Thursday, April 9, 2026

This month’s best new biographies and memoirs

 
Readworthy by BookBub
This Month’s Best New Biographies & Memoirs
 
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Book cover for London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe
‘Consider this a real-life Harlan Coben novel’ (The New York Times)
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • The latest release from the author of Say Nothing and Empire of Pain has been hotly anticipated by The Washington Post, Time, The New Yorker, and more
  • As a family reeled from their son’s sudden apparent suicide, they uncovered his secret life in London’s criminal underworld
  • This “blockbuster feat of reportage” (Esquire) follows 19-year-old Zac Brettler’s dangerous dealings while posing as a Russian oligarch’s heir
Learn more...
Media mentions for London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe MEDIA MENTIONS: The New Yorker, Time Magazine, NPR, PBS, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, Oprah Daily, The Washington Post, Slate, Town & Country, Esquire, Vulture, Parade, The Guardian, The Boston Globe, New York Post, Variety, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, BookPage, Literary Hub
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Book cover for In the Days of My Youth I Was Told What It Means to Be a Man by Tom Junod
A larger-than-life father — and the many secrets he left behind
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • “Affecting… Moves like a song, drawing you in with its melody before delivering an emotional wallop” (The New York Times)
  • Tom Junod learned about manhood from his charming, womanizing father. In this moving memoir, he grapples with masculinity and redemption after his dad’s death
  • An award-winning journalist delivers a work that’s part detective story, part family portrait, and completely “a winner” (Publishers Weekly)
Learn more...
Media mentions for In the Days of My Youth I Was Told What It Means to Be a Man by Tom Junod MEDIA MENTIONS: Time Magazine, NPR, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, Town & Country, Los Angeles Times, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Booklist, BookPage, Literary Hub
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Book cover for How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay by Jenny Lawson
A witty, insightful guide to thriving during difficult times
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Let’s Pretend This Never Happened and Furiously Happy
  • In this “uplifting, encouraging, and incredibly inspiring” read (Library Journal starred review), Lawson reflects on her own hard times and offers advice for anyone facing anxiety, creative block, chronic illness, and more
  • New York Times bestselling author John Scalzi says, “I hope Jenny Lawson never gets tired of being an actual national treasure”
Learn more...
Media mentions for How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay by Jenny Lawson MEDIA MENTIONS: TODAY Show, Oprah Daily, Library Reads, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, BookPage, Literary Hub
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Book cover for True Color by Kory Stamper
Meet I. H. Godlove — the brilliant, obsessive scientist behind our modern color definitions
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • “Filled with opinionated, insistent, stubborn characters who devoted their lives to accuracy… A fresh, irreverent history of words” (Kirkus Reviews)
  • Go behind the scenes of the Merriam-Webster office in the mid–20th century, where Godlove was hired to help revise the dictionary for modern times
  • “An uproarious journey” (Publishers Weekly starred review) for anyone fascinated by lexicography or hidden histories
Learn more...
Media mentions for True Color by Kory Stamper MEDIA MENTIONS: The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Literary Hub
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Book cover for Phases by Brandy
A multiplatinum, Grammy Award–winning performer bares all
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • Brandy reveals what it was like to get a record deal at age 14, become the first Black actress to play Cinderella on screen, and learn to stand on her own in Hollywood
  • “A hopeful, honest memoir” (Kirkus Reviews) that reflects on the highs and considerable lows of fame and fortune
  • “Offers an intimate look at the cost of celebrity and the hard-won process of reclaiming one’s voice” (Booklist)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Phases by Brandy MEDIA MENTIONS: NPR, Oprah Daily, Entertainment Weekly, People, USA Today, Essence, Ebony, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, Variety, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Booklist
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Book cover for Kutchinsky’s Egg by Serena Kutchinsky
When Serena’s father set out to create a jeweled egg to rival FabergĂ©, it sparked their family’s ruin
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • “An extraordinary family story and a strange, poignant portrait of obsession” (Sophie Elmhirst, author of A Marriage at Sea)
  • The extravagant, solid gold egg led to the collapse of Paul Kutchinsky’s business, the dissolution of his marriage, and even his death — but then, it vanished without a trace
  • “The author unearths the story with a journalist’s doggedness and a novelist’s flair for detail, bravely seeking answers to childhood mysteries many would leave unsolved” (Publishers Weekly starred review)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Kutchinsky’s Egg by Serena Kutchinsky MEDIA MENTIONS: NPR, The New York Times/The New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, The Guardian, The Times, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, BookPage, Literary Hub
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Book cover for The Oracle’s Daughter by Harrison Hill
‘Hair-raising… This rigorous study of religious abuse isn’t easy to shake’ (Publishers Weekly)
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • Learn about the rise and fall of the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps, a paramilitary religious cult, through the stories of its cruel leader, an early member, and the founder’s daughter
  • Pulitzer Prize–winning author Joby Warrick calls it “a riveting portrait of one of the strangest American cults in recent memory”
  • Highly anticipated by Oprah Daily and Town & Country
Learn more...
Media mentions for The Oracle’s Daughter by Harrison Hill MEDIA MENTIONS: Oprah Daily, People, Town & Country, The Guardian, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Literary Hub
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Amazon Other formats and retailers
Book cover for Chasing Freedom by Simukai Chigudu
This atmospheric memoir will carry you from Zimbabwe to Oxford
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • “A well-crafted blend of personal and political history” (Kirkus Reviews) from an Oxford professor who was the only Black man in his college class
  • Simukai Chigudu details his childhood in a newly independent Zimbabwe rife with racism — and reflects on how decolonization shaped his life and family
  • This “elegant exploration of how political liberation does not always bring freedom for oneself… asks what it means to stand up to the past without being trapped by it, and whether a different kind of freedom might still be possible” (The Guardian)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Chasing Freedom by Simukai Chigudu MEDIA MENTIONS: Financial Times, The Guardian, Kirkus Reviews, Literary Hub
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Book cover for Western Star by David Streitfeld
The definitive biography of the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Lonesome Dove
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • An acclaimed journalist and friend of Larry McMurtry “captures the restless genius” (BookPage) of the beloved author of the American West
  • “Streitfeld brings the writer’s unfiltered voice and unique anecdotes into the narrative… The result is a memorable portrait of a Texas icon” (Publishers Weekly)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Western Star by David Streitfeld MEDIA MENTIONS: NPR, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, BookPage, Literary Hub
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Amazon Other formats and retailers
Book cover for Seven Sisters by Veronica Buckley
Empress Maria Theresia’s seven daughters were pawns in 18th-century dynastic politics
WHY IT’S READWORTHY:
  • Includes Queen Marie Antoinette of France; Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen; and Carolina of Naples, Napoleon’s staunch enemy
  • “A richly detailed history of eventful lives” (Kirkus Reviews starred review), based on the women’s diaries and letters
  • Court intrigue, personal ambition, and revolution abound in this “novel and insightful” page-turner (Adam Zamoyski)
Learn more...
Media mentions for Seven Sisters by Veronica Buckley MEDIA MENTIONS: The Wall Street Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Literary Hub
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Your ebook bargains for Thursday

 
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Your Ebook Deals
 
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A Better Man
A Better Man
By Louise Penny
A #1 New York Times bestseller and “the best book yet in an outstanding, original oeuvre” (The Wall Street Journal): As a flood threatens his province, the discovery of a body thrusts investigator Armand Gamache into a twisting investigation. “A spellbinder… Ingenious” (The Washington Post).
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$1.99  $11.99
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The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank
The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank
By Ellen Feldman
In this “powerful” novel (Chicago Tribune), Peter van Pels immigrates to the US after the Holocaust — but when Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl is published, he must reckon with the dark memories of his time spent in hiding in Amsterdam. “Deeply affecting… A psychologically gripping tale” (Publishers Weekly).
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$1.99  $17.99
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Under the Light of the Italian Moon
Under the Light of the Italian Moon
By Jennifer Anton
Nina, a midwife’s daughter, clings to her promise to remain in Italy — even as threats from Mussolini and the Nazis grow. But will staying mean losing her beloved Pietro? “Brilliant and meticulously researched… A must-read for all fans of historical fiction” (USA Today bestselling author Ellie Midwood).
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A Summer in the Country
A Summer in the Country
By Marcia Willett
After inheriting a country estate from her father, Brigid must face her complicated relationship with her estranged mother and carefree half sister. “Readers will enjoy the heartwarming ending, the vibrant characters, and the excellent depiction of the English countryside” (Booklist starred review).
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$1.99  $11.99
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On Kingdom Mountain
On Kingdom Mountain
By Howard Frank Mosher
A “first-rate” novel (Publishers Weekly) from “one of our very best writers” (Richard Russo): When the last remaining resident of a wild mountain in Vermont — 50-year-old bookwoman Jane — encounters a crash-landed stunt pilot, they set out in search of treasure! “Whimsical and ambitious” (The Washington Post).
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$1.99  $12.86
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Never Coming Back
Never Coming Back
By Alison McGhee
From a #1 New York Times bestselling, Pulitzer Prize–nominated author: When her mother is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Clara returns to the Adirondacks to care for her — and understand the past. “An exquisite book, brimful with nostalgia, love, regret, humor, [and] yearning” (New York Times bestselling author Julie Schumacher).
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$1.99  $9.99
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Deadly Gold Rush
Deadly Gold Rush
By Landis Wade
A body has been found under Harriet Keaton’s house — and her estranged twin brother, Joey, is the prime suspect. Their father’s memoir may be their best lead, and with the help of two fellow sleuths, Harriet sets out to solve a murder…
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Terror Strikes at Dawn
Terror Strikes at Dawn
By Steven F. Freeman
A heart-pounding thriller: As an extreme cult called Fist of God prepares to unleash a dangerous weapon on all nonbelievers, pathologist Sebastian Cole must race against time to stop the threat, relying only on a collection of ancient clues scattered across the globe.
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Three Oaks Scottish Mysteries: Books 8–13
Three Oaks Scottish Mysteries: Books 8–13
By Gerald Hammond
In the Scottish Lowlands, dog breeder and war veteran John Cunningham finds himself in the middle of deadly mysteries. This gripping box set collects puzzling whodunits featuring an “outstanding, very human detective” (Publishers Weekly).
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The Tower
The Tower
By J.J. Richards
An installment of a British crime series: When a clown is murdered in a small seaside town, it’s only the prelude. Soon, other bodies are found, and DCI Walker realizes he’s dealing with a serial killer on a bizarre mission…
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The Dark Heart
The Dark Heart
By Neil Lancaster
DS Max Craigie investigates a deadly bombing initially blamed on terrorism — but he quickly uncovers links to a series of murders. As the body count rises and a shadowy figure known as The Cashier emerges, Max races to expose a hidden conspiracy before more lives are lost…
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A Forty Year Kiss
A Forty Year Kiss
By Nickolas Butler
Their brief marriage ended 40 years ago — but when Charlie and Vivian cross paths again in their small Wisconsin town, their former spark instantly reignites. This sweeping 2025 release is “life-affirming and straight up beautiful… I absolutely loved it” (Matthew Quick, author of The Silver Linings Playbook).
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