Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




15 Excellent New Memoirs


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Cover art for LIFE AFTER DEATH
NONFICTION
Released: Sept. 18, 2012

"Essential reading for anyone interested in justice or memoir."
Exceptional memoir by the most famous of the West Memphis Three. Read full book review >
Cover art for MEAT EATER
NONFICTION
Released: Sept. 4, 2012

"An insider's look at hunting that devotees and nonparticipants alike should find fascinating."
TV host and outdoorsman Rinella (American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon, 2008, etc.) contemplates the hunter's place in modern society while reliving his favorite hunting trips. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE NEGOTIATOR
NONFICTION
Released: Sept. 1, 2012

"Thrilling and illuminating."
A dissatisfied psychologist abandons the therapist's couch for the high-pressure world of hostage negotiations. Read full book review >
Cover art for A REAL EMOTIONAL GIRL
NONFICTION
Released: Sept. 1, 2012

"A contemplative, profoundly moving meditation on life, love and death."
In her debut, Los Angeles Review poetry and translations editor Chernov probes her grief over losing a much-loved father and the inability of contemporary society to accept profound emotion. Read full book review >
Cover art for FIRST CAMERAMAN
NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 21, 2012

"Lovers of political memoirs may be dissatisfied, but readers interested in media and politics will learn a lot from the lessons Chaudhary took away from his experiences."
Charming memoir by the first official White House videographer. Read full book review >
Cover art for WINTER JOURNAL
NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 21, 2012

"A consummate professional explores the attic of his life, converting rumination to art."
The acclaimed novelist (Sunset Park, 2010, etc.), now 65, writes affectingly about his body, family, lovers, travels and residences as he enters what he calls the winter of his life. Read full book review >
Cover art for AFTERMATH
NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 14, 2012

"Bold, gripping, original and occasionally darkly funny."
A novelist's unflinching analysis of her failed marriage. Read full book review >
Cover art for BAILOUT
NONFICTION
Released: July 24, 2012

"A courageous, insightful book that offers no cause for optimism."
A former watchdog in the federal government attacks the officials who perpetuated the financial meltdown by kowtowing to behemoth banks and Wall Street firms while abandoning the public interest. Read full book review >
Cover art for YES, CHEF
NONFICTION
Released: June 26, 2012

"Samuelsson strikes a skillful balance between the personal and the professional--recommended for those interested in pursuing a career as a chef or those curious about the secrets behind high-end dining."
A compelling memoir from an acclaimed chef. Read full book review >
Cover art for IT WORKED FOR ME
NONFICTION
Released: May 22, 2012

"An inspiring and useful memoir from a significant figure in 21st-century American politics."
With the collaboration of Koltz (co-author: Leading the Charge: Leadership Lessons from the Battlefield to the Boardroom, 2009, etc.), Powell picks up the thread of his life story. Read full book review >
Cover art for DREAM NEW DREAMS
NONFICTION
Released: May 15, 2012

"Readers familiar with cancer or with terminal illness in general will find a source of comfort and meaning in Pausch's story, while others will take away a lesson in how people can endure in the face of anxiety and grief."
A touching memoir of grief. Read full book review >
Cover art for ARE YOU MY MOTHER?
NONFICTION
Released: May 1, 2012
by Alison Bechdel, illustrated by Alison Bechdel

"Subtitled "A Comic Drama," the narrative provides even fewer laughs than its predecessor but deeper introspection."
A psychologically complex, ambitious, illuminating successor to the author's graphic-memoir masterpiece. Read full book review >
Cover art for OBLIVION
NONFICTION
Released: May 1, 2012

"Is there a father alive who would not weep at such an artful, tender tribute?"
A Colombian writer delivers a rousing, affecting tribute to his father, Héctor Abad Gómez, a professor and physician who was murdered in 1987 by radical political opponents. Read full book review >
Cover art for TANGLES
NONFICTION
Released: May 1, 2012
by Sarah Leavitt, illustrated by Sarah Leavitt

"Not simply the story of a disease, but of the flawed, complex, intelligent people whose lives it transformed."
The power of this graphic memoir is not that its story about a family dealing with Alzheimer's is so extraordinary, but that it has become so ordinary. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE PASSAGE OF POWER
NONFICTION
Released: May 1, 2012

"The Johnson project deserves equal praise."
The fourth volume of one of the most anticipated English-language biographies of the past 30 years. Read full book review >