Looking to explore other genres of literature? Look no further than here, with comprehensive subject guides to get you started.

For a printable pdf version of this guide, click here.

“Memoirs” are accounts of the author’s personal experience that’s why they are considered nonfiction. However, there is sometimes a fine line between autobiography and fiction. For example, a book called Memoirs of a Geisha is actually a fascinating work of historical fiction that follows the life of a geisha through the end of her life. It depicts historical events, but it is written as fiction, despite the title. Sandra Cisneros' book, The House on Mango Street, presents a similar situation. The story is Cisneros' personal story of her own life, but it is told through a fictional character. A memoir is shorter than a comprehensive autobiography. The memoir tries to capture a moment or moments in one’s past, sometimes including a meaning of those events at the time of the writing of the memoir. The memoir can be more emotional rather than documental. For example, Esmeralda Santiago has written several memoirs about her life, including When I was Puerto Rican, Almost a Woman and The Turkish Lover. They are full length books, but the scope of time is brief.

Recommended books to start with:

Angela's Ashes: A Memoir by Frank McCourt
920 MCC
"Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood," writes Frank McCourt in Angela's Ashes. "Worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood." Welcome, then, to the pinnacle of the miserable Irish Catholic childhood. Born in Brooklyn in 1930 to recent Irish immigrants Malachy and Angela McCourt, Frank grew up in Limerick after his parents returned to Ireland because of poor prospects in America. It turns out that prospects weren't so great back in the old country either – not with Malachy for a father. A chronically unemployed and nearly unemployable alcoholic, he appears to be the model on which many of our more insulting cliches about drunken Irish manhood are based. Mix in abject poverty and frequent death and illness and you have all the makings of a truly difficult early life. Fortunately, in McCourt's able hands it also has all the makings for a compelling memoir. (Amazon.com)

Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer 951 HAR
Originally published in 1953, this adventure classic recounts Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer's 1943 escape from a British internment camp in India, his daring trek across the Himalayas, and his happy sojourn in Tibet, then, as now, a remote land little visited by foreigners. Warmly welcomed, he eventually became tutor to the Dalai Lama, teenaged god-king of the theocratic nation. The author's vivid descriptions of Tibetan rites and customs capture its unique traditions before the Chinese invasion in 1950, which prompted Harrer's departure. A 1996 epilogue details the genocidal havoc wrought over the past half-century. (Amazon.com)

Things I overheard while talking to myself by Alan Alda
BIO ALD
After actor Alda (Never Have Your Dog Stuffed) recovered from a nearly fatal intestinal obstruction, he decided to live as if he'd been given a second life. To make his new life as meaningful as possible, he wanted to remember those rare moments when a special stillness had come over him, the kind that hits you when you hear something that goes to the core of who you think you are. These were moments when he'd had some understanding about the meaning of his life, his reason for living—the central questions that Alda grapples with, as he looks back over his life. While poking good-natured fun at some of his earlier rhetoric (the ravings of a naïve Hollywood liberal) he shares highlights of the various commencement speeches and keynote addresses he's given to future doctors and physicists, or even to the odd group of Jefferson scholars. He phrases it differently for each audience, but the message is consistent: It's not what you do in life, but how you do it. Notice everything. Always be open to new ideas, new experiences. Alda is chatty, easygoing and humble, rather like a Mr. Rogers for grownups. His words of inspiration would be a perfect gift for a college grad or for anyone facing major life changes. (Publishers Weekly)

Almost a Woman by Esmeralda Santiago
BIO SAN
This book continues the life story that Santiago began in When I Was Puerto Rican (LJ 9/15/93). After her family's arrival in New York City, Santiago faced the difficult process of assimilation. As the oldest of eight children, she led her siblings in exploring the new culture and opportunities available to them. Santiago's memoir traces her personal growth through her teenage years; she describes her relationships with her family, her early dating experiences, and her first sexual encounters. In the end, she strikes a tenuous balance between her traditional, family-oriented culture and the new world of mainstream American society. Santiago's descriptive prose and lively dialog draw the reader in; we are reminded of the pains and pleasures of adolescence and wonder what happens next in her life. (Library Journal)

When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago
BIO SAN
Esmerelda and her seven siblings live in a corrugated metal shack in Puerto Rico. She is uprooted as a result of poverty and her parents' quarreling and suffers blows to her ego from their expectations of her. The girl goes to New York, where her grandmother lives, and must rely on her intelligence and talents to help her survive in an alien world in which being Puerto Rican is not advantageous. Her story rings true and will be an inspiration to Young Adults forced to make their own way in a sometimes hostile environment. (School Library Journal)

Louder Than Words by Jenny McCarthy
BIO MCC
The celebrity author of the best-selling Belly Laughs and Baby Laughs presents a frank account of her experiences as a mother of an autistic son, describing her efforts to manage the condition's symptoms while sorting through conflicting medical theories. Jenny McCarthy relates her struggle to discover what is behind her two-year-old son's seizures and other sudden health problems, and coming to terms with his eventual diagnosis of autism. McCarthy, who has previously written well-reviewed and humorous memoirs on both marriage and parenting, explains her new expertise in "Google Research" and her journey to get her son the best care and answers available, is culminating in practical advice regarding current behavioral and nutritional therapies for those with autism. (Reader's Advisor Online Update)
All But My Life by Gerda Weissman Klein
BIO KLE
Gerda recounts her comfortable childhood in Bielitz, Poland, where she attended Catholic school until the age of fifteen to obtain an academic education. When the Nazis occupied Poland, she was separated from her family and endured a harrowing existence in labor and concentration camps, culminating in a thousand-mile march, before liberation by the American army. This was one of the earliest Holocaust memoirs published in the United States. (Rosalind Reisner, Jewish American Literature)

Where to find more:

To find more memoirs, try the following library databases. If you need help ask a staff member in person, phone, IM, or email.

To get to the databases go to:
1. http://www.osceolalibrary.org
2. Mouse over the Research tab at the top. Click on the “databases” link.
3. Scroll to the “Books & Literature” section.
4. You can choose to search Novelist, Reader’s Advisor, or What do I Read Next?.

Literature Resource Center
Search by nonfiction memoirs as a key word search. Click on the Literary Criticism, Articles & Work Overviews, and then under Work Overviews you will get information on different titles about memoirs.

Novelist
If you have an author or title that you want to find read alikes for you can use the basic search box on the main page. Type in the title or author and bring them up in the search box. Pick the book you read and from there you can choose the subjects in the book that interested you and search for similar books. If you’ve never read any of these books and you want more suggested, you can choose a Quick Search. Open the menu and choose Key Word. Then type nonfiction memoirs and it will bring up a list of books.

The Reader’s Advisor Online
Type nonfiction memoirs in the search space. When the list comes up, you can click on the title of the one you want to look at. It will bring up short information about the book, a short description and a section with Related Reads, Fiction Read-Alikes, and Now Consider.

Movies/CD Books:

Angela’s Ashes
DVD DRA ANG
Life in impoverished Depression-era Ireland holds little promise for young Frank McCourt, the oldest son in a tightly-knit family. Living by his wits, cheered by his irrepressible spirit, and sustained by his mother’s fierce love, Frank embarks on an inspiring journey to overcome the poverty of his childhood and reach the land of his dreams.

Dogfight over Guadalcanal
DVD 940.5442 DOG
In the summer of 1942, Japanese and American ace fighter pilots faced off during the dogfighter over Guadalcanal. The American was shot down over enemy lines, but escaped. Memoirs and forensics examine and recreate the dramatic story.

Pianist
DVD DRA PIA
Based on the memoirs of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish Jew who was a brilliant pianist. He watched as his family was shipped off to Nazi labor camps. He managed to escape and lived for years in the ruins of Warsaw, hiding from the Nazis.

Teacher man
CD 371.1 MCC
The third installment of McCourt’s memoirs (after Angela’s Ashes and ‘Tis) cover his thirty-year teaching career in New York City’s public high schools.

I know why the caged bird sings
CD BIO ANG
Memoirs of growing up black in the 1930’s and 1940’s in a small Arkansas town.

Websites:

Search under nonfiction memoirs or memoirs genre.

London Libraries
On this website you can find An Appetite for Reading, is a selection of around 50 titles chosen and reviewed by the capital's librarians. These are memoirs book related to or connected with food.

Readers' Club
Public Library of Charlotte & Meckelenburg County readers’ advisory page on memoirs and biographies.

ThemisAthena.info
Features a commented list of books on memoirs and links to websites related to the book or the author.

Inkspell's Memoirs Page
Provides definitions and examples of memoirs.

For a printable pdf version of this guide, click here.

“Paranormal Romance” combines horror and romance, which is extremely popular with teens and adults. These stories often feature imaginary creatures, such as spooky and violent vampires, cute cupids, wicked werewolves, good witches, shape-shifters, guardian angels, or evil demons. Generally, the scenarios of these stories involve a man who is some type of creature and a woman who is human, or vice versus. Sometimes women in the paranormal romance fall in love with men, but the women are more likely to fall in love with dangerous vampires, demons, and werewolves, temporary guardian angels, or ghosts from the past, and forbidden love is a common theme. Magical and unexplained events occur frequently in these stories, and there is often a mystery that needs to be resolved. Paranormal romances generally employ fast pacing, with a generous dose of violence and suspense, which frightens or titillates readers, although sometimes the stories are humorous and not scary at all. The stories are usually set in modern times, but ghosts from the past who need help from the living can often be found in paranormal romance.

Recommended books to start with:

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
While trying to live a so-called normal existence, mechanic Mercy Thompson, a shapeshifter raised by werewolves, gets into trouble with the gremlins, witches, and vampires with whom she deals on a daily basis. The narrative is in Mercy’s first person point of view. The romance side of the book is not as blatantly sexual as some others. This book is perfect for those new to the genre. First in the series.

Dark Prince by Christine Feehan
FIC FEE
Feehan is prolific writer and has 3 separate paranormal romance series, each with something different involved. Dark Prince is the first in the Carpathian series. In a vampire romance set in the Carpathian Mountains, a mysterious stranger appears in the life of an unsuspecting American psychic.

Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson
FIC DAV
This is the humorous side of paranormal romance. After being killed in a car accident, fashion savvy Betsy Taylor becomes one of the undead and, with the help of her newfound friends, the lure of designer shoes, and a sexy vampire, must destroy a dark enemy and fulfill her destiny as the prophesied vampire queen.

Devil May Cry by Sherrilyn Kenyon
FIC KEN
Number 14 in the Dark-Hunter novel series. Stripped of his godhood by Artemis, Sin seeks revenge by kidnapping a woman he believes to be the deceitful goddess, only to discover instead that he has abducted her servant, Katra, who persuades him to save Artemis from an enemy who threatens all human life.

Full Moon Rising
FIC ART
When her twin brother, Rhoan, an assassin assigned the task of protecting the innocent from evil supernatural beings, vanishes while on one of his missions, dhampire Riley Jensen--a young woman who is half werewolf, half vampire--joins forces with the sexy, and very disoriented, vampire who shows up on her doorstep.

Where to find more:

To find more paranormal romance books, try the following library databases. If you need help ask a staff member in person, phone, IM, or email.

To get to the databases go to:
1. http://www.osceolalibrary.org
2. Mouse over the Research tab at the top. Click on the “databases” link.
3. Scroll to the “Books & Literature” section.
4. You can choose to search Novelist, Reader’s Advisor, or What do I Read Next?.

Novelist
• If you have an author or title that you want to find read alikes for you can use the basic search box on the main page. Type in the title or author and bring them up in the search box. Pick the book you read and from there you can choose the subjects in the book that interested you and search for similar books.
• If you’ve never read any of these books and you want more suggested in addition to the ones above, you can choose to browse the lists. Click on the “Browse Lists” tab >> Click on “Adult” under the “Explore Fiction” section >> Click on “Romance” >> Then Click on “Paranormal Romance” >> A list of books will appear.
• You can also use the “Describe a Plot feature.” This is useful if you want a specific type of paranormal romance, such as vampires or witches. Click on the “Search our Databases” tab >> Click on the “Describe a Plot” link >> In the “Find” box, type “paranormal romance.” If you want to narrow it down, use a keyword, such as “witch” or “vampire,” following the example given >> Choose to limit adult or young adult or both if you want >> Hit search and a listing of books will appear, sorted by relevance to the search terms you used. >> You can choose to change that as well >> Click on a title to read about it and decide if you want to read it.

The Reader’s Advisor Online
• When exploring a new genre it’s always best to browse first. In the top left hand corner click on “Advanced Search” >> On the right-hand side, click on the small yellow arrow next to “Romance (Fiction).” More categories should open up underneath. >> Click on the yellow arrow next to “Alternate Reality” >> Click on “Paranormal Romance” until it’s highlighted blue >> Click search.
• You can also choose to search by name/author. This way, when you have the book on the screen you can pick the subject headings that you like about that specific book.

What do I read Next?
• To browse for paranormal romance books, click on the “Genre Search” link >> Choose the drop down menu next to the Romance genre >> Pick “Paranormal” from the listing >> You can narrow the search by check marking what age group you want the books for at the top of the page >> Click search.
• You can also search for similar authors and titles by using the author of your favorite book, or the title. Try by specific title first if you have one. Choose the “Title and Series Search” >> Enter the name of the title under the “enter the title” heading >> Click Search >> Pick your title >> Scroll to the bottom of the listing >> It will give you a list of recommended titles.

Movies/TV Shows:

Charmed (8 seasons)
DVD DRA CHA
~ Three sisters discover they have supernatural witch powers.

Ghost Rider
DVD DRA GHO
~ In order to save his dying father, Johnny Blaze, a young stunt cyclist, sells his soul to Mephistopheles and sadly parts from Roxanne, the girl he loves. Years later, Johnny's path crosses again with Roxanne, who is now a reporter. He, also, crosses paths with Mephistopheles, who offers to release Johnny's soul if Johnny becomes the fabled, fiery Ghost Rider, a supernatural agent of vengeance and justice.

Underworld
DVD DRA UND
*Note: has a sequel called Underworld: Evolution
~ A war has been raging between the Vampires and the Lycans for centuries. Selene is a vampire Death Dealer who finds out that the Lycans have plans to capture Michael. As Selene begins to track Michael, she becomes more convinced that the Lycans are planning an attack against the Death Dealers. The vampire kingpin, Kraven, is certain the Lycans do not have that kind of intelligence. As Selene shadows Michael, she finds herself wanting to protect him, but when he's attacked by Lucian, the leader of the werewolf community, and the man she wants to save has now become a sworn enemy.

Ghost Whisperer (2 seasons)
DVD DRA GHO
~ Ever since she was a young girl, Melinda Gordon has been able to see and talk to dead people. Earth-bound spirits who have yet to cross over to the other side seek her help in communicating and resolving unfinished business with the living.

Medium (3 seasons)
DVD DRA MED
~ A woman who can communicate with the dead uses her gift to help solve crimes by working with law enforcement.

Websites:

Some websites to titillate the senses and leave you wanting more paranormal romance!

PNR – Paranormal Romance
This website “is the official homepage for the ParaNormalRomance Groups designed for lovers of the Paranormal Romance sub-genre. Members meet online via YahooGroups and share an interest in science fiction, fantasy, and romantic fiction with paranormal elements, including time travel, futuristic, magical, ghost, vampire and shapeshifter themes.”

Paranormal Romance Writers
The website is run by Romance Designs. The site offers web design, book reviews, book descriptions and listings, and much more.

Christine Feehan’s Official Website
Gives information about the author, her books, and their series. She includes links to other websites as well.

Maggie Shayne’s Official Website
Author’s website. It includes information about her books, including those about to be published. It also has neat video trailers for the books.

Writer Space
Many famous romance authors are known to be in the chat rooms on this site from time to time. “Founded in 1998, Writerspace is the home for over 550 authors, primarily romance and mystery, of the best fiction on the market today. Writerspace communities are familiar places for readers to gather, talk to each other, learn about releases and communicate with authors.”

For a printable pdf version of this guide, click here.

The Splatterpunk genre, also known as “extreme horror,” contains novels that revel in torturing and mutilating ordinary humans. Graphic acts of sex, violence, and torture abound for their own sake, and punk and heavy metal music are often a part of the backdrop of these stories.
The following is a taste of splatterpunk, and resources where you can find more information about the genre.

Recommended books to start with:

The Damnation Game by Clive Barker
In a night world where decomposing corpse-assassins stalk their prey, Marty Strauss, the bodyguard to a famous industrialist, discovers that someone is coming to collect the soul of his employer as payment for an ancient debt.

Lost Souls by Poppy Z Brite
Three vampires who might pass for rock stars roll into New Orleans for Mardi Gras and then disappear again, but only after their handsome leader, Zillah, has impregnated an adolescent girl. Fifteen years later, their offspring, who calls himself Nothing, is living with adoptive parents in the suburbs and wondering, like many other teenagers, why he feels so different.

Blood Crazy by Simon Clark
The world is turned up by a bloodthirsty rampage when all the adults become dangerously insane, infected by an uncontrollable urge to slaughter the young, even their own children.

Every Dead Thing by John Connolly
Charlie “Bird” Parker is a former NYPD detective still recovering from the death of his wife and daughter when his ex-partner asks him to help track down a serial killer. Assisted by forensic psychologist Rachel Wolfe, Parker searches for the Traveling Man, who skins his victims and takes their faces.

Black Butterflies by John Shirley
A collection of sixteen short stories captures a world of strangely sweet nightmares and dark places that gleam like onyx, by an author whose dreams of black butterflies with razor-sharp wings motivated him to put his imagination on paper.

Where to find more:

Hooked on horror: a guide to reading interests in horror fiction
REF 016.8088 FON
A great introduction to horror in all its forms.
Available at Central

To find more Splatterpunk books, try the following library databases. If you need help ask a staff member in person, phone, IM, or email.

Novelist • This database does not have a category called Splatterpunk; instead it uses “extreme horror.” Once you’ve opened the database, go to the Browse List tab at the top of the page >> under Explore Fiction click on Adult >> Choose the Horror genre >> Then pick Extreme Horror >> a listing of authors and titles will appear. You can also search the database by author, title, keyword (such as “extreme horror”), and series.

The Reader’s Advisor Online • This database has the category Splatterpunk. Once you’ve opened the database, go to the Advanced Search >> Genres Subgenres, & Appeals >> Click on the yellow arrow next to Speculative Fiction >> Click on the yellow arrow next to Horror >> Click on Splatterpunk until it is highlighted >> Click search. A listing of titles should come up on the results page. You can also search by author and title if you liked one of the books recommended above.

Websites:

Horror Extreme
According to the website. “Horror Extreme is the website for horror news, horror views and horror reviews about all of your favorite splatter movies, past and present, from around the globe.”

Horror Writers Association
An association for fans of the horror genre and those who write in it.

Salt Lake County Library – Splatterpunk
The Salt Lake County Library lists splatterpunk authors and titles.

Salt Lake County Library – Horror Book List
Horror book lists from The Salt Lake County Library.

HWA Member Web Pages
This is a listing of members of the Horror Writers Association and their web pages. Most of them are authors, so you can explore the latest information about the books they’re writing.

For a printable pdf version of this guide, click here.
True Crime is nonfiction narratives that describe all manner of crimes, criminals, and law enforcement techniques. They may focus on violent crimes such as homicide, rape, kidnapping, and arson (among others), as well as a variety of crimes which are more fraudulent (cons, financial scams, theft) than violent. Since they are often based on horrific and abhorrent crimes, they can be quite graphic and disturbing in nature, as well as quite suspenseful.

Recommended books to start with:

Green River, Running Red: The Real Story of the Green River Killer, America’s Deadliest Serial Murderer by Ann Rule
364.152 RUL
Veteran crime writer Ann Rule is uniquely qualified to chronicle the grisly career of Gary Ridgeway, the man convicted of being the "Green River Killer," the most prolific serial killer in American history. Not only is she one of the more successful true-crime authors, but for nearly 20 years, Rule was exceptionally close to the case, reporting on it for a Seattle newspaper, preparing a long-delayed book on the subject, and living within a few blocks of the strip of highway where most of Ridgeway's victims were abducted.

The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham
345.766 GRI
In 1982 former major league baseball player Ron Williamson was convicted and sent to death row for the rape and murder of a 21-year-old waitress named Debra Sue Carter. Eventually a new trial and DNA evidence would show that Williamson (who also struggled with drug addiction and mental illness) and Dennis Fritz, another man convicted of the crime, were innocent and had been wrongfully convicted.

Thunderstruck by Erik Larson
364.152 LAR
Larson combines a true crime narrative of Dr. Hawley Crippen's 1910 murder of his wife with the history of the invention of wireless communication (and its controversial inventor Guglielmo Marconi).

Where the Money Was by Willie Sutton
364.1 SUT
Unarguably America's most famous bank robber, Willie never injured a soul, but took on almost a hundred banks and departed three of America's most escape-proof penitentiaries. This is the stuff of myth - rascally and cautionary by turns - yet true in every searing, diverting, and brilliantly recalled detail.

You Got Nothing Coming: Notes from a Prison Fish by Jimmy A. Lerner
BIO LER
Convicted of manslaughter in Las Vegas, Jimmy A. Lerner was sent to serve his time in a Nevada state prison; he tells the story of his years there in this graphic and honest memoir. Lerner's reporting on his fellow inmates and re-creation of their dialogue makes this a quick read, and although some critics found the idea of reading a convicted felon's prison narrative distasteful, readers may find themselves drawn in by his writing skills and charisma, as well as by his narrative prowess in relating the details of the crime for which he was convicted.

Where to find more:

Reader’s Advisor
In this database you can find more recommendations for crime books. Once you’ve opened the database, go to “Advanced Search” >> Under the “Genres, Subgenres, and Appeals” section, Click on the “True Crime (Non-Fiction)” until it looks blue >> Then click “search.”

Movies:

Aileen: life and death of a serial killer
DVD 364.1523 AIL
Nick Broomfield explores the life of Aileen Wuornos, the prostitute executed in Florida for killing six men. Includes examinations of her childhood, testimony at her trial by Broomfield, and a chilling speech by Wuornos herself.

The Murder of Emmett Till
DVD 364.1523 MUR
Accounts the murder of fourteen-year-old, Emmett Till, in Mississippi, in 1955.

Murder at Harvard
DVD 364.1523 MUR
In November 1849, Dr. George Parkman, one of Boston's richest citizens, suddenly disappeared. The Medical School's janitor, Ephraim Littlefield, who had a suspicion where Parkman might be found, spent two grueling nights tunneling beneath a basement laboratory looking for clues. What he discovered horrified Boston and led to one of the most sensational trials in American history.

The world history of organized crime
DVD 364.106 WOR
A comprehensive look at the operations of the most infamous outlaw syndicates on earth. Featuring interviews with highly-placed officials and convicted gangsters from Russia, Colombia, Sicily, China and India.

Music:

Many songs are reported to be about serial killers, murder, robberies, and other true crimes. The validity of these is up for debate, but they are still fun to listen to.

The Green Book of Songs by Subject
REF 016.7824 GRE
This book catalogs songs by category. To find songs about crime, look under the subject headings “Crime” or “Kill.” More category suggestions are available at the beginning of each of these sections.
Available at Central, STC, BVL, PC

Some suggestions to start:

“Nebraska” by Bruce Springsteen
The essential Bruce Springsteen
CD POP/ROCK SPR

“Murder By Numbers” by The Police
Message in a box: the complete recordings
CD POP/ROCK POL

Websites:

Court TV's Crime Library
Contains hundreds of “stories on major crimes, criminals, trials, forensics and criminal profiling.” Content “focus[es] mostly on recent crimes, but an expanding collection also delves into historically notorious characters, dating back to the 1400s and spanning the globe.”

GangRule.com: The History of Organized Crime
"A historical look at the emergence of organized crime since 1890. The site has a database of known gang members [in three organizations], historic events and family histories, along with photographs, newspaper cuttings and official documents."

LooksTooGoodToBeTrue.com
This website contains background information and alerts about Internet scams and fraud, covering topics such as identity theft, hacking, phishing, spam, spyware, job scams, Ponzi and pyramid schemes, online auctions, sweepstakes and lotteries, and counterfeit payments. Includes a FAQ, victims' stories, a fraud risk test, and links to places to file a complaint about online fraud.

Unabomber
The Sacramento Bee's coverage of the trial of Theodore Kaczynski. This site includes a story archive, details of the investigation, information on the key participants, a timeline, the "Unabomber Manifesto," public record court documents, photos, and videos.