and unobtrusive organizing voice and fact checker. Hollywood biography readers and musical theater fans will enjoy.
The uniqueness of the Swenson’s individual story will be its measure of appeal for listeners. Readers of her blog (Finding Cooper’s Voice) will likely line up.
It’s more about resilience in the face of adversity than about animal rescues, but listeners can gain insight and inspiration from a woman who has made it her mission to save abused and neglected animals.
Top-notch. It creates a new experience for re-readers and an engaging first-time listen for all others.
This moving, powerful tribute to love and loss is a must-listen. Suggest to listeners who appreciated Paul Kalanithi’s When Breath Becomes Air and Ann Patchett’s Truth and Beauty.
With lessons about medicine in general and a particular health-care system that U.S. listeners can compare with their own experiences, this is a must-have for public libraries.
The audiobook is long, but Griffith’s excellent performance, Hongo’s brilliant prose, and the incredible depth and breadth of topics discussed make for a delightful listening experience.
This sensitively narrated and deeply moving account is an essential purchase for all nonfiction collections.
PREMIUM
Easy Beauty
In her writing and reading, Jones invites listeners to take the time and effort to look at the world and the differently abled people around them in order to discover their beauty.
Making every minute of this long book enjoyable, narrator Aidan Kelly’s voice is smooth and clearly Irish, and it carries an air of authority without sounding like a documentary. Kelly’s timing and pacing help listeners comprehend long passages and convoluted stories as if they are being recounted firsthand.
Although the recording is filled with evidence of edits, the strength of this strong story will keep listeners engaged.
Ephron gives a brave, emotional, and unforgettable reading of her precise and moving memoir of death, illness, and survival.
This sometimes raunchy but always insightful memoir will have wide appeal. Recommend for those who will appreciate Genis’s darkly humorous take on this timely topic.
PREMIUM
The Cancer Journals
Lorde’s poignant and startlingly relevant work is recommended for all collections, particularly where interest in poetry, activism, and feminism is strong.
This book is recommended to those curious about the spectrum of vision loss that goes far beyond the stereotypes, to lovers of memoir, to libraries wanting to enrich their collection of blindness-related materials, and to loyal Bruni fans curious about how he learns to navigate the world.
An engrossing look at the life of a formerly enslaved woman in the Lincoln household of 1860s Washington.
This memoir is witty, funny, heartbreaking, and beautifully written. This book will be loved by fans of Blair’s work and of her MS advocacy.
A comedy legend shares tales of making his classic movies, celebrity encounters, and some of his funniest material. This is a masterclass in comedy not to be missed.
A big-hearted, hilarious, life-affirming memoir of Fierstein’s gay activism and life in the theater.
In rough-hewn speech fluent as a river and forceful as a hammer blow, Crews captures the warmth, dignity, and brutality of his people and their fierce and awful devotion to home. This is his masterpiece.
This memoir, with its vividly described events and locales, along with its natural history frame, will appeal to readers who enjoy narrative nonfiction or travel memoirs about women recreating themselves, natural history, Indigenous cultures, and whales. Fans of Margaret Renkl’s Late Migrations or Meredith May’s The Honey Bus will relish Cunningham’s story.
Fans of TV shows about emergency medicine will appreciate the fast, episodic pace and life lessons of Almojera’s memoir.
This cautionary tale will help many understand how prescription drug dependency can happen and the strength and courage required to overcome it. Highly recommended.
Eloquently written and compulsively readable, Bilton’s jaw-dropping coming-of-age memoir--and the love and survival found within its pages--is one readers won’t soon forget.
PREMIUM
This Is Not a Pity Memoir
A powerful, fragmented journey through brain injury. This book will especially appeal to Morgan’s fans, and to those who have experienced similar journeys.
Be prepared to laugh, to cry, and possibly to be mortified at the level of detail Woolf feels comfortable sharing; but in the end, readers will definitely be glad they got on this roller coaster with her.
Forbes has a story that needs to be read, and one that she has clearly synthesized and analyzed to ensure its significance encompasses both her personal successes and a much larger societal reform.
A powerful story about a family struggling under the weight of definitions of sacrifice and success, and reconciliation and forgiveness.
PREMIUM
Asylum: A Memoir & Manifesto
Okporo’s personal journey is touching, and his skillful explanation of the corrupt immigration processes and policies that continue to reject and exclude the very people they are meant to aid is a timely plea for reform and empathy.
Moving, evocative, and haunting, this father-son perspective on the civil rights movement is a necessary read and a great addition for all library collections.
El Sayed’s coming-of-age memoir about resiliency, family, and identity will delight readers as a study of making sense of a world where rules can often help along the way.
Daley’s conversational style will appeal to a wide audience interested in sports and contemporary gay lives. Highly recommended.
Readers will appreciate this memoir as a moving firsthand account but also as a call to action to ensure that human rights prevail at America’s borders.
This is an essential purchase for public libraries with patrons who are interested in popular culture, music, or awesome dudes.
PREMIUM
The Oaken Heart
Fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society or James Herriot will enjoy this unique historical account.
PREMIUM
Apparently There Were Complaints
This honest, humorous memoir will be an enjoyable listening experience for fans of Gless and her work.
PREMIUM
A Life in Stitches: Knitting My Way Through Love, Loss, and Laughter—Tenth Anniversary Edition
A natural choice for libraries where the print book circulates well or for listeners who enjoy Clara Parkes’s or Ann Patchett’s essays.
PREMIUM
Party Like a Rockstar: The Crazy, Coincidental, Hard-Luck, and Harmonious Life of a Songwriter
Aspiring songwriters will find a treasure trove of tips and inspiration. Heartwarming, funny, and entertaining.
Genis’s is an intense memoir with descriptions of sex and violent crime; it won’t be for everyone, but is important for readers trying to understand the effect of imprisonment on individuals and society.
Already noted for his skillful writing on music, Denk proves equally adept at memoir. Anyone with an interest in music will find this an excellent read; those with a good grounding in classical music or with time to listen and reflect on the pieces Denk analyzes will find this book even more rewarding.
Hellinger has written an important perspective of the Holocaust, of a kind that we rarely see. A standout memoir that will draw the interest of readers of World War II history and women’s memoirs or biographies.
Readers will appreciate Williams’s candid portrayal of her personal journey and the book’s understanding of heartbreak’s impact on the human body.
The philosophical explorations of linguistics may be esoteric for some readers, but many can relate to Barton’s journey of finding her place in the world. Readers who are fascinated by the art of translation or stories about living between cultures will find much to unpack here.
Foo’s writing is shrewdly insightful. In telling her story so compellingly, she joins authors such as Anna Qu and Ly Tran in adding nuance to the “model minority” myth, if not actively subverting it. Highly recommended.
A poetic life, a fractured family, and a tale of second chances. The best memoirs and biographies of 2021.
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