By Michael Schofield Crown Publishers, $25.00, 291 pages Michael Schofield and his wife always knew that their daughter, January, was different. She learned to speak at eight months and knew all of her letters by 18 months. At three she could read, …
By Huston Smith with Phil Cousineau New World Library, $15.95, 207 pages The great religious teacher Huston Smith, aided by his friend Phil Cousineau, has collected high points from his life to illustrate the hymn And Live Rejoicing. Anyone who has heard …
By Bob Spitz Knopf, $29.95, 557 pages The combination of an incredible and unique life story and great writing make for a fun and interesting book. Julia Child was unlike anyone else. Her height and sense of humor made her stand out …
By Carmen Bugan Graywolf Press, $15.00, 224 pages Carmen Bugan’s memoir of growing up with her political dissident father brings the suffering the Communist regime in Romania upon all. Not just those directly involved – but the families of those fighting …
By Orlando Figes Metropolitan Books, $28.00, 352 pages The largest cache of letters exchanged by a gulag prisoner and his friend, who later became his wife, form the scaffolding and the heart of this wondrous book. Lev and Sveta Mishchenko met …
By Jerry McGill Spiegel & Grau, $22.00, 192 pages Why do bad things happen to good people is an unanswerable question. A random event, a shooting by an unknown sniper, hits thirteen-year-old Jerome McGill in the cervical spine and transforms this …
By Ingrid Croce and Jimmy Rock Da Capo Press, $25.00, 340 pages We’ve all heard the songs “Time in a Bottle,” “Operator,” and “I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song;” beautiful music from a life taken so early. …
By Larry King Weinstein Books, $15.00, 225 pages It is very clear that the caliber of guests and the talk provided by the now defunct Larry King Show formerly on CNN can’t be replaced. Although Larry King wasn’t everyone’s TV favorite, he …
By Billy Bob Thornton and Kinky Friedman William Morrow, $26.99, 272 pages The serious actor/musician whose talent was almost eclipsed by his fame talks into a tape recorder to bring us stories of his childhood, escapades, ruminations, and reflections on fame. At …
By Jane Maas Thomas Dunne Books, $24.99, 228 pages As a female copywriter in the 1960s, Jane Maas lived the Mad Men experience. In her new book, she tells us what really went on in those Madison Avenue towers. As you would expect, …
By Jessie Knadler Berkley, $24.95, 336 pages Quirky, laugh-out-loud funny, poignant, passionate, new beginnings, and chickens all describe Rurally Screwed: My Life off the Grid with the Cowboy I Love by Jessie Knadler. It’s a classic fairy tale: New York magazine editor gives up her …
By Anna Quindlen Random House, $26.00, 208 pages New York Times bestselling author, Anna Quindlen has hit the mark again with her heartwarming and hilarious memoir on life, family, and aging in today’s world. Nothing – and I mean nothing – is off …
By Moshe Kasher Grand Central Publishing, $24.99, 320 pages Moshe Kasher has penned a memoir that is equal parts heart breaking and inspirational. Kasher In The Rye is his attempt to make sense of – and shed – his demons while explaining how everything …
By Buddy Guy, with David Ritz Da Capo Press, $26.00, 320 pages Buddy Guy was born in 1936 in Louisiana to sharecropping parents. With little education, his “good job” was as a custodian at LSU Baton Rouge. In this heartfelt autobiography, he describes …
By Cheryl Strayed Knopf, $25.95, 336 pages Cheryl Strayed was on a quest. A journey to find herself after the demise of her marriage and the premature and painful unexpected death of her mother. There was a lot for her to work out …
