Check out these picks from our staff that offer a glimpse into people’s lives.
Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich, recommended by Roseann:
Be careful of volunteering ideas at work–you, not someone else,may wind up implementing them. This is what happens to Barbara Ehrenreich when in the aftermath of welfare law changes in 1998 she suggests actually living on the minimum hourly wage of $6-7. Great idea–says the editor–and you do it. Moving from Florida to Maine to Minnesota, working as house cleaner, cashier she learns even two jobs do not really a living make. Excellent choice for teenagers who may think college only delays their getting a start in the job world.
Available Formats:
Overdrive Ebook
A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell, recommended by Roseann:
What an ironic title! Despite a poorly equipped background as a socialite and a self-inflicted gunshot wound that left her with a prosthetic leg, Virginia Hill worked for Winston Churchill’s intelligence sector as she became the first Allied woman deployed behind enemy lines, created spy networks and,of course, battled against deeply set male chauvinism that even extended to the paltry US government recognition that she received at the war’s end. As Mitch Mc Connell once said of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, “Nevertheless she persisted.”
Available Formats:
Overdrive Ebook
Overdrive Audiobook
Yes Please by Amy Poehler, recommended by Barbara and Selena:
Fans of Amy Poehler will enjoy this behind the scenes look into Ms. Poehler’s life. There are sections that cover her time doing improv, when she was at SNL, as well as sections about Parks & Recreation and what she has been doing since Parks & Rec ended. There are funny and serious sections and it was an enjoyable read.
Available Formats:
Overdrive Ebook
Overdrive Audiobook
Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson, recommended by Selena:
I loved this book. I thought it was hilarious and I laughed out loud throughout. I definitely recommend this book and I am looking forward to reading her next book. Note: The book does contain vulgar language on occasion.
Available Formats:
Overdrive Ebook
Overdrive Audio
Wild by Cheryl Strayed, recommended by Selena:
Wild tells the story of how after losing her mother, Cheryl Strayed solo hikes the length of the Pacific Crest Trail, from southern California to Washington state. Along the way she reflects on her life. This book was thrilling and well-written. Very enjoyable.
Available Formats:
Overdrive Ebook
Overdrive Audiobook
Other titles you may enjoy:
Ghosts of War by Ryan Smithson
Recommended by Leann
Available on Overdrive Ebook, Overdrive Audiobook, Hoopla Ebook, Hoopla Audiobook
Heavy by Kiese Laymon
Recommended by Catherine
Available on Overdrive Ebook, Overdrive Audiobook
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
Recommended by Joelle
Available on Overdrive Ebook
Naturally Tan by Tan France
Recommended by Chrissy
Available on Overdrive Ebook, Overdrive Audiobook
Killing It by Camas Davis
Recommended by Catherine
Available on Overdrive Ebook, Overdrive Audiobook
Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence
Recommended by Lauren
Available on Overdrive Audiobook, Hoopla Audiobook
Do you have any favorite Memoirs or Biographies? Let us know in the comments.
The main character, Count Alexander Rostov, has been sentenced to house arrest by Russia’s new Soviet masters in one of Moscow’s finest hotel Metropol. The story follows the Count’s decades confined in very small quarters within a hotel for the elite.
What would you do if you were told you had a terminal disease and were a mom of small children? How would you prepare them? What would you leave to them? Would you write them a memoir to remember you? Our Short History tells how Karen Neulander, a single mom, deals with this issue after she is diagnosed with Stage IV ovarian cancer and is not expected to live much longer. This is a sensitively written fictional memoir to her six year old son. It’s sad, but also funny. I would very much recommend it. 
After you take in this summer’s new Wonder Woman movie, read the crazier-than-fiction backstory on the creation of America’s favorite female superhero. Jill Lepore’s The Secret History of Wonder Woman traces Wonder Woman’s creation by William Moulton Marston, who also invented the lie detector test (lasso of truth, anyone?). Marston’s unusual family arrangement is a story unto itself, and following the ups and downs of his personal life and career makes for a fascinating summer read.
I hadn’t before read a graphic novel (or in this case, a graphic memoir), so Kristen Radtke’s Imagine Wanting Only This was new territory for me. I was drawn to this book because of its topic, rather than its format. In it, Radtke explores her fascination with architectural ruins, relating them to her own sense of the impermanence of life and her grief over losing a close relative. Never feeling rooted or settled, she travels the world visiting abandoned towns and structures as they are slowly reclaimed by nature.
Rosie and Penn are parents of five boys in Madison, Wisconsin. From a young age it is clear that their youngest son, Claude, is different from the other boys. At three years old, he tells his parents he wants to be a girl when he grows up and wants to wear dresses and bows in his hair
I listened to the audiobook on a trip up and back to Massachusetts. I’ve read a bunch of Lisa Scottoline’s books (she’s a lawyer who writes really cool mystery books), so I thought I’d try this. She’s written a series of books with her daughter and I wanted to check it out. They take turns with the chapters and they talk about their lives alone and together and all kinds of stuff that happens in between. I enjoyed this, as a lot of it reminded me of my daughter and me. Now I may look for their other books, since I enjoyed this one. 
I knew very little about Queen Victoria. The various Queens Elizabeth are much better known to me, but I am very glad I watched the Masterpiece show on PBS. Daisy Goodwin wrote the TV show and also the book. Having seen and read both, I would recommend you do the same.
It isn’t often that I have read a non-fiction book in the sciences that has been so enjoyable. This title is written in story form, as if trees are almost human. It’s not simply technical literature about how trees survive or do not survive in their various environments. I guarantee you will never look at another tree without thinking about what you learned from this book. Absolutely fascinating! 
I listened to this as an audiobook, and it ultimately took me about 2 months to finish it, and I still can’t believe Lin-Manuel Miranda took this giant book on a tropical vacation to read! That being said – it’s one of the most amazing books I’ve ever read. The life that Alexander Hamilton lived and the accomplishments he was able to achieve in his relatively short life are absolutely mind boggling. His influence is still felt today in our financial world near and far. A life truly cut too short. What a loss to our country, but we are to this day indebted to him and his ideas. Listen or read this book – it will floor you!