Anolik, Lili. Didion & Babitz. Scribner. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9781668065488. 352p. $29.99. BIOGRAPHY

Anolik (Hollywood’s Eve), contributing editor at Vanity Fair, delves into the complicated friendship between writers Joan Didion and Eve Babitz. After Babitz’s death, sealed boxes of letters were found in her apartment. Anolik mines these to depict the women’s time in 1960s and ’70s Hollywood and to paint a fuller portrait of Didion.

Brolin, Josh. From Under the Truck: A Memoir. Harper. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9780063382183. 336p. $32. MEMOIR

Drawing upon journals he started as a teenager and continues with now, actor Brolin recounts his life, from growing up on a ranch in Paso Robles, California to his long-running acting career that began with a role in The Goonies. With a 100K-copy first printing.

Choi, Anne Soon. L.A. Coroner: Thomas Noguchi and Death in Hollywood. Third State. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9798890130075. 304p. $29.95. BIOGRAPHY

Choi (interdisciplinary studies, California State Univ., Dominguez Hills) expands her prize-winning essay into this book about Thomas Noguchi, known as the “coroner to the stars,” who performed the autopsies of Marilyn Monroe, Robert F. Kennedy, and Natalie Wood. Delving into details about these high-profile cases, Choi blends Asian American and Los Angeles history with Hollywood true crime.

Clinton, Bill. Citizen: My Life After the White House. Knopf. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9780525521440. 464p. $38. MEMOIR

Twenty years ago, in the bestselling My Life, Clinton shared the story of his life leading up to and during the eight years he served as president of the United States. Here, he details life after the presidency, from his philanthropic efforts after establishing the Clinton Foundation to thoughts on significant world events like 9/11 and the pandemic.

Gordon, Meryl. The Woman Who Knew Everyone: The Power of Perle Mesta, Washington’s Most Famous Hostess. Grand Central. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9781538751244. 512p. $34. BIOGRAPHY

Bestselling author and journalist Gordon (Bunny Mellon: The Life of an American Style Legend) chronicles the life of Perle Mesta, a wealthy socialite famous during the mid-20th century. Best known for hosting parties featuring politicians and celebrities, she also served as the U.S. envoy to Luxembourg and inspired a hit Broadway musical by Irving Berlin.

Matheson, Tim. Damn Glad To Meet You: My Seven Decades in the Hollywood Trenches. Hachette. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9780306832932. 384p. $30. MEMOIR

Actor Matheson has appeared in several TV shows and movies over the years, from Leave It to Beaver and National Lampoon’s Animal House to the role of vice president on The West Wing and currently as Doc Mullins in the Netflix show Virgin River. In his debut memoir, he details his career and offers plenty of celebrity anecdotes.

Mayer, Youngmi. I’m Laughing Because I’m Crying: A Memoir. Little, Brown. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9780316569231. 256p. $29. MEMOIR

Recounting her childhood in Saipan and her present life in New York City as a single mom, comedian and podcaster Mayer writes a memoir laced with humor and history. She interrogates race, gender, and sexuality while also sharing the traumatic repercussions of colonialism and war that her Korean family experienced. With a 75K-copy first printing.

Merkel, Angela. Freedom: Memories 1954–2021. St. Martin’s. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9781250319906. 752p. $40. MEMOIR

Merkel, the first woman chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (from 2005 to 2021), pens a memoir about the 16 years she led the country and shaped world events. She also considers her life when Germany was divided, her childhood, academic life, the moment the wall fell, and what the concept of freedom means. With a 750K-copy first printing.

Munson, Richard. Ingenious: A Biography of Benjamin Franklin, Scientist. Norton. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9780393882230. 288p. $29.99. BIOGRAPHY

In this biography, Munson (Tesla: Inventor of the Modern) focuses on Founding Father Benjamin Franklin’s scientific creativity rather than his political and diplomatic achievements, illuminating his research on electricity, heat, ocean currents, and weather patterns. Munson shows Franklin as an experimenter and innovator who still has modern relevance.

Owen, Michael. Ira Gershwin: A Life in Words. Liveright. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9781324091813. 400p. $37.99. BIOGRAPHY

Historian and archivist Owen (Go Slow: The Life of Julie London) authors a full-length biography about Pulitzer Prize–winning lyricist Ira Gershwin (1896–1983), brother of George Gershwin and the lyric writer for many memorable tunes that make up the “Great American Songbook.”

Palmer, Keke. Master of Me: A Memoir. Flatiron. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9781250372512. 256p. $27.99. MEMOIR

Emmy Award–winning Palmer has starred on Broadway and in the movie Nope and hosted a talk show and game show. Sharing the challenges she’s endured in her life and career, she writes about how she has used these experiences to find power and purpose. With a 500K-copy first printing.

Sacks, Oliver. Letters. ed. by Kate Edgar. Knopf. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9780451492913. 768p. $40. MEMOIR

Award–winning Sacks (1933–2015) was a neurologist who wrote bestselling books about his cases, including The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. This book collects the lengthy letters he wrote to friends, family, and colleagues, spanning his early career to his last years and capturing his life and remarkable observations.

Somerset, Anne. Queen Victoria and Her Prime Ministers: Her Life, the Imperial Ideal, and the Politics and Turmoil That Shaped Her Extraordinary Reign. Knopf. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9781101875575. 640p. $45. BIOGRAPHY

Historian Somerset, author of the award-winning Queen Anne, draws on material from the Royal Archives and never-before-seen prime ministerial papers to depict the life of Queen Victoria, focusing on her involvement in state affairs, especially her interactions with the 10 British prime ministers who served during her 63-year reign.

Sutherland, Donald. Made Up, But Still True. Crown. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9780593728789. 384p. $35. MEMOIR

Award-winning actor Sutherland, whose film career spans decades, including roles in M*A*S*H and The Hunger Games, pens his debut memoir, chronicling his personal life, offering behind-the-scenes stories about the movies he’s starred in, and sharing his career journey.

White, Jaleel. Growing Up Urkel: A Memoir. S&S. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9781668068892. 288p. $28.99. MEMOIR

Known for playing the nerdy Steve Urkel in the hit ’90s sitcom Family Matters, White relates the highs and lows of fame and fortune, from winning that unexpected hit role as a 12-year-old to trying to forge a new image as an adult.

Zehme, Bill. Carson the Magnificent. S&S. Nov. 2024. ISBN 9781451645279. 384p. $30. BIOGRAPHY

Zehme (author of the bestselling The Way You Wear Your Hat: Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin’) began writing this biography in 2005. After Zehme’s death in 2023, journalist Mike Thomas (You Might Remember Me) completed this much-anticipated book about iconic entertainer Johnny Carson, host of The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992.