Thomas, Peter Stark Astoria: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson's Lost Pacific Empire: A Story of Wealth, Ambition, and Survival (978.02 STA) This gripping true story, with high adventure and incredible hardships, documents the expedition from 1810 to 1813, to establish Fort Astoria, a trading post in the Pacific Northwest. —Recommended by Thomas
Treuer, Anton Atlas of Indian Nations (970.00497 TRE) National Geographic compiled a comprehensive resource of Native American history and culture. Organized by region, this reference details Indian tribes by beliefs, sustenance, shelter, alliances, animosities, and key historical events. —Recommended by Stephen
Vincent, Leah Cut Me Loose: Sin and Salvation After My Ultra-Orthodox Girlhood (Nonfiction 305.8924 VIN) The author recounts her experiences in a fundamentalist Jewish family that cut her off at age 16 for exchanging letters with a male friend. She traces her downward spiral as she tried to survive on her own in the secular world. —Recommended by Susie
Wilson, Bee Consider the Fork: How Technology Transforms the Way We Cook and Eat (643.3 WIL) Wilson traces the history of kitchens while demonstrating how technological innovations have shaped how and what we eat. —Recommended by Haley 12
Abbott, Alysin
Shteyngart, Gary
Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father (Biography Abbott, A.) A woman describes being raised by her widowed, bisexual father in San Francisco in the 1970s and 1980s, and how AIDS began claiming the lives of their friends and eventually her father. —Recommended by Susie
Little Failure: A Memoir (813.6 SHT) The award-winning novelist traces his uproarious experiences as a young bullied Jewish-Russian immigrant in Queens, his haphazard college pursuits, and his initial forays into a literary career. —Recommended by Andrea
Baptist, Edward
Sides, Hampton
The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism (306.362 BAP) A historian reveals how the expansion of slavery in the first eight decades after American Independence drove the evolution and modernization of the United States. —Recommended by Thomas and Lindsay
Bowen, James A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life (636.8 BOW) Street musician James Bowen was living hand to mouth on the streets of London. But when he found an injured cat, he couldn't resist helping the strikingly intelligent but very sick animal. —Recommended by Jo
Bragg, Rick Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story (782.42166 LEW) A chronicle of Lewis' life and career chronicles his rebellious youth, brushes with death, and his lifelong rivalries with Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry for the title of King of Rock and Roll. —Recommended by Connie 2
In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the U.S.S. Jeannette (910.452 SID) Sides recounts the ill-fated 19th-century naval expedition to the North Pole that resulted in the sinking of the U.S.S. Jeannette and the crew's epic struggle for survival in the harsh Arctic. —Recommended by Thomas
Stone, Brad The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon (381.45 STO) Jeff Bezos, the brilliant and driven founder of Amazon.com, placed one of the first and largest bets on the Internet and forever changed the way we shop and read. —Recommended by Dave
Taylor, Barbara Brown Learning to Walk in the Dark (248.4 TAY) The author offers advice for finding spirituality in times of darkness, questioning the traditional association of darkness with evil and danger, and suggesting that being in the dark may lead to greater spiritual growth. —Recommended by Andrea 11
Poehler, Amy Yes Please (792.7028092 POE) The actress best known for her work on Parks and Recreation and Saturday Night Live reveals personal stories and offers her humorous take on such topics as love, friendship, parenthood, and her relationship with Tina Fey. —Recommended by Jo
Brown, Daniel The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Olympics (797.123 BRO) The story of an American rowing team from the University of Washington that defeated elite rivals at Hitler's 1936 Berlin Olympics. —Recommended by Mary
Chast, Roz
Roach, Mary Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal (612.3 ROA) Roach goes on a humorous journey following food through the human body, from one end to the other. Why doesn’t the stomach digest itself? How much can you eat before your stomach bursts? Can constipation kill you? —Recommended by Dave
Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? (Graphic Novel Chast) A graphic memoir by a longtime New Yorker cartoonist celebrates the final years of her aging parents' lives through four-color cartoons, family photos, and documents. —Recommended by Andrea, Connie, Jo, Haley, and Ellen
Doughty, Caitlin Rudder, Christian Dataclysm: Who We Are When We Think No One’s Looking (155.28 RUD) An irreverent analysis of what online lives reveal about human nature. It draws on information from major online sources, including Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, and OkCupid. —Recommended by Andrea
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes: And Other Lessons From the Crematory (393 DOU) A mortician describes her experiences working at a crematory, including how she sometimes got ashes on her clothes and how she cared for bodies of all shapes and sizes. —Recommended by Becky
Collins, Judy
Seal, Mark The Man in the Rockefeller Suit: The Astonishing Rise and Spectacular Fall of a Serial Impostor (364.1633 SEA) Clark Rockefeller, a German-born immigrant, assumed numerous identities to charm his way into exclusive clubs and financial institutions. —Recommended by Jenny B. and Ellen 10
Sweet Judy Blue Eyes (782.42164 COL) A folk music icon discusses the height of her career in the 1960s, her alcoholism, her love affair with Stephen Stills, and her friendships with Joan Baez, David Crosby, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, and others. —Recommended by Connie 3
Cumming, Alan Not My Father’s Son: A Memoir (792.028092 CUM) The acclaimed actor discusses his turbulent relationship with his father as well as his appearance in a celebrity genealogy show and his discovery of astounding family secrets. —Recommended by Jane
Dunham, Lena Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s “Learned’’ (791.45028092 DUN) The creator and star of HBO's Girls documents her coming-of-age in and out of the spotlight, recounting her experiences with everything from dieting to dirty old men. —Recommended by Susie
Egan, Timothy
Melinek, Judy, M.D., and Mitchell, T.J. Working Stiff: 2 Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner (614.1 MEL) A New York City forensic pathologist describes her experiences as a doctor throughout the events of September 11, the anthrax bio-terrorism attack, and the crash of Flight 587. —Recommended by Becky
Nash, Graham Wild Tales: A Rock & Roll Life (782.24266 NAS) A founding member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young shares the story of his life from his youth in postwar England, his collaborations with fellow band members, and his enduring career as a musician and political activist. —Recommended by Connie
Oliver, Mary
Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis (770.92 CUR) Photographer Edward Curtis was the Annie Leibowitz of his time. He was 32 years old in 1900 when he gave up his famous life to capture on film Native American tribes before they disappeared. —Recommended by Haley
Blue Horses (Poetry 811.540 OLI) The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of American Primitive presents a new collection of poems that reflects her signature imagery-based language and her observations of the unaffected beauty of nature. —Recommended by Jo and Ellen
Delaney, Rob
Parini, Jay
Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage. (792.7028092 DEL) The comedian presents a collection of essays on his journey from a middle-class theater geek to a devoted family man. —Recommended by Nate 4
Jesus: The Human Face of God (232.901 PAR) The award-winning novelist uses his narrative skills to explore Jesus as the human face of God, a figure whose self-sacrifice has inspired men and women for twenty centuries. —Recommended by Ellen
9
Ehrlich, Gretel
Leigh, Wendy Bowie: the Biography (782.42166 BOW) This revealing look the life of David Bowie includes rare photos and draws on interviews with his lovers, girlfriends, groupies, business associates, and band members. —Recommended by Susie
Facing the Wave: A Journey in the Wake of the Tsunami (363.3494 HER) The acclaimed natural-world observer and author presents a poignant and inspirational portrait of Japan after the 2011 tsunami, with profiles of everyday citizens who survived the disaster and continue rebuilding efforts. —Recommended by Haley
Lowe, Rob Love Life (791.43028092 LOW) Lowe offers up a collection of personal stories about men and women, art and commerce, fathers and sons, addiction and recovery, and sex and love. —Recommended by Connie
Loh, Sandra Tsing
Gay, Roxanne Bad Feminist: Essays (814.6 GAY) Gay, one of the most-watched young observers of her generation, provides a cultural examination of the ways in which the media influence self-perception, and discusses how society still needs to do better. —Recommended by Lindsay
The Madwoman in the Volvo: My Year of Raging Hormones (818.6 LOH) Loh humorously chronicles her experiences going through menopause while dealing with the end of her marriage, her preteen daughters, and the hijinks of her 89-year-old dad. —Recommended by Andrea
Hadfield, Chris
Mann, William
Hainey, Michael
Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine and Madness at the Birth of Hollywood (791.430280922 MAN) An account of the unsolved murder of popular Motion Picture Directors Association president William Desmond Taylor draws on recently released FBI files to consider a host of potential suspects in Roaring Twenties Hollywood. —Recommended by Lindsay 8
An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth (629.45 HAD) The Canadian author charts the course of his career as an astronaut, detailing how he overcame great odds to become one of NASA's most decorated astronauts. —Recommended by Lindsay
After Visiting Friends: A Son’s Story (070.92 HAI) Hainey tells the haunting story of his quest to understand the mystery of his father's death when the author was only six. This is a memoir about the secrets families keep and the role they play in making us who we are. —Recommended by Jane and Connie 5
Jacobs, Diane
Keillor, Garrison
Dear Abigail: The Intimate Lives and Revolutionary Ideas of Abigail Adams and Her Two Remarkable Sisters (Biography Adams, A.) The stories of America's second First Lady and her two sisters, from their childhoods to eyewitness roles in the American Revolution. —Recommended by Mary
The Keillor Reader (818.54 KEI) The famous radio host and bestselling author of the Lake Wobegon series presents an eclectic volume of literary essays culled from his "Old Scout" column, Time magazine, The Atlantic Monthly, and other sources. —Recommended by Mary
Jang, Jin-sung
Kirn, Walter
Dear Leader: Poet, Spy, Escapee—A Look Inside North Korea (951.93051 JAN) A high-ranking counterintelligence agent and former poet laureate for Kim Jong-il presents a rare insider's view into contemporary North Korea and its repressive regime. —Recommended by Dave
Blood Will Out: The True Story of a Murder, a Mystery, and a Masquerade (364.1523 KIR) The true story of a novelist who befriends an eccentric, privileged New Yorker and later discovers that his friend was an imposter and brutal double-murderer. —Recommended by Ellen
Jones, Brian Jay
Kurtz, Glenn
Jim Henson: the Biography (791.430233 HEN) A portrait of the iconic cultural figure includes stories from his Mississippi childhood, college forays, early Muppets TV projects, and his years with Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. —Recommended by Dave
Keegan, Marina The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories (818.6 KEE) This hope-filled posthumous collection from the talented young Yale graduate details the struggle we all face as we figure out what we want to be and how we can positively impact the world. —Recommended by Connie 6
Three Minutes in Poland: Discovering a Lost World in a 1938 Family Film (943.841 KUR) Traces the author's remarkable journey to find living survivors of a 1938 Polish community who were filmed by his grandfather before their brutal treatment in the Holocaust. —Recommended by Thomas
La Motte, Ellen N. The Backwash of War: The Human Wreckage of the Battlefield Witnessed by an American Nurse (940.475 LA) Banned by the U.S. in 1918, this account, by one of the first American war nurses to volunteer to go to Europe, describes the conditions of the Western Front facility where she worked. —Recommended by Sonia 7