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Staff Reviews: Biography

Check out these book reviews written by the staff of the Marathon County Public Library, featuring reviews of books for all ages! (For reviews of books of all genres, visit our main Staff Reviews webpage.) These book reviews also are published at Goodreads.com; follow us for the latest updates.


'The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit' by Michael Finkel

"The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit" by Michael Finkel

★★★★ For 27 years, Christpher Knight lived in complete solitude in the woods of Maine, becoming known by locals as the North Pond Hermit. Knight only encountered a handful of wayward hikers in his quarter century in isolation, tucked away in a large camp that he made into his own makeshift home. Year after year, Knight survived on his own, meticulously...

Audience: Adults | Genre: Nonfiction, Biography
'Lithium Jesus' by Charles Monroe-Kane

"Lithium Jesus" by Charles Monroe-Kane

★★★★ Charles Monroe-Kane is a Peabody Award winning producer at National Public Radio. Before earning that title he spent what seems like a lifetime acquiring the labels of youth preacher, faith healer, traveler, smuggler, environmental activist, record producer, circus manager, and more. During his childhood Monroe-Kane began hearing voices in his head....

Audience: Adults | Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Mental Health, Travel
'The Many Faces of Josephine Baker: Dancer, Singer, Activist, Spy' by Peggy Caravatnes

"The Many Faces of Josephine Baker: Dancer, Singer, Activist, Spy" by Peggy Caravatnes

★★★★★ Most people recognize Josephine Baker as that dancer in the banana skirt.  But Josephine Baker was a far more complex character than can be summarized in one sentence.  Starting life in the poorest slums of East St. Louis, Baker went on to gain international fame dancing and singing on stage and eventually on screen.  An extravagant dresser...

Audience: Teens | Genre: Biography, Nonfiction
'Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology' by Leah Remini

"Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology" by Leah Remini

★★★★★ Have you heard about Scientology but have no clue what it is about? This book gives us an inside view of the workings of this religion from the viewpoint of former Scientologist, Leah Remini. Leah Remini is a actress who is best known for her role in the television comedy "King of Queens". From a very young age she was brought up in Scientology when her...

Audience: Adults | Genre: Nonfiction, Biography
'Wildflower' by Drew Barrymore

"Wildflower" by Drew Barrymore

★★★★★ I loved this book! Reading it is like sitting down with a good friend over a cup of cocoa and listening to their stories. Drew writes with such emotion and honesty that you feel like she is in the room with you. This book made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me realize what a beautiful soul she is. This book is written as a collection of stories from...

Audience: Adults | Genre: Nonfiction, Biography
'A Field Guide to Awkward Silences' by Alexandra Petri

"A Field Guide to Awkward Silences" by Alexandra Petri

★★★★ Washington Post columnist and twenty-something Alexandra Petri has never been afraid to embrace the awkward and to march to beat of her own eccentric drummer. This humorous memoir is composed of essays on a number of experiences that explore varying types and degrees of awkwardness. Experiences include participation in an international pun championship,...

Audience: Adults | Genre: Nonfiction, Biography
'You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)' by Felicia Day

"You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)" by Felicia Day

★★★★ For those of you out there who are wondering who Felicia Day is, once you see her picture you will wonder where you know her from. Many are familiar with her online presence from various geek-doms and others will know her from television and commercials. She reveals a lot about why she became a gamer and how she grew to love that culture. Let's get real...

Audience: Adults | Genre: Nonfiction, Biography
'Little Author in the BIg Woods: A BIography of Laura Ingalls Wilder' by Yona Zeldis McDonough, Jennifer Thermes

"Little Author in the BIg Woods: A BIography of Laura Ingalls Wilder" by Yona Zeldis McDonough, Jennifer Thermes

★★★★★ This new children's biography of perhaps Wisconsin’s most well known and loved author, Laura Ingalls Wilder, is a great addition for all her fans. Written in a plain, simple style it includes most of the facts we know about her and her family. The illustrations by Yona Zeldis McDonough are simple, warm and homey, reminiscent of the illustrations by Garth...

Audience: Children, Tweens | Genre: Nonfiction, Biography
'Under the Same Sky: A Memoir of Survival, Hope, and Faith' by Joseph Kim, Stephan Talty

"Under the Same Sky: A Memoir of Survival, Hope, and Faith" by Joseph Kim, Stephan Talty

★★★ In this book Joseph tells us the story of his life in communist-ruled North Korea. In North Korea he starved for 10 years due to inflated prices of food and his country's inability to grow their own food. He tempts fate when he crosses the Tumen River during the day and is "free" in China. Once in China, where he could be exported at any time, he finds life...

Audience: Adults | Genre: Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir
'Stevie Nicks: Visions, Dreams & Rumors' by Zoë Howe

"Stevie Nicks: Visions, Dreams & Rumors" by Zoë Howe

★★★ As a Stevie Nicks fan, I enjoyed this new biography from British journalist Zoe Howe, but recommend it with some reservations. I was a bit disappointed that most of the material is sourced from published interviews and books, so I would not recommend this book for fans looking for "new" insights about Nicks, especially fans who have already read one of the...

Audience: Adults | Genre: Nonfiction, Biography, Celebrities
'Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography' by Neil Patrick Harris, David Javerbaum, Antony Hare

"Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography" by Neil Patrick Harris, David Javerbaum, Antony Hare

★★★★★ Whether your favorite Neil Patrick Harris character is Barney Stinson, Doogie Howser, or Hedwig, this book is highly recommended. NPH models his autobiography after the "Choose Your Own Adventure" children's series, where readers make a choice at the end of each chapter that will change the outcome of the story. This book is full of humor and quirky details...

Audience: Adults | Genre: Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Celebrities
'So anyway...' by John Cleese

"So anyway..." by John Cleese

★★★★★ Whether you know him as a Python or as The Pink Panther's Charles Dreyfus, chances are that at some point in your life, John Cleese has made you laugh. Easily one of my favorite comedic actors, John Cleese's memoir is a book that was worth the wait. From his quiet beginnings as the only child of older parents in a sleepy English town, to his adventures in...

Audience: Adults | Genre: Nonfiction, Biography