New Biographies – March/April 2010

All of Me Anne Murray with Michael Posner, B MURRAY – The story of the popular singer’s life from her humble beginnings through the career that now spans forty years.

All Things At Once Mika Brzezinski, B BRZEZINSKI – The cohost of Morning Joe relates her struggles as a working mother and her early years as the daughter of President Carter’s national security advisor.

American Original: The Life and Constitution of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia Joan Biskupic, B SCALIA – The author presents a detailed portrait of the life and long career of the complicated and outspoken jurist.

The Bag Lady Papers: The Priceless Experience of Losing It All Alexandra Penney, B PENNEY – The author invested nearly all of her life savings with Bernie Madoff and was faced with her greatest fear when she lost it all.

Churchill Paul Johnson, B CHURCHILL – A look at one of the most complex and fascinating personalities in history by a noted historian.

Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession Julie Powell, B POWELL – The author of Julie and Julia returns with further life adventures and her foray into butchery.

Comeback 2.0: Up Close and Personal—Lance Armstrong Lance Armstrong, B ARMSTRONG – Photographs and personal commentary by the iconic biker.

Confections of a Closet Master Baker: One Woman’s Sweet Journey from Unhappy Hollywood Executive to Contented Country Baker Gesine Bullock-Prado, B BULLOCK-PRADO – The subtitles says it all: unhappy as the head of her celebrity sister’s production company, the author and her husband move to Vermont and a small bakery.  Recipes included!

Enemies of the People: My Family’s Journey to America Kati Marton, B MARTON – The author discovers the terrifying truth about her family’s past in Hungary during the Cold War.

Finding It: And Satisfying My Hunger for Life Without Opening the Fridge Valerie Bertinelli, B BERTINELLI – More entertaining stories from the author of Losing It.

A Gambling Man:  Charles II’s Restoration Game Jenny Uglow, B CHARLES – Charles II was thirty years old when he crossed the English Channel in 1660.  A spirited look at turbulent time.

Going Rogue: An American Life Sarah Palin, B PALIN – The story of her life from the vice-presidential candidate.

Here’s the Deal, Don’t Touch Me Howie Mandel, B MANDEL – A memoir from the host of Deal or No Deal and his ongoing struggle with OCD and ADHD and how it affected his life and career.

High Society: The Life of Grace Kelly Donald Spoto, B KELLY – A new look at the glamorous actress who retired at the age of twenty-six to become the Princess of Monaco.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Rebecca Skloot, B LACKS – The story of an African American woman who died in the 1950s, but whose cells have been grown over the years for a multitude of medical experiments and advances.

The Journal Keeper: A Memoir Phyllis Theroux, B THEROUX – An insightful stroll through the life of a gifted writer as she discusses universal issues: love, loneliness, growing old, financial worries and spiritual growth.

The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn Alison Weir, B BOLEYN – A look at one of the world’s most fascinating and controversial women by a great biographer of British royalty.

Last Word George Carlin with Tony Hendra, B CARLIN – Indeed, the last words from the comedian/commentator.

Living Oprah: My One-Year Experiment to Walk the Walk of the Queen of Talk Robyn Okrant, B OKRANT – The author kicked off a year-long experiment to find out what would happen if she decided to follow all of Oprah’s advice.

Louisa May Alcott: the Woman Behind Little Women Harriet Reisen, B ALCOTT – A lively account of an exceptional woman and writer of the 19th century.

Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes Elizabeth Bard, B BARD – In Paris for a weekend visit, Elizabeth Bard sat down to lunch with a handsome Frenchman — and never went home again.

Marriage and Other Acts of Charity: A Memoir Kate Braestrup, B BRAESTRUP – The author of Here If You Need Me turns her attention to the subjects of love and commitment.

A Mountain of Crumbs Elena Gorkhova, B GOROKHOVA – Coming of age in the Soviet Union of the 1960s, the author’s passion for learning English bordered on the subversive in a land of political deception.

Mrs. Adams in Winter: A Journey in the Last Days of Napoleon Michael O’Brien, B ADAMS – Early in 1815, Louisa Catherine Adams, with her young son, left St. Petersburg in a Russian carriage and set out on a difficult journey to meet her husband, John Quincy Adams, in Paris.

Open: An Autobiography Andre Agassi, B AGASSI – A very revealing look inside the life of the tennis star.

Peter the Great Derek Wilson, B PETER I – The  life and reign of the extraordinary Russian leader.

Princess Noire: The Tumultuous Reign of Nina Simone Nadine Cohodas, B SIMONE – The triumphs and trials of the brilliant singer and musician.

The Queen Mother: The Official Biography William Shawcross, B ELIZABETH – A definitive biography of the mother of Queen Elizabeth II and grandmother of Prince Charles and one of the most beloved members of the British Royal Family.

Staying True Jenny Sanford, B SANFORD – A look at the private ordeal of the first lady of South Carolina after her very public betrayal.

Step Out on Nothing: How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges Byron Pitts, B PITTS – The 60 Minutes correspondent relates the challenges of his life, including stuttering and being functionally illiterate. He also tells of the people who “stepped out on nothing” to make a difference for him.