There’s nothing like a fresh year bringing fresh books. In 2027, we’re going to dig into incredibly celebrity memoirs, enlightening nonfiction and heart-wrenching personal accounts. Discover what’s in store for the next year with this roundup of the best memoirs and nonfiction releasing in 2027.

Use Your Brain: Think Deeper in a World on Autopilot by Erica Dhawan (1/12)

In a world dictated by cellphones, shortcuts, and instant gratification, we are becoming people that can prompt but doesn’t think. This is a guide to help you sharpen your creativity and exercise original thinking instead of finding it somewhere on a screen. Modern tools are not something to be afraid of, but we all need to know when to put it down and think for ourselves. Armed with years of research, leadership expert Erica Dhawan has practical habits to help protect and build your personal judgement and thinking. With this book, you can learn how to think before you act, how to approach questions and answers, and how to make decisions without the help of technology.

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Shooting Up and Making Out: A Memoir of My Life in LA and L7 by Jennifer Finch (1/19)

Jennifer Finch knew how to do two things: overcome obstacles and create great art. As a recovering addict, photographer, outspoken pro-choice advocate, and bassist for the groundbreaking all-female hard rock group L7, Finch was determined to express herself. In spite of neglect and abuse, she was able to pull herself out of the darkness and carve an artistic path. At just 12 years old, she found LA’s hardcore punk scene. At 14, she began to shoot up heroin, and at 19, joined her first band with Kat Bjelland and Courtney Love. In her early twenties, L7 became a part of the grunge phenomenon. Sharing the stage with bands such as Pearl Jam and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, dating Dave Grohl, coping with the loss of friends, and navigating drug use between overdoses, Jennifer Finch was able to redefine herself through her sobriety and art. She was a pillar of compassion and strength in the creative community and faced a deadly illness with courage. Her passing on July 18, 2026 was a devastating loss to many. This memoir was finished shortly before her passing and tells her story in her own words. 

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Bet on Yourself: Why Faith and Fierceness Are All You Need by Tamron Hall (1/26)

Emmy award-winning host of her self-titled show, Tamron Hall has spent decades building a career she loves, including her history-making role on the Today show. This was all threatened when Hall received a life changing text minutes before going on air in February of 2017. She learned that the future she had worked to build and invested in could no longer be hers. Though painful and terrifying, Hall knew that our hardest moments don’t have to become what defines us. Having faith in God and in herself, alongside fierce determination, Tamron became set on surviving this downfall and rising higher than before. That resolve has led to creating her own daytime talk show, becoming a Daytime Emmy-winning host in just her first season, and growing her family at 48. Drawing upon a lifetime of stories from her childhood years in Texas to beginning in Chicago newsrooms, using her heartbreak and fertility issues, along with her record setting wins in television history, Tamron Hall reveals the lessons that life has taught her on the road to success. 

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U Up?: An Intimate History of Online Dating by Hanna Kozlowska (1/26)

Controversially, the online world has become a fundamental part of modern dating. As communities and social institutions have changed over time, technology has stepped into different roles creating a new type of community and influencing how we form basic bonds forever. For better or for worse, with much of our lives centered on technology, algorithm-powered matchmaking isn’t going anywhere. Reporter Hanna Kozlowska details the evolution of modern dating using the entertaining stories of dating from all sorts of backgrounds whilst also investigating social, economic, and political influence on this phenomenon. Online dating began as punch-card matchmaking on ginormous computers in the 1960s, transitioned to chatroom romances and specific websites such as FarmersOnly, and is now a completely different league with the creation of VR dates and AI companions. U Up? gives context to the modern struggles of online dating, compares 19th century matrimonial ads to Tinder bios, and perhaps may create a bit of hope for the humanity behind the profile. 

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A Different Girl by Imani Guy Duckette and Jasmine Guy (2/9)

Most well known for her role as Whitley in the ‘90s sitcom A Different World, Jasmine Guy grew up as a mixed child in Atlanta, near both Morehouse college and Spelman College, where her father was a philosophy professor. After finding purpose in an encounter with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Guy moved to New York at just seventeen to dance with the company and fulfill her childhood dream. Becoming a professional dancer propelled Guy into acting, first on Broadway, and then on screen in Spike Lee’s School Daze. At the time of accepting her role as Whitley on A Different World, Guy had no clue the impact it would have and how it would lead her to becoming one of the greatest stars of Black Hollywood in the ‘80s and ‘90s. With the help of her daughter, Imani Guy Duckette, Guy details her rise to stardom earnestly, not shying away from her battles with depression, struggles with self-image, dealings with racism in Hollywood, and her lifelong desire to create beautiful work. 

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The Secret Seekers: A Book Detective’s Quest to Crack the Coded Messages of History’s Most Brilliant Women by Vanessa Braganza (2/23)

Though celebrated for its art and literature, the Renaissance was far more complicated and difficult especially for women than we ever talk about. The royals of the time contended for political leverage, schemed for one another’s demise, and had clandestine affairs. Knowledge was power and money, so royal women found ways to hide messages in jewelry and monogrammed designs. Harvard Renaissance scholar and renowned book detective Vanessa Braganza adventures with the reader, uncovering the secret lives of royal women, from Katherine of Aragon to Mary, Queen of Scots. Braganza has been able to decode messages from monograms, rare book markets, notebooks, etchings, and jewelry that all changed the course of history. Through immense research and storytelling, The Secret Seekers is bringing women to the front of the male-dominated historical narrative.

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Life on the Spectrum: A Mother-Daughter Memoir by Abbey Romeo (2/23)

Thanks to the hit show, Love on the Spectrum, Abby and Christine Romeo are beloved to millions. Now they want to tell their story of life before they ever began filming and what life is like in the spotlight. As a single mother of two, Christine’s life was changed when Abbey was diagnosed with autism. She was faced with navigating a world that didn’t understand her daughter’s sensory needs, language deficits, sense of humor, or big personality. Long before starring on a Netflix series, they worked to find solutions to their challenges within autism support and interventions. Now in Life on the Spectrum, they share how they persisted through adversity, the milestones they celebrated and the unconditional love that carried them forward.

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Unsung: Trailblazing Women Musicians of the Second World War by Leah Broad (2/23)

There are unsung, untold stories of the trailblazing women that undeniably advanced war efforts. From French singer, dancer, and intelligence agent Josephine Baker, Russian ballerina Tatiana Vecheslova, to German Nazi pianist Elly Ney, women entertained troops, keeping hope alive, and secretly fought for the country. Unsung details women in Europe, Russia, and the United States, who shaped wartime culture, resisted or perpetrated their nation’s ideologies, and changed the world forever with their actions.

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Somewhere Dark and Hot by Chloe Cherry (2/23)

After spending five years in the adult entertainment industry, the second season of Euphoria aired, changing Chloe Cherry’s life forever. In 2016, at just 18, she ran away from home and into adult films. Her life became a blur of porn sets, eating disorders, insomnia, psychotic episodes, OnlyFans, unemployment, and drug abuse. Then Cherry was cast in Euphoria, and with it came a new kind of fame. Portraying the unforgettable Faye, Chloe was able to go from an outsider to a breakout icon, defying assumptions. Working with a cast of generational talents like Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, and Hunter Schafer, Cherry refuses to hide her past. Somewhere Dark and Hot is Cherry’s story of survival and how she regrets none of it.

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Finding the Funny: My Mad Ride Thru Late-Night Comedy by Madeleine Smithberg (3/2)

Madeleine Smithberg has shaped the late-night comedy world from behind the scenes for more than four decades. Winning three Peabody Awards and an Emmy as a producer, Smithberg has been a part of television’s most influential late-night comedy shows. From production on Late Night with David Letterman to building the original Daily Show, Smithberg has seen it all and is sharing the highs and lows of the most memorable moments on television. Finding the Funny is the backstage pass to Smithberg’s trailblazing experience in modern comedy.

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Tough Love by Tajja Isen (3/9)

Growing up, Tajja Isen thought that success came from pleasing her mentors and following their influence. Her need for obedience pushed her into situations that blurred discipline, complicity, and coercion all for the excuse of ambition. This routine brought her success in child acting, dedication as a student, and the drive to become a writer even though it was causing more harm than good. Isen examines her attraction to authority figures who unknowingly held her identity in the palm of their hands, until she finally learned to step out of the bonds of domination and submission.  Using cultural criticism and psychoanalytic theory, Isen examines the places where mentorship meets something darker exposing the roots of anxiety and influence. 

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The Search for Black Mecca by Emmanuel Felton (3/23)

In the last forty years, demographers have noted a new Great Migration in the millions of Black Americans leaving Northern and Western cities for the Southern cities their family members escaped during Jim Crow. Large numbers of Black people have been moving to Southern cities such as Memphis, Houston, and Charlotte hoping to recreate the lively communities their grandparents once left. Are they finding what they are looking for? Have Black Americans been able to find community, economic prosperity, and safety in one place? These are questions that Emmanuel Felton is attempting to answer by speaking with Black Americans. In his research, he is also asking deeper questions about building community, what makes a Black neighborhood thrive, and how white people are often threatened by Black success. Intertwined with his theories, Felton tells the story of his own family’s migration through the lives of his grandfathers and explains what it means to create your own mecca with the space for Black joy. 

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Fast and Slow: Discovering Strength Beyond Speed by Allyson Felix (3/30)

Olympic medalist and world champion Allyson Felix has spent her life following rigid training and competition schedules that are expected of top female runners. She witnessed, starting at a young age, the struggle that her teammates had between being an athlete and having a child. Felix learned that motherhood would so often mean the end of professional sports and the end of a lifetime of hard work for too many women. Felix knew that motherhood was for her, and gave birth at 33 She delivered her daughter prematurely as a result of pre-eclampsia, a condition that disproportionately affects Black mothers like Felix. After fighting for her life and watching her daughter fight for hers, Felix was changed forever. Just months after giving birth, her long time sponsor, Nike, refused to allot enough recovery time within their contract without financial penalty while also reducing Felix’s pay by 60%. Becoming a mother lit a new fire underneath Felix leading her to fight back and campaign for change within Nike. This led to major changes in the sports world helping female athletes all over, but there is more change to be made and Felix is not done fighting.

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Mommy Issues: Big Hair, Bad Decisions, and Growing Up in the Deep South by Laura L. Quick (4/6)

After being born in the historical cobblestone streets that line Savannah, Georgia, Laura Quick went home, not to an antebellum mansion, but instead a single-wide trailer and a 17 year old mother who would soon sign away her custody. Instead of inheriting priceless family heirlooms, Quick inherited a mother that was never quite content with staying in her life, leaving her to feel both the joy of being chosen and the sorrow of being left behind again and again. Though there were good times full of driving with the windows down listening to the radio, there were tough times that included her mother offering her drugs before Quick was even in middle school. Quick inherited generational trauma, secrets, and the heartbreaking ability to mix up survival and healing. Mommy Issues is Quick detailing how she was able to overcome addiction, poverty, abuse, and generational trauma and work to become someone drastically different than the mother that abandoned her. Though our past may be where we come from, it doesn’t have to shape who we become.

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What Do I Know: A Guide to Living by Rob Lowe (4/6)

You can’t have a long and well known career including some of Hollywood’s most iconic roles without learning a thing or two, and Rob Lowe can attest to this. What Do I Know is Lowe sharing how he has navigated the good, the bad, and the ugly whilst learning hard lessons and coming out the other side smarter and stronger. How can you answer some of life’s hardest questions? Lowe shares the questions he has grappled with over his lifetime and the real and honest answers he has found. 

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You Better Love What You See: Living with Joy, Confidence, and Unapologetic Self-Worth by Sheryl Lee Ralph (4/6)

Emmy Award-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph has come to understand a truth that many people learn the hard way: Sometimes in life, you have to let your life shine. The world will try and drown you out, but you can’t forget who you are. From Ralph’s time spent in hospital rooms, on red carpets, and sitting in church pews, she has been led by the simple belief that better will always come. Getting knocked down is a part of life, but you must rise and move forward. She shares personal stories about being the only girl of color in a Catholic high school to her historic Emmy win and speech. Drawing on these experiences as an actress, mother, daughter, sister, wife, and woman, Ralph teaches continuing in the face of failure and finding strength in every season.

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Seven Princesses: A Memoir of Family by Joanne Lee Molinaro (4/20)

Beginning in a small fishing town in what is now North Korea and eventually detailing the Korean district of Chicago, Joanne Lee Molinaro tells the story of three women: her maternal grandmother, her mother, and herself. Following her family’s journey amidst the outbreak of the Korean War and then her mother’s journey from Korea to Chicago, Molinaro redefines the ideas of American identity. She also shares stories of her first marriage, finding the courage to leave it, beginning a law career, finding her second husband, and becoming a bestselling cookbook author. Seven Princesses examines the conditions and sacrifices that women endure in a tale of a mother giving up opportunity and comfortability for her daughter who then tries to prove that she is worth it for the rest of her life.

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Cher: Part Two by Cher (4/20)

Continue along in Cher’s life story with the second and final installment from the iconic musician, actress, and artist. Follow along as Cher details her successful solo music career and Academy Award-winning acting. She explores her global concert tours, what it was like as a single parent, and her philanthropic work including the Cher Cares Foundation. She gives peeks into her relationships with Sonny Bono and Gregg Allman. Cher: Part Two divulges Cher’s early singing experience and difficult childhood that lead to the life long resilience that made her a star.

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Thank You For Your Suffering by Michelle Zauner (4/27)

Thank You For Your Suffering guides readers through Michelle Zauner’s personal journey through South Korea, her attempts to learn the language in order to read the diary that her mother kept while alive and connect with her family in Seoul. Struggling with the harsh language school, Zauner fights to master the difficult language while trying to adjust to living in a foreign city with her husband and the strain it places on her marriage. Her journey though difficult is also dotted with triumphs like making Korean friends, exploring Seoul, spending cherished time with her aunt, and performing songs in Korean. Though emotional, Zauner is able to honestly describe her failures and victories with fierce courage.

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Life’s Little Surprises by Rubén Blades (6/8)

Rubén Blades has been one of the most influential singer and songwriters in the Spanish-speaking world, but that is not where his life’s work ends. He has also acted on screen and on a Broadway stage. He has a law degree from Harvard Law School in addition to his Master’s in international law. Blades is a political activist who has run for president in his home country of Panama. Starting at the very beginning of it all, Blades writes of his mother, a prodigy musician and radio drama actress from Cuba and his father, a Colombian percussionist and officer of the secret police. Blades immigrated to New York City from Panama in the 1970s and became a leading star of the Fania-All Stars, a musical group showcasing salsa musicians. His album, Siembra, the best-selling salsa album came after very charged collaborations with Willie Colón, the trombonist and singer. He details his work with Linda Ronstadt, Sting, Elvis Costello, and Wynton Marsalis. Blades also discusses his film and television work for which he received three Emmy nominations. Lastly, Blades activism throughout his life, including work against American imperialism, his creation of a new political party in Panama, and his loss in the Panamanian presidential election.

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