My reading tastes run almost exclusively to fiction. But, every now and again, I get a desire to immerse myself in biographies or memoirs. When I was in the third grade, I read our entire classroom collection of biographies of famous Americans. Perhaps it serves as a more grounded version of my fiction bibliotherapy [2] -- taking a vacation from my life and experiencing someone else's thoughts and world. I've got my hands on a particularly good crop of biographies and memoirs right now, some of which you might also enjoy:
Just Kids [3] by Patti Smith - Legendary rocker Smith recounts her close friendship with artist Robert Mapplethorpe.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks [4] - Henrietta Lacks died in 1951, but tissue samples taken from her body without her consent aided in numerous medical discoveries.
This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection [5] by Carol Burnett - One of America's favorite TV comediennes shares stories of her rise to fame and life behind-the-scenes of her show.
Zeitoun [6] by Dave Eggers - Hurricane Katrina hero Abdulrahman Zeitoun disappears after he is arrested and accused of being an agent of al Qaeda.
- Biographies [7]
- memoirs [8]
- Nonfiction [9]
