Tag: memoir

Discover a Memoir

- Jill Leave a comment

Among the various genres in literature, memoirs (autobiographical narratives) hold a unique place that can resonate deeply with the reader. A well written memoir can provide a vulnerable view into the personal experiences of others, often offering perspectives that are vastly different than our own – even from more distant, historical viewpoints. Memoirs can provide intimate glimpses into personal struggles, moments of transformation, and triumphs, and can reveal to us the complexities and resilience of the human spirit. Resonating with readers, both emotionally and intellectually, memoirs can inspire empathy, broaden understanding of diverse cultures and histories, and offer lessons that have the power to change us. They can comfort and connect readers, demonstrating that feelings of loss, love, doubt, and hope are universal to the human experience. By sharing real stories, memoirs remind us of the power of storytelling to illuminate life’s challenges and joys, encouraging reflection on our own journeys.

Here are a few memoirs that have been included on must-read lists:

The Wives: A Memoir by Simone Gorrindo is an account of her life as an Army spouse, exploring the often unseen sacrifices and internal struggles that come with loving someone in uniform. Gorrindo describes the loneliness, fear, and resilience that defined her years within a tight-knit military community, as well as the deep bonds formed among the women who supported one another through deployments and constant uncertainty. The memoir is about identity and belonging, and also about the complexity of marriage to someone who is deployed. Ultimately, it offers a portrait of the hidden emotional labor of military families and the strength found in vulnerability and connection.

Once More We Saw Stars by Jayson Greene chronicles the unimaginable grief and gradual path toward healing after the death of the author’s young daughter, Greta. Greene recounts the immediate aftermath of the tragedy with raw honesty, capturing the array of emotions that accompany such a loss. The memoir is also a testament to resilience and the slow, painful work of reclaiming life and love in the wake of profound sorrow. Greene explores the fragility of life, enduring family bonds, and the moments of hope and connection that make recovery possible. It is a heartrending human story of love, loss, and the courage to continue living.

This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing by Jacqueline Winspear traces the author’s childhood in post-war England and the family stories that shaped her life. Winspear reflects on her parents’ resilience, the lingering shadows of war, and the everyday hardships and joys of growing up in a changing world. She weaves together themes of class, trauma, hope, and endurance, showing how these early experiences informed her worldview and her later writing. The memoir offers a heartfelt look at the memories and histories that define a family and the quiet strength found in ordinary lives.

New Memoirs and Biographies

- Stephanie Leave a comment

As someone who has a hard time reading nonfiction, when I’m feeling the need to read nonfiction, I gravitate towards memoirs and biographies. I love the life tidbits and secrets that are dropped. It sometimes feels like a peak behind the curtain into someone’s life when I’m reading a biography.

Below is by no means a complete list of all the new memoirs and biographies at the Davenport Public Library. Let us know in the comments, give us a call, or visit the Library for more recommendations! As of this writing, all of these titles are owned by the Davenport Public Library. All descriptions are provided by the publishers.

100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist’s Guide to a Happy Life by Dick Van Dyke

On the eve of his 100th birthday, national treasure Dick Van Dyke brings us this autobiographical collection of stories, reflections, and life advice on how he’s maintained a zest for life.

Dick Van Dyke danced his way into our hearts with iconic roles in Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and The Dick Van Dyke Show. Now, as he’s about to turn 100 years old, Dick is still dancing and approaching life with the twinkle in his eye that we’ve come to know and love. In 100 Rules for Living to 100, he reveals his secrets for maintaining your joie de vivre and making the most out of the life you’ve been given.

Through stories of his pivotal childhood, moments on film sets, his expansive family, and finding love late in life, Dick reflects on both the joyful times and the challenges that shaped him. His indefatigable spirit and positive attitude will surely inspire readers to count the blessings in their own lives, persevere through the hard times, and appreciate the beauty and complexity of being human. – Grand Central Publishing

Eternally Electric: The Message in My Music by Debbie Gibson

In her long-awaited debut, Debbie Gibson reflects on the lessons she learned in her years as a young pop pioneer and on her hard-earned journey to embrace her authentic self, allowing her to lead the healthy, engaged—and electric!—life she does today.

Debbie Gibson was just sixteen when she released her multi-platinum debut album Out of the Blue and recorded “Foolish Beat” in 1988, making her the youngest person to ever write, produce, and perform a Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper.

A child actress who became the original pop princess, Debbie had full creative control over her music and, when that no longer aligned with a transitioning arts scene, she went on to star in Broadway’s Les Misérables, Beauty and the Beast, and Cabaret, as well as in the London production of Grease. Yet, for all the accolades and achievements, her success came at a high price.

Anxiety, depression, financial struggles, illness—Debbie writes candidly about these and other challenges, and how she ultimately redesigned her life to overcome them. This is the story of her not only surviving, but thriving: returning to her musical roots, releasing new albums, going back out on tour, and living the best version of her authentic self to remain…Eternally Electric! – Gallery Books

Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum by Michael J. Fox

A poignant, heartfelt, and funny memoir about how, in 1985, Michael J. Fox brought to life two iconic roles simultaneously—Alex P. Keaton in Family Ties and Marty McFly in Back to the Future. An amazing true story as only Michael J. Fox can tell it

In early 1985, Michael J. Fox was one of the biggest stars on television. His world was about to get even bigger, but only if he could survive the kind of double duty unheard of in Hollywood. Fox’s days were already dedicated to rehearsing and taping the hit sitcom Family Ties, but then the chance of a lifetime came his way. Soon, he committed his nights to a new time-travel adventure film being directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced by Steven Spielberg—Back to the Future. Sitcom during the day, movie at night—day after day, for months.

Fox’s nightly commute from a soundstage at Paramount to the back lot at Universal Studios, from one dream job to another, would become his own space-time continuum. It was in this time portal that Alex P. Keaton handed the baton to Marty McFly while Michael J. Fox tried to catch a few minutes of sleep. Alex’s bravado, Marty’s flair, and Fox’s comedic virtuosity all swirled together to create something truly special.

In Future Boy, Fox tells the remarkable story of playing two landmark roles at the same time—a slice of entertainment history that’s never been told. Using new interviews with the cast and crew of both projects, the result is a vividly drawn and eye-opening story of creative achievement by a beloved icon. – Flatiron Books

Heart Life Music by Kenny Chesney with Holly Gleason

Heart Life Music is a love letter to the journey: all the places I’ve gone and how we got here. This book takes you on the ride.

Knoxville. Moscow. Myrtle Beach. The Virgin Islands. Plentywood, Montana. Holmdel, New Jersey. Key West. New England. The Road. No Shoes Nation. Beyond.

We’ve had a lot of fun, a bunch of challenges, a few moments of wondering “what the hell?”—and more love than any artist deserves. You’re gonna meet so many people, some you’d never expect to see crossing my path, whether it’s the Wailers, Willie Nelson, John Madden, or Grace Potter. Maybe you won’t be surprised at all. I just know this: A whole lot has happened.

For anyone who’s found a piece of your life in any of my songs, this is for you. Open a cold drink, get out on your deck or your boat or wherever your happy space is, jump in, and live them along with me.

And if you’ve got dreams, whatever they are, know they don’t always come easy. But if you believe, do the hard work, and keep coming back, you’d be amazed at what can happen. I’m a pretty average guy, so look at this—know you might could do it, too.

It’s been a helluva trip around the sun. – William Morrow

Joyride: A Memoir by Susan Orlean

“The story of my life is the story of my stories,” writes Susan Orlean in this extraordinary, era-defining memoir from one of the greatest practitioners of narrative nonfiction of our time. Joyride is a magic carpet ride through Orlean’s life and career, where every day is an opportunity for discovery and every moment holds the potential for wonder. Throughout her storied career, her curiosity draws her to explore the most ordinary and extraordinary of places, from going deep inside the head of a regular ten-year-old boy for a legendary profile (“The American Man Age Ten”) to reporting on a woman who owns twenty-seven tigers, from capturing the routine magic of Saturday night to climbing Mt. Fuji.

Not only does Orlean’s account of a writing life offer a trove of indispensable gleanings for writers, it’s also an essential and practical guide to embracing any creative path. She takes us through her process of dreaming up ideas, managing deadlines, connecting with sources, chasing every possible lead, confronting writer’s block and self-doubt, and crafting the perfect lede—a Susan specialty.

While Orlean has always written her way into other people’s lives in order to understand the human experience, Joyride is her most personal book ever—a searching journey through finding her feet as a journalist, recovering from the excruciating collapse of her first marriage, falling head-over-heels in love again, becoming a mother while mourning the decline of her own mother, sojourning to Hollywood for films based on her work including Adaptation and Blue Crush, and confronting mortality. Joyride is also a time machine to a bygone era of journalism, from Orlean’s bright start in the golden age of alt-weeklies to her career-making days working alongside icons such as Robert Gottlieb, Tina Brown, David Remnick, Anna Wintour, Sonny Mehta, and Jonathan Karp—forces who shaped the media industry as we know it today.

Infused with Orlean’s signature warmth and wit, Joyride is a must-read for anyone who hungers to start, build, and sustain a creative life. Orlean inspires us to seek out daily inspiration and rediscover the marvels that surround us. – Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster

Last Rites by Ozzy Osbourne

“People say to me, if you could do it all again, knowing what you know now, would you change anything? I’m like, f*** no. If I’d been clean and sober, I wouldn’t be Ozzy. If I’d done normal, sensible things, I wouldn’t be Ozzy.”

Husband. Father. Grandfather. F*cking Icon.
1948 – 2025

In 2018, at the age of sixty-nine, Ozzy Osbourne was on a triumphant farewell tour, playing to sold-out arenas and rave reviews all around the world.

Then: disaster.

In a matter of just a few weeks, he went from being hospitalized with a finger infection to having to abandon his tour – and all public life – as he faced near-total paralysis from the neck down.

LAST RITES is the shocking, bitterly hilarious, never-before-told story of Ozzy’s descent into hell. Along the way, he reflects on his extraordinary life and career, including his marriage to wife Sharon, as well as his reflections on what it took for him to get back onstage for the triumphant Back to the Beginning concert, streamed around the world, where Ozzy reunited with his Black Sabbath bandmates for the final time.

Unflinching, brutally honest, but surprisingly life-affirming, Last Rites demonstrates once again why Ozzy has transcended his status as ‘The Godfather of Metal’ and ‘The Prince of Darkness’ to become a modern-day folk hero and national treasure. – Grand Central Publishing

The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir by Roy Wood Jr.

When Roy Wood Jr. held his baby boy for the first time, he was relieved that his son was happy and healthy, but he felt a strange mix of joy and apprehension. Roy’s own father, a voice of the civil rights movement in Birmingham, Alabama, had passed away when Roy was sixteen. There were gaps in the lessons passed down from father to son and, holding his own child, Roy wondered: Have I managed to fill in those blanks, to learn the lessons I will one day need to teach my boy?

So Roy looked back to figure out who had taught him lessons throughout his life and which he could pass down to his son. Some of his father figures were clear, like a colorful man from Philadelphia navigating life after prison, who taught Roy the value of having a vision for his life, or his fellow comedians, who showed him what it took to make it as a working stand-up performer. Others were less obvious, from the teenage friends who convinced him to race “leaf boats” carrying lit matches in the middle of a drought to a drug-addicted restaurant colleague who played hoops while Roy scoured dirty dishes to big names in Hollywood, like Trevor Noah and more.

In The Man of Many Fathers, Roy shares what he’s learned with humor and heart, delivering the most memorable lessons, such as how to channel anger through a more successful outlet (hint: never ever try to outfox a single mom), how not to get caught snitching (hint: never snitch), and how to become a good man—and a good dad (hint: listen to your fathers). – Crown

Simply More: A Book for Anyone Who Has Been Told They’re Too Much by Cynthia Erivo

In this vulnerable and enlightening book of life lessons, globally renowned performer Cynthia Erivo draws from her singular experience to show us how to embrace being “too much” and to live up to the fullest iteration of ourselves.

It is never too late to build the life you’re seeking.

Cynthia Erivo learned the music to Wicked a decade before she needed it, not knowing those same lyrics would change her life. Now she has performed those songs on the world stage, showing us there is always time to keep discovering ourselves. And to illustrate that it’s often the parts of ourselves we are told to bury that make us shine.

In a series of powerful, personal vignettes, Cynthia reflects on the ways she has grown as an actor and human and the practices she’s learned over years of performing and reminds us all we are capable of so much more than we think.

We all have hopes and dreams that we want to bring across the finish line. We all falter and take missteps. In this book, Cynthia draws from her experiences running marathons, both real and metaphorical, onstage and onscreen, to show how each challenge can help us. She urges readers to lean into the wisdom of their bodies, to understand and strive for a physical and mental balance. Because when we chase our deepest desires, each small step leads us closer to where we want to go. – Flatiron Books

Sister Wife: A Memoir of Faith, Family, and Finding Freedom by Christine Brown Woolley

From TLC’s Sister Wives star Christine Brown Woolley, a groundbreaking and heartfelt memoir about living in a family like no other and finding the strength to leave Mormonism—and the only life she’s known—behind.

Christine Brown Woolley had always dreamed of having a picture-perfect family—beautiful children, an adoring husband, and of course, a sisterhood of wives to share him with. Raised in Utah by practicing polygamists, Christine knew her life was less than normal, but that didn’t stop her from loving the full house of her childhood any less.

Becoming Kody Brown’s third wife in 1994, Christine finally found the big, happy family she had hoped for. When TLC’s hit show Sister Wives premiered in 2010, Christine knew it was her chance to shine a light on the brighter side of polygamy—the helping hands, the lively discussions, and their unmatched devotion to each other. But the cameras also revealed a much darker truth.

Now, in this candid tell-all, Christine shares for the first time the journey that led her away from polygamy and the bold path she is carving to live apart from all she has ever known. Moving, genuine, and insightful, this is a uniquely powerful tour de force of Christine’s journey toward and beyond her time in the spotlight as a sister wife. – Gallery Books

Softly, as I Leave You: Life After Elvis by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley with Mary Jane Ross

The long-awaited memoir by Priscilla Presley chronicling her difficult, inspiring journey beyond the walls of Graceland and behind the elegant image the world sees.

Priscilla Presley’s divorce from Elvis left his fans incredulous. How could she leave the man every woman wanted? From the outside, life in Elvis’s mansion looked glamorous and enviable, and in many respects, it was. But inside the mansion, her husband was constantly surrounded by a male entourage while at the gates, lines of beautiful women waited hopefully for an audience with the King. From the time she was seventeen years-old, that life was all Priscilla had known. During her ten years with Elvis, it became painfully apparent that she had no idea who she was outside Elvis’s world. The only way to find herself was to leave that world and seek a new life of her own, because leaving was the only way to survive, for herself and for her daughter.

Softly, As I Leave You, is the deeply personal story of what Priscilla lost and what she found when she walked away from the man she loved. Despite the legal separation, their love for one another transformed into a touching and tender dynamic that endured until Elvis’s untimely death four years later. Shattered by Elvis’s passing, she had to reinvent herself a second time as the single mother of a talented, often headstrong daughter who never really recovered from her father’s death. Priscilla’s dedication to motherhood was enriched by the birth of her second child, and she gradually found her footing as a businesswoman, actress, designer, and legislative advocate. She transformed Graceland into an international destination and helped guide the development of Elvis Presley Enterprises. But the unexpected, shattering loss of three immediate family members years later brought Priscilla to her knees. She shares her journey with a quiet dignity that will comfort and reassure anyone who has suffered – and survived – seemingly unbearable loss.

A passionate, compassionate, and inspiring story of finding your place in the world, Softly, As I Leave You, is a sweet Southern melody that will take the reader with Priscilla on her long road home. – Grand Central Publishing

This title is also available in large print.

Star of the Show: My Life on Stage by Dolly Parton with Tom Roland

A stunning celebration of Dolly Parton’s iconic career as a performer, featuring entertaining personal stories alongside more than 500 full-color photographs, including exclusive images and ephemera from her archive, and an eight-page gatefold listing her lifetime of performances.

In Star of the Show, the culminating book in Dolly Parton’s photographic trilogy—following Songteller (lyrics) and Behind the Seams (fashion)—the global superstar finally shares a definitive look at her career as one of the world’s most dazzling and beloved performers.

Featuring engaging stories and memories from Parton’s dynamic life behind the microphone, this book spotlights her signature performances and star-making moments, from singing in front of her family to premiering on the Grand Ole Opry stage and beyond. Her formative years performing with country legend Porter Wagoner are chronicled as she learns hard lessons from life on the road. Breaking out on her own at state fairs and critically acclaimed venues, she toured the world performing for millions of fans in arenas, stadiums, and at festivals. From making her onscreen debut in the blockbuster feature film 9 to 5 to playing the Dallas Cowboys’ 2023 Thanksgiving halftime show to 42 million viewers, this global superstar knows no limits. Along the way, Dolly shares the stage with Kenny Rogers, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, and others, while offering insight on touring big, singing strong, and staying on top for seven decades.

Brimming with Parton’s trademark wit and heartfelt sincerity, Star of the Show: My Life on Stage is not only an homage to one of history’s most cherished artists, but also a must-have collector’s item for—and love letter to—any fan of the one and only Dolly Parton. – Ten Speed Press

Still Bobbi: A Master Class in Resilience and Reinvention by Bobbi Brown

Bobbi Brown has never written her life story…until now.

In Still Bobbi, she reveals how a young girl from suburban Chicago who was bored at school but had a budding entrepreneurial spirit that she inherited from her Papa Sam, grew up to become a makeup artist to the stars and a beauty industry icon who built two juggernaut brands. The development of Bobbi’s revolutionary, yet simple no makeup makeup philosophy was informed early by two powerful, yet diametrically different women in her life: her loving and very glamorous mother who struggled with mental health issues and her equally-loving, but very practical, non-nonsense, Aunt Alice. In Still Bobbi, Bobbi reveals how these two women, along with her own Midwestern work ethic and personal resilience, continue to inform her life and career to this day.

In the early ’90s, when makeup trends were about covering, contouring, and transforming, Bobbi blazed her own path, using makeup that accentuated a woman’s natural beauty. In the process, she revolutionized the makeup industry. At twenty-five, Bobbi moved to New York City to become a makeup artist and she hustled to break into the very gated fashion and beauty industry. Eight years, later, she got a Vogue cover. By age thirty-seven, she sold her namesake brand (and her name) to Estee Lauder for a life-changing sum. She spent the next twenty-two years building her brand into a one billion business until one day, she was called upstairs and unceremoniously told she was no longer in charge of the brand she built. At fifty-nine years old, she had to reinvent herself and begin all over again.

Bobbi’s vision, creativity, and resilience are fully visible in these pages. Through ups and downs, her North Star has remained consistent—embrace who you are, flaws, freckles, and wrinkles included. This is not just Bobbi’s beauty philosophy—it’s how she lives her life. Real is better than fake. Simple is better than complicated. Family comes first. And when real life throws you obstacles, pivot and just figure it out.

After all this time, after all, she’s Still Bobbi. – S&S / Marysue Rucci Books

That’s A Great Question, I’d Love to Tell You by Elyse Myers

Writer, comedian, and content creator Elyse Myers gets real about life’s awkward moments in her bold, funny, and unfiltered debut book

Elyse Myers is known to her twelve million followers as “The Internet’s Best Friend,” sharing her relatable stories and comedic sketches and serving as an advocate for topics such as neurodivergence, impostor syndrome, body image, and more. Whether she’s making people laugh with tales of disastrous dates or giving a voice to that awkward internal monologue many of us have, she has three simple goals behind everything she makes: To make people feel known, loved, and like they belong.

In That’s a Great Question, I’d Love to Tell You, Elyse delivers a debut collection of deeply personal stories and hand-drawn illustrations, offering even more intimate reflections beyond what fans have seen on her social media, including:

  • Spending 7 Minutes in Heaven accidentally friend-zoning her crush
  • How Lucy, the Magic 8 Ball keychain, changed her life by accident
    Moving from California to Australia to Texas to Nebraska to like (maybe even love!) herself
  • How to Fold Hospital Corners in 10 EASY STEPS!—a practical guide and a rumination about…everything
  • The “meat cute” when she met her smoke show of a husband at a butcher’s counter in Australia—and how she revealed herself to be an emotional runner

Plus, tales involving bad dates and is-this-a-dates; the tempting yet futile urge to reinvent yourself, panic attacks and escape hatches, and favorite pens and systems to use them, all while loving and letting yourself be loved, preferably at the same time. – William Morrow

Truly by Lionel Richie

The long-awaited memoir of the legendary Lionel Richie.

As a storyteller second to none, Lionel Richie is ready to tell it all. In this intimate, deeply candid memoir, Lionel revisits hilarious and harrowing events to inspire all who doubt themselves or feel their dreams don’t matter. Lionel chronicles lessons learned during his unlikely story of remarkable success—his dramatic transformation from painfully shy, “tragically” late bloomer to world-class entertainer and composer of love songs that have played as the soundtrack of our lives.

Funny, warm, and riveting, Lionel recalls his childhood in Tuskegee, Alabama, where he grew up on its university campus during the heyday of the Civil Rights movement, raucous adventures as a member of The Commodores, coming-of-age in late 1960s Harlem, culture shock playing gigs on the French Riviera, the big break of being signed to Motown, his meteoric solo career that included an Olympics performance witnessed by two billion around the globe, all the way through to writing and recording “We Are the World” and his current multi-generational fame as a judge on American Idol. Even with its turbulence, loss, and near-calamity, Lionel’s journey takes us on a thrill ride and delivers a memoir for the ages—reminding us of the power of love to elevate our own lives and our world. – HarperOne

Vagabond: A Memoir by Tim Curry

This memoir is a celebration of Tim Curry’s life’s work, and a testament to his profound impact on the entertainment industry as we know it today.

There are few stars in Hollywood today that can boast the kind of resume Tony award-nominated actor Tim Curry has built over the past five decades. From his breakout role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show to his iconic depiction as the sadistic clown Pennywise in It to his critically acclaimed role as the original King Arthur in both the Broadway and West End versions of Spamalot, Curry redefined what it meant to be a “character actor,” portraying heroes and villains alike with complexity, nuance, and a genuine understanding of human darkness.

Now, in his memoir, Curry takes readers behind-the-scenes of his rise to fame from his early beginnings as a military brat to his formative years in boarding school and university, to the moment when he hit the stage for the first time. He goes in-depth about what it was like to work on some of the most emblematic works of the 20th century, constantly switching between a camera and a live audience. He also explores the voicework that defined his later career and provided him with a chance to pivot after surviving a catastrophic stroke in 2012 that nearly took his life.

With the upcoming 50th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the 40th anniversary of Clue, there’s never been a better time for Tim to share his story with the world. – Grand Central Publishing

We Did OK, Kid: A Memoir by Anthony Hopkins

Academy Award–winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins delves into his illustrious film and theater career, difficult childhood, and path to sobriety in his honest, moving, and long-awaited memoir.

Born and raised in Port Talbot—a small Welsh steelworks town—amid war and depression, Sir Anthony Hopkins grew up around men who were tough, to say the least, and eschewed all forms of emotional vulnerability in favor of alcoholism and brutality. A struggling student in school, he was deemed by his peers, his parents, and other adults as a failure with no future ahead of him. But, on a fateful Saturday night, the disregarded Welsh boy watched the 1948 adaptation of Hamlet, sparking a passion for acting that would lead him on a path that no one could have predicted.

With candor and a voice that is both arresting and vulnerable, Sir Anthony recounts his various career milestones and provides a once-in-a-lifetime look into the brilliance behind some of his most iconic roles. His performance as Iago gets him admitted into the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and places him under the wing of Laurence Olivier. He meets Richard Burton by chance as a young boy in his art teacher’s apartment, and later, backstage before a performance of Equus as an established actor meeting his hero. His iconic portrayal of Hannibal Lecter was informed by the creepy performance of Bela Lugosi in Dracula and the razor-sharp precision of his acting teacher. He pulls raw emotion from the stoicism of his father and grandfather for an unforgettable performance in King Lear.

Sir Anthony also takes a deeply honest look at the low points in his personal life. His addiction cost him his first marriage, his relationship with his only child, and nearly his life—the latter ultimately propelling him toward sobriety, a commitment he has maintained for nearly half a century. He constantly battles against the desire to move through life alone and avoid connection for fear of getting hurt—much like the men in his family—and as the years go by, he deals with questions of mortality, getting ready to discover what his father called The Big Secret.

Featuring a special collection of personal photographs throughout, We Did OK, Kid is a raw and passionate memoir from a complex, iconic man who has inspired audiences with remarkable performances for over sixty years. – S&S / Summit Books

Local authors added so far in 2025

- Beth Leave a comment

Dozens of titles were added to our Local Authors collection during the first half of 2025. These are books written by authors born or living in Scott County, Iowa, or Rock Island County, Illinois. In most cases, the items were donated to the Davenport Public Library by the authors themselves. All Local Author items are available for checkout from our Fairmount branch.

Kids

My Dog Sam, Recipe for a Little Monster, Willow the Minnow, and Boy Meets Squirrels by Marva Lewis

The Adventures of Kids United: The Glass Bridge by Rene Gellerman

Empowering Eloise by Kevin Turner

 

 

Daddy Dinosaur Gets Deployed by Amari Harris

Fiction and genre fiction

In the Toe of a Shoe: Secrets Revealed by David E. Coe

Aphrodite Rising by Kathy Criswell

The captain’s game and other tales of the strange and supernatural and The black tea box and more tales of the strange and supernatural by Benjamin Headlee

 

Poetry

Plain clothes hamburglar by Sean Moeller

 

 

 

 

 

Nonfiction

Yet will I trust him: A Sedonia Roland memoir by Kassaundra Hester

Bessie’s prayer : “I am Walter, Bessie’s Son”: That made all the difference! by Walter D. Braud

That’s all there is to it! A collection of easy, delicious meals by Carman Wilken

If you are a Quad Cities-based author, whether traditionally published or self-published, please consider donating a copy of your book to our Local Authors collection so that it can be checked out and enjoyed by our patrons. Email Beth Paul at bpaul@davenportlibrary.com for details about making the donation.

A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat

- Stephanie Leave a comment

When my to-read list is overwhelming, I look up book award lists. One of my favorites is the National Book Awards and my latest read came from that list! A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature in 2023. This graphic memoir caught my attention straight from the beginning and left me reminiscing about my middle grade years.

Dan Santat was an awkward kid. His middle grade school years were especially awkward, but thankfully a trip to Europe helped turn his life around just in time for high school. Dan may be a good kid, but that doesn’t stop him from being bullied. While he feels like he’s invisible some days, others he is constantly picked on while staying out of trouble. When his parents find a brochure talking about a class trip to Europe, they decide that Dan must go because when else is he going to have the chance. Dan has low expectations and is decidedly not excited to go.

When he shows up at the airport, his feelings are confirmed. He’s stuck with the same middle school girls who made fun of him, showcased through a series of flashbacks throughout the book. As he travels through Europe, seeing the sights in France, Germany, Switzerland, and England, Dan starts to open up as he experiences a series of firsts. He decides he wants to try all the different types of Fanta, has his first Fondue, accidentally steals a bike in Germany, and most importantly has his first love. Dan slowly breaks out of his shell while going through the big emotions that we all experienced as thirteen year old kids trying to find our way in the world.

This graphic memoir was funny and adorable. I found myself commiserating with Dan as he struggled to express himself and crying along with him as he had to say goodbye to his first love. The author acknowledges how even though his middle school years were awkward, they also changed his life. This is such a reflective and self-affirming graphic memoir for all of us that went through challenging middle school years.

Better Living Through Birding by Chrisitan Cooper

- Beth Leave a comment

In Better Living Through Birding, Christian Cooper uses his platform from the infamous “Central Park birdwatching incident” to shift focus on the joys of living life outside of stereotypes. 

In May 2020, Christian Cooper recorded a confrontation between himself and a white woman in New York’s Central Park where he asked her to leash her dog and she made a false police report saying he threatened her. The video went viral, partly because it happened around the same time George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis. “The Incident” became part of a larger conversation about institutional racism. Details are covered in one chapter of this memoir. Cooper acknowledges a handful of times that “The Incident” is probably the reason you are reading the book, but Cooper uses the notoriety of “The Incident” to invite you into a much larger and more fulfilling part of his life: birdwatching.

It was no accident that Cooper was in Central Park that day. This wasn’t a “I need to get out of the house” Covid walk. This day was one among a string a days that Cooper had spent enjoying peak bird migration through the area. Cooper is a dedicated birdwatcher who has traveled the world for his hobby but calls New York home. He has built a community of friends with others who can identify sparrows, warblers, and finches by their song.

There are some other things you should know about Cooper. He has been a nerd since childhood, with Star Trek and Marvel comics being two of his obsessions. He attended Harvard and in the book describes how he came out to his dormmates and then became a gay activist. Protesting and being arrested are part of his activist journey. His relationship with his parents, especially his father, is complicated. He worked for Marvel and wrote the first lesbian character.

Through it all, even in his childhood, has been birding. He wants the readers of his book to be just as excited about being outdoors as he is. In spaces where he has been an outsider, he invites you to be part of the community, to find joy in spotting a bird under the cover of foliage or being able to identify it by its call.

While I listened to this audiobook, and there were a few bird calls between chapters that were a nice touch, I don’t think the audiobook experience is a must. As of the publication of this blog post, Better Living Through Birding by Chrisitan Cooper is available in regular print, large print and eAudiobook on Bridges through the Libby app.

And if Christian Cooper’s memoir inspires you to take up birding, remember the Davenport Public Library has many resources to get you started, including field guides and birding backpacks with all the tools you need.

This Beautiful, Ridiculous City: A Graphic Memoir by Kay Sohini

- Stephanie Leave a comment

This Beautiful, Ridiculous City: A Graphic Memoir by Kay Sohini is a vividly drawn graphic memoir telling the story of a woman of many talents. Kay Sohini is an immigrant, a writer, a foodie, an optimist, and a survivor with a deep love of anything New York City. From a young age growing up in India, Kay found love and hope through anything related to New York City, be it movies, books, music, or anything else. She turns to New York City in her time of need, so it’s no surprise when Kay decides to move to New York City to escape an abusive relationship.

Switching back and forth between her past in India, her present in New York City, and her first night in New York City on the tarmac of JFK Airport, Kay reflects on how much her life has changed, what she has left behind, and what she has to look forward to. The trauma she left behind in India has forever changed her, but her story is far from over. In fact, she decides to examine her city through the eyes of her favorite writers. Her journey to create a new home in New York City begins with the groundwork of trying to put herself back together. Kay shows, rather than tells, her readers about the great sense of belonging she feels in her new home. This is evident through the evocative and beautiful artwork that radiates through this graphic memoir. Her journey to love herself as much as she loves New York City further highlights how trauma can highlight your truth and how a new city can ease your heart.

What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma by Stephanie Foo

- Stephanie Leave a comment

“Trauma isn’t just the sadness that comes from being beaten, or neglected, or insulted. That’s just one layer of it. Trauma also is mourning the childhood you could have had. The childhood other kids around you had. The fact that you could have had a mom who hugged and kissed you when you skinned your knee. Or a dad who stayed and brought you a bouquet of flowers at your graduation. Trauma is mourning the fact that, as an adult, you have to parent yourself. You have to stand in your kitchen, starving, near tears, next to a burnt chicken, and you can’t call your mom to tell her about it, to listen to her tell you that it’s okay, to ask if you can come over for some of her cooking. Instead, you have to pull up your bootstraps and solve the painful puzzle of your life by yourself. What other choice do you have? Nobody else is going to solve it for you.”
― Stephanie Foo, What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma

Published in February 2022, What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma by Stephanie Foo discusses complex PTSD and the uphill battle for a diagnosis and treatment. Stephanie, a journalist and former radio producer for This American Life, details her journey to diagnosis, the roadblocks she hit, and how she was able to reclaim her agency from the trauma she faced as a child. This book was powerful and hopeful, while at times completely devastating. Stephanie acknowledges at the beginning that this book may be difficult for some to get through and gives permission for those readers that need to to skip ahead as much as they need. What My Bones Know is a brave memoir that isn’t afraid to stare down the tough parts of the past in order to find a way to help the present.

As an adult, Stephanie had all the looks of success: her dream job at This American Life and a loving, supportive boyfriend. Even though she had all this, behind the scenes Stephanie was a mess. She found interactions with others to be difficult, often crying at her desk every morning and suffering from debilitating panic attacks, alternating with intense bouts of anger. What was causing this behavior? Stephanie sought out help from a therapist and was eventually diagnosed with complex PTSD, a condition that results from trauma that happens continuously over many years. This diagnosis didn’t immediately switch a flip in Stephanie, leading her to be instantly cured. Instead she found herself looking for ways to heal through research and interviews with experts.

As a child, Stephanie suffered years of neglect as well as physical and verbal abuse at the hands of her parents, which led to both of her parents abandoning her when she was a teenager. Stephanie always believed that she had dealt with her feelings regarding those situations and that she had ‘moved on’, but when examining her complex PTSD diagnosis, she realizes that her past was creeping into her present with the potential to destroy her career, her relationships, and her health. Her journey to healing was made difficult by lack of resources and limited study of complex PTSD, so Stephanie decided to treat her diagnosis as she would treat a new job: she would do her own research and conduct her own interviews. In this memoir, Stephanie seeks out experts in the field, travels to her California hometown to interview friends, and flies back to Malaysia where she was born to question her relatives. She tried new therapies, investigates the wider influence of immigrant trauma on families and communities as a whole, and looks into how trauma slides through generations, impacting those not yet born. Throughout her journey, Stephanie documents her ups and downs, highlighting how she has changed through the years, while also acknowledging that everyone’s journey will differ through their own individual processes of discovery.

“Being healed isn’t about feeling nothing. Being healed is about feeling the appropriate emotions at the appropriate times and still being able to come back to yourself. That’s just life.”
― Stephanie Foo, What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma

Books about Divorce

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Books about divorces are trending right now. Whether it is a nonfiction memoir or an autofictional novel, the representation of divorce in these books is varied. Below you will find a list of nonfiction and fiction books about divorce published recently that are all owned by the Davenport Public Library. Descriptions are provided by the publishers.

Nonfiction

This American Ex-Wife: How I Ended My Marriage and Started My Life by Lyz Lenz

Studies show that nearly 70 percent of divorces are initiated by women—women who are tired, fed up, exhausted, and unhappy. We’ve all seen how the media portrays divorcées: sad, lonely, drowning their sorrows in a bottle of wine. Lyz Lenz is one such woman whose life fell apart after she reached a breaking point in her twelve-year marriage. But she refused to take part in that tired narrative and decided to flip the script on divorce.

In this exuberant and unapologetic book, Lenz makes an argument for the advantages of getting divorced, framing it as a practical and effective solution for women to take back the power they are owed. Weaving reportage with sociological research and literature with popular culture along with personal stories of coming together and breaking up, Lenz creates a kaleidoscopic and poignant portrait of American marriage today. She argues that the mechanisms of American power, justice, love, and gender equality remain deeply flawed, and that marriage, like any other cultural institution, is due for a reckoning. A raucous argument for acceptance, solidarity, and collective female refusal, This American Ex-Wife takes readers on a riveting ride—while pointing us all toward a life that is a little more free. – Crown

The Next Day: Transitions, Change, and Moving Forward by Melinda French Gates

Transitions are moments in which we step out of our familiar surroundings and into a new landscape—a space that, for many people, is shadowed by confusion, fear, and indecision. The Next Day accompanies readers as they cross that space, offering guidance on how to make the most of the time between an ending and a new beginning and how to move forward into the next day when the ground beneath you is shifting.

In this book, Melinda will reflect, for the first time in print, on some of the most significant transitions in her own life, including becoming a parent, the death of a dear friend, and her departure from the Gates Foundation. The stories she tells illuminate universal lessons about loosening the bonds of perfectionism, helping friends navigate times of crisis, embracing uncertainty, and more.

Each one of us, no matter who we are or where we are in life, is headed toward transitions of our own. With her signature warmth and grace, Melinda candidly shares stories of times when she was in need of wisdom and shines a path through the open space stretching out before us all. – Flatiron Books

No Fault: A Memoir of Romance and Divorce by Haley Mlotek

An intimate and candid account of one of the most romantic and revolutionary of relationships: divorce

Divorce was everything for Haley Mlotek. As a child, she listened to her twice-divorced grandmother tell stories about her “husbands.” As a pre-teen, she answered the phones for her mother’s mediation and marriage counseling practice and typed out the paperwork for couples in the process of leaving each other. She grew up with the sense that divorce was an outcome to both resist and desire, an ordeal that promised something better on the other side of something bad. But when she herself went on to marry—and then divorce—the man she had been with for twelve years, suddenly, she had to reconsider her generation’s inherited understanding of the institution.

Deftly combining her personal story with wry, searching social and literary exploration, No Fault is a deeply felt and radiant account of 21st century divorce—the remarkably common and seemingly singular experience, and what it reveals about our society and our desires for family, love, and friendship. Mlotek asks profound questions about what divorce should be, who it is for, and why the institution of marriage maintains its power, all while charting a poignant and cathartic journey away from her own marriage towards an unknown future.

Brilliant, funny, and unflinchingly honest, No Fault is a kaleidoscopic look at marriage, secrets, ambitions, and what it means to love and live with uncertainty, betrayal, and hope. – Viking

Fiction

All Fours by Miranda July

A semi-famous artist announces her plan to drive cross-country, from LA to NY. Thirty minutes after leaving her husband and child at home, she spontaneously exits the freeway, checks into a nondescript motel, and immerses herself in an entirely different journey.

Miranda July’s second novel confirms the brilliance of her unique approach to fiction. With July’s wry voice, perfect comic timing, unabashed curiosity about human intimacy, and palpable delight in pushing boundaries, All Fours tells the story of one woman’s quest for a new kind of freedom. Part absurd entertainment, part tender reinvention of the sexual, romantic, and domestic life of a forty-five-year-old female artist, All Fours transcends expectation while excavating our beliefs about life lived as a woman. Once again, July hijacks the familiar and turns it into something new and thrillingly, profoundly alive. – Riverhead Books

Liars by Sarah Manguso

A nuclear family can destroy a woman artist. I’d always known that. But I’d never suspected how easily I’d fall into one anyway.

When Jane, an aspiring writer, meets filmmaker John Bridges, they both want the same things: to be in love, to live a successful, creative life, and to be happy. When they marry, Jane believes she has found everything she was looking for, including—a few years later—all the attendant joys and labors of motherhood. But it’s not long until Jane finds herself subsumed by John’s ambitions, whims, and ego; in short, she becomes a wife.

As Jane’s career flourishes, their marriage starts to falter. Throughout the upheavals of family life, Jane tries to hold it all together. That is, until John leaves her.

Liars is a tour de force of wit and rage, telling the blistering story of a marriage as it burns to the ground, and of a woman rising inexorably from its ashes. – Hogarth

Animal Instinct by Amy Shearn

The world has stopped. But Rachel is just getting started…

It’s spring of 2020 and Rachel Bloomstein—mother of three, recent divorcée, and Brooklynite—is stuck inside. But her newly awakened sexual desire and lust for a new life refuse to be contained. Leaning on her best friend Lulu to show her the ropes, Rachel dips a toe in the online dating world, leading to park dates with younger men, flirtations with beautiful women, and actual, in-person sex. None of them, individually, are perfect . . . hence her rotation.

But what if one person could perfectly cater to all her emotional needs?
Driven by this possibility, Rachel creates Frankie, the AI chatbot she programs with all the good parts of dating in middle age . . . and some of the bad. But as Rachel plays with her fantasy to her heart’s content, she begins to realize she can’t reprogram her ex-husband, her children, her friends, or the roster of paramours that’s grown unwieldy. Perhaps real life has more in store for Rachel than she could ever program for herself. – G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Crush by Ada Calhoun

When a husband asks his wife to consider what might be missing from their marriage, what follows surprises them both—sex, heartbreak and heart rekindling, and a rediscovered sense of all that is possible

She’s happy and settled and productive and content in her full life—a child, a career, an admirable marriage, deep friendships, happy parents, and a spouse she still loves. But when her husband urges her to address what the narrow labels of “husband” and “wife” force them to edit out of their lives, the very best kind of hell breaks loose.

Using the author’s personal experiences as a jumping-off point, Crush is about the danger and liberation of chasing desire, the havoc it can wreak, and most of all the clear sense of self one finds when the storm passes. Destined to become a classic novel of marriage, and tackling the big questions being asked about partnership in postpandemic relationships, Crush is a sharp, funny, seductive, and revelatory novel about holding on to everything it’s possible to love—friends, children, parents, passion, lovers, husbands, all of the world’s good books, and most of all one’s own deep sense of purpose. – Viking

What Happened to Connie Chung?

- Bill Leave a comment

But first, her trajectory to the top.  The glass ceiling Connie obliterated was thick and two-paned.  She so embodied the American dream that thousands of Generation Y Asian girls bear her name. Not only was she a driven woman in the very real Ron Burgundy era of broadcast news, but also the daughter of Chinese immigrants.  Connie implies the secret of her success was simply not giving a damn about anyone’s taunts.  Walter Cronkite was a supportive influence.  Also, shocking to no one, Bryant Gumbel is a diva.

And how did she end up with a more sophisticated Jerry Springer?  Connie promises he’s actually quite an intellectual.  Well as it turns out, when he wasn’t determining America’s paternity for our amusement, Maury was a suave (and married) anchor in DC in 1969.  She was the copy girl. When they met again in California in 1977, she was a single newswoman running in Hollywood circles….with Ryan O’Neal, and one of the Eagles…you get the idea.

Time had passed and the tables had turned.  Maury started getting called Mr. Chung.  He loved her so much at the age of 56 he decided to start his second family.  For those keeping score, Connie was 49.  Dan Rather’s final temper tantrum got her the axe in 2005.  Serendipitously, she exchanged said red-faced fit for the analogous wails of an adopted newborn a mere two weeks later.  When one door closes, another opens.  She’s been there ever since.  With nothing more to prove, she has persevered in our hearts.

A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy by Tia Levings

- Stephanie Leave a comment

“When we are not free to say no, we are not free to say yes either.”
― Tia Levings, A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy

Tia Levings grew up surrounded by religion. She believed that in order to be a good Christian, she had to follow a set of life principles or rules that non-Christians weren’t allowed to know. These secret, special rules would guide her and her future family to salvation and protect their souls. As a young wife, Tia was recruited into the fundamentalist Quiverfull movement, guided by her new husband. Their relationship was rocky right from the start, but as she was raised to be silent and defer to the men in her life, Tia followed his directives. As a godly and submissive wife, Tia’s new routine centered around isolation, strict discipline, and living a wholesome life as the keeper of the home.

While their lives looked wholesome to outsiders, inside the home was another story. The fundamentalist teachings that she was raised with led her to an abusive marriage with little hope to escape. Thinking that what she was going through was somehow sanctioned by God and that other women were also going through this, Tia stayed. The longer she stayed married, the more dangerous and rocky her life became. Her husband laid down rules for the family that Tia had to follow, but also that could spell danger if anyone outside the home discovered. She wasn’t allowed to vote, visit doctors, put her children in school, or miss church sermons. Outside help was frowned upon.

While Tia struggled to keep the family together, her husband struggled to find his calling. He moved the family around the country searching for new churches that fit his religious beliefs. As a firm believer in patriarchy, he expected complete submission from Tia, perpetuating a cycle of patriarchal men and submissive women that Tia rebelled against. Through access to the internet, the library, and friends, Tia started to resist and question how she lived and the beliefs she as told to follow blindly. Having opinions proved dangerous. Her decision to learn more than what she was told eventually led Tia to a choice: she either had to face the consequences of her actions or escape with her children and start a new life.

This memoir broke me. Wanting to learn more about the teachings of Fundamentalist Christian religion and the struggles of women inside, I knew A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy would start me down that journey. Reading about her religious journey, her husband’s extreme views, and the details of the many churches they joined was difficult. I felt a wide-range of emotions while reading this book, at times crying with sadness, screaming with anger, and laughing with joy. The abuse and heartache that Tia endured destroyed me, but the fact that she was still able to discover her own thoughts, feelings, and her own voice that allowed her to leave and become her true self left me grateful she had the strength and will to write this book.

“Years later, on Instagram, I’d read a meme that read, ‘Why were we taught to fear the witches instead of the men who burned them?” And who were witches, anyway, but women with knowledge, skills, and names?’ “
― Tia Levings, A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy