Genre Starter List: Biographies

Welcome back to another installment of the Genre Starter List series! Biographies tell the story of a significant person’s life. There are a lot of fascinating individuals whose life stories you can read, and we have several here in the library! Here are some biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs that you can get from the Logos. 

*All descriptions written by Darius Mullin. 

American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin 

The landmark biography of the “father of the atomic bomb,” J. Robert Oppenheimer, and the inspiration for Christopher Nolan’s 2023 blockbuster film, Oppenheimer.  

All My Knotted-Up Life by Beth Moore 

Christian author and founder of Living Proof Ministries Beth Moore tells edifying and encouraging stories from her own life in this recent memoir.  

What to Do About Alice? by Barbara Kerley and Ed Fotheringham 

“I can be president of the United States, or I can control Alice. I cannot possibly do both!” –Theodore Roosevelt 

This fun picture book tells of the exploits of President Theodore Roosevelt’s bold and adventurous daughter, Alice. This book is also part of our currently ongoing March Book Madness 2024! 

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson  

Bryan Stevenson is the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, an Alabama-based non-profit organization that provides good legal representation to the people who need it most and otherwise wouldn’t get it. In Just Mercy, Stevenson pairs data with anecdotes from his early years as a lawyer to paint a moving picture. 

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom, John L Sherrill, and Elizabeth Sherrill 

The incredible autobiographical story of Corrie ten Boom’s experience hiding Jews from Nazis during the Holocaust and the German occupation of Holland. 

Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy and Nathan Whitaker 

Tony Dungy is a Christian, former NFL player, and head coach, whose leadership style took the Indianapolis Colts to victory in Super Bowl XLI and led Dungy to become the first black head coach to win the big game. In Quiet Strength, Dungy tells stories from his life and reveals the principles that accompanied him along the way.  

The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder 

The classic Little House series includes eight autobiographical children’s novels by Laura Ingalls Wilder, an American pioneer who grew up in the latter half of the 19^th century. Farmer Boy, the only of these books about the childhood of Almonzo Wilder (Laura’s future husband), is currently a part of March Book Madness 2024! 

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly 

“The untold story of the Black women mathematicians who helped win the space race.” The basis for a major motion picture, Hidden Figures recounts the exciting stories of the “human computers” who helped overcome discrimination to help America get to the moon. 

Symphony for the City of the Dead by M.T. Anderson 

The shocking tale of Dmitri Shostakovich, a composer who endured one of the most brutal sieges of human history: the Nazi siege of Leningrad during World War II. Shostakovich would go on to write the “Leningrad Symphony,” a work that simultaneously encouraged and eulogized his fellow citizens.  

Autobiography of Mark Twain 

The great American humorist and storyteller tells his own story in his own words, published posthumously so that he could really speak his mind. “You will never know how much enjoyment you have lost until you get to dictating your autobiography,” Twain told a friend.  

Dancing at the Pity Party: A Dead Mom Graphic Memoir by Tyler Feder 

Tyler Feder will have you laughing at one page and crying at the next in this memoir about the author’s mom who, well, died. The graphic novel format makes this a surprisingly impactful work.  

Choosing Brave by Angela Joy and Janelle Washington 

This 2022 book tells the story of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old black boy who was brutally murdered in 1955, and Mamie Till-Mobley, Emmett’s mother, who was the catalyst for her son’s wrongful death to become a rallying point for the civil rights movement.  

Against All Odds by Travis “Thi’sl” Tyler 

Rapper, label founder, and motivational speaker Thi’sl—a former gang member and drug dealer before becoming a Christian—tells his life story in this gripping autobiography. 

The Story of My Life by Helen Keller 

Everyone has heard of Helen Keller, who lost her sight and hearing at the young age of 19 months. Here, you can read about Keller’s remarkable life in her own words.  

Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin 

The American founding father tells his own story in this short, fascinating autobiography.  

Darius Mullin’s reviews reflect his personal opinions and not necessarily those of the library or university. 

Reading List: New Books Summer 2023

Summers here at the Union University Library are certainly quieter than during the semester, but that doesn’t mean we stop working! Over one hundred new books were added to our main collection during the last three months—too many to list in a blog post. Instead, I made a small selection of our new titles that I hope you find intriguing, relevant, challenging, and even entertaining. If you want to see more of our new stuff, check out our regularly-updated New Items List, the New Rec Reads display on the second floor, or the New Books Shelf next to Collections & Technical Services.

Choosing Brave — Juv 323.092 .J84c

A Caldecott-honor winning picture book biography of the mother of Emmett Till, and how she channeled grief over her son’s death into a call to action for the civil rights movement. Mamie Till-Mobley is the mother of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old boy who was brutally murdered while visiting the South in 1955. His death became a rallying point for the civil rights movement, but few know that it was his mother who was the catalyst for bringing his name to the forefront of history. In Choosing Brave, Angela Joy and Janelle Washington offer a testament to the power of love, the bond of motherhood, and one woman’s unwavering advocacy for justice. It is a poised, moving work about a woman who refocused her unimaginable grief into action for the greater good. Mamie fearlessly refused to allow America to turn away from what happened to her only child. She turned pain into change that ensured her son’s life mattered. Timely, powerful, and beautifully told, this thorough and moving story has been masterfully crafted to be both comprehensive and suitable for younger readers.

-Provided by the publisher.

Against All Odds — ML 410 .T954 2016

Our Evening Supervisor, Darius Mullin, has the following to say about Against All Odds: “Rapper, label founder, and motivational speaker Travis ‘Thi’sl’ Tyler tells his life story in this gripping autobiography. Thi’sl was a gang member and drug dealer before becoming a Christian, turning around, and running right back ‘into the fire’ to do inner-city ministry. Many might also be familiar with Thi’sl music and involvement with the 116 movement—if that’s the case, prepare to learn the incredible stories behind his music. Against All Odds is a powerful testimony weaving together tales of drug dealing, poverty, fatherlessness, gun violence, and God’s saving grace.”

Beyond the Messy Truth — JK 275 .J66 2017

Van Jones burst into the American consciousness during the 2016 presidential campaign with an unscripted, truth-telling style and an established history of bridge-building across party lines. His election night commentary became a viral sensation. A longtime progressive activist with deep roots in the conservative South, Jones has made it his mission to challenge voters and viewers to stand in one another’s shoes and disagree constructively. Now, in Beyond the Messy Truth, Jones offers a blueprint for transforming our collective anxiety into meaningful change. Tough on Donald Trump but showing respect and empathy for his supporters, Jones takes aim at the failures of both parties before and after Trump’s victory. He urges both sides to abandon the politics of accusation and focus on real solutions. Calling us to a deeper patriotism, he shows us how to get down to the vital business of solving, together, some of our toughest problems. “The entire national conversation today can be reduced to a simple statement—‘I’m right, and you’re wrong,’” Jones has said. But the truth is messier; both sides have flaws. Both parties have strayed from their highest principles and let down their core constituencies. Rejecting today’s political tribalism, Jones issues a stirring call for a new “bipartisanship from below.” Recognizing that tough challenges require the best wisdom from both liberals and conservatives, he points us toward practical answers to problems that affect us all regardless of region or ideology: rural and inner-city poverty, unemployment, addiction, unfair incarceration, and the devastating effects of the pollution-based economy on both coal country and our urban centers. In explaining how he arrived at his views, Jones shares behind-the-scenes memories from his decades spent marching and protesting on behalf of working people, inspiring stories of ordinary citizens who became champions of their communities, and little-known examples of cooperation that have risen from the fog of partisan conflict. In his quest for positive solutions, Van Jones encourages us to set fire to our old ways of thinking about politics and come together where the pain is greatest.

-Provided by the publisher.

Lethal Tides — D 767 .M874 2022

In Lethal Tides, Catherine Musemeche weaves together science, biography, and military history in the compelling story of an unsung woman who had a dramatic effect on the U.S. Navy’s success against Japan in WWII, creating an intelligence-gathering juggernaut based on the new science of oceanography. When World War II began, the U.S. Navy was unprepared to enact its island-hopping strategy to reach Japan. Anticipating tides, planning for coral reefs, and preparing for enemy fire was new ground for them, and with lives at stake it was ground that had to be covered quickly. Mary Sears, a marine biologist, was the untapped talent they turned to, and she along with a team of quirky marine scientists were instrumental in turning the tide of the war in the United States’ favor. The Sears team analyzed ocean currents, made wave and tide predictions, identified zones of bioluminescence, mapped deep-water levels where submarines could hide and gathered information about the topography and surf conditions surrounding the Pacific islands and Japan. Sears was frequently called upon to make middle-of-the-night calculations for last-minute top-secret landing destinations and boldly predicted optimal landing times and locations for amphibious invasions. In supplying these crucial details, Sears and her team played a major role in averting catastrophes that plagued earlier amphibious landings, like the disastrous Tarawa, and cleared a path to Okinawa, the last major battle of World War II.

-Provided by the publisher.

Practice the Pause — BV 4813 .O25 2023

These days, many of us live in a state of overreactive fight-or-flight response and chronic stress. The demands of modern life pull us in all directions and can often put the meaningful connections in our lives at risk—connections to our deepest selves, to others, and even to God. But there is good news. New developments in brain science have recently proven that an intentional practice of pausing for a few minutes of meditation, prayer, or other contemplative practice actually rewires our brain in ways that make us calmer, less reactive, and better able to see the bigger picture.

-Provided by the publisher.

Sharks in the Time of Saviors — Rec Reading PS 3623.A86733 S53 2020

In 1995 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, on a rare family vacation, seven-year-old Nainoa Flores falls overboard a cruise ship into the Pacific Ocean. When a shiver of sharks appears in the water, everyone fears for the worst. But instead, Noa is gingerly delivered to his mother in the jaws of a shark, marking his story as the stuff of legends. Nainoa’s family, struggling amidst the collapse of the sugarcane industry, hails his rescue as a sign of favor from ancient Hawaiian gods—a belief that appears validated after he exhibits puzzling new abilities. But as time passes, this supposed divine favor begins to drive the family apart: Nainoa, working now as a paramedic on the streets of Portland, struggles to fathom the full measure of his expanding abilities; further north in Washington, his older brother Dean hurtles into the world of elite college athletics, obsessed with wealth and fame; while in California, risk-obsessed younger sister Kaui navigates an unforgiving academic workload in an attempt to forge her independence from the family’s legacy. When supernatural events revisit the Flores family in Hawai’i—this time with tragic consequences—they are all forced to reckon with the bonds of family, the meaning of heritage, and the cost of survival.

-Provided by the publisher.

Under the Sky We Make — QC 903 .N54 2021

A leading global sustainability scientist, Dr. Kimberly Nicholas knows the data about climate change, knows the catastrophes looming. Here she reveals how all the passionate sentiments she was taught to suppress as a scientist turned out to be the key tools to navigating a path out of the climate crisis. She makes a hopeful, clear-eyed and at times hilarious guide to effecting radical change in our society and culture—starting with our own lives.

–Adapted from back cover.