For some readers, real life is much more compelling than fiction, and real people are far more interesting than any character an author could dream up. If you're one of those readers, then biographies, autobiographies and memoirs are for you.
The types of true stories are endless—there are romantic memoirs and tragic memoirs. There are short, essay-length memoirs that give you just a taste of an author’s writing. Perhaps you’re interested in a travel memoir that will make you feel as though you’ve walked the same steps as the writer, or you’re an American history buff looking for a bucket list of biographies on every American president. You could read a first-hand account from a former slave who became a dressmaker for Mary Todd Lincoln, or immerse yourself in Ruth Gruber’s own account of how she helped 1000 refugees find asylum.
From biographies of politicians, business leaders, artists and celebrities, to memoirs that tell unforgettable true stories with unflinching honesty, these are the books that let you fully step into someone else's shoes.
Author William's Styron's public fight with depression has helped others who have struggled with mental illness.
Joyce Maynard's 1972 essay captured life in 1960s America—and the attention of one of the world's most enigmatic icons.
By Olivia Mason
Look beyond A Wrinkle in Time, and discover the true breadth of the Newbery winner's talent.
By Olivia Mason
Overlooked? Yes. Forgotten? Not on our watch!
The boxer won the Light Heavyweight gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome when he was just 18 years old.
Orange-faced ogre, or the savior of our country? Opinions vary...vastly.
By Olivia Mason
The author candidly writes about the death of his partner, Roger Horwitz.
You may not make Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding guest list, but these books are your personal invitations to the world of royalty.
By BookTrib
The series is based on Gerald Durrell’s Corfu Trilogy, which details his family’s life after moving from England to Greece in the 1930s.
In "Game, Set, and Match," sportswriter Herbert Warren Wind tells the story of how this famous tennis match came to be.
Dysfunctional families and unconventional upbringings were the norm for these authors.
By Olivia Mason
We reflect on the actress' troubled but extraordinary life.
By Olivia Mason
Watch the first trailer for the upcoming adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s time travel classic.
By Olivia Mason
Feast on these delicious and inspiring reads.
Charlotte Jones Voiklis and Lena Roy discuss their grandmother's incredible adult novels.
Learn what really goes on behind those closed Palladian doors.
By DeAnna Janes & Greta Shull
In Haven, the award-winning journalist recounts her incredible—and controversial—involvement in the rescue of thousands of Jews.
Before "Fire and Fury," there was "TrumpNation."