Recommendations based on Elsewhereby Richard Russo

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. The Year of Magical Thinking

    by Joan Didion
    A woman's reflections on life and death after the sudden loss of her husband.

    'An act of consummate literary bravery, a writer known for her clarity allowing us to watch her mind as it becomes clouded with grief.' From one of America's iconic writers, a stunning book of ... (Goodreads)

  2. Dry

    by Augusten Burroughs
    A memoir of alcoholism, mental illness, and the search for redemption.

    You may not know it, but you've met Augusten Burroughs. You've seen him on the street, in bars, on the subway, at restaurants: a twenty-something guy, nice suit, works in advertising. Regular. ... (Goodreads)

  3. Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness

    by Susannah Cahalan
    A journalist's journey of survival and recovery from a rare autoimmune disorder.

    An award-winning memoir and instant New York Times bestseller that goes far beyond its riveting medical mystery, Brain on Fire is the powerful account of one woman’s struggle to recapture her ... (Goodreads)

  4. I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell

    by Tucker Max
    A fratboy's outrageous misadventures through college life and beyond.

    The Book That Inspired The Movie, My name is Tucker Max, and I am an asshole. I get excessively drunk at inappropriate times, disregard social norms, indulge every whim, ignore the consequences of my ... (Goodreads)

  5. Comfort Me with Apples: More Adventures at the Table

    by Ruth Reichl
    Culinary and cultural exploration of the world, experienced through food.

    In this delightful sequel to her bestseller Tender at the Bone, Ruth Reichl returns with more tales of love, life, and marvelous meals. Comfort Me with Apples picks up Reichl's story in 1978, when ... (Goodreads)

  6. Hallucinations

    by Oliver Sacks
    A neurologist explores the fascinating world of hallucinations, from the perspectives of both the afflicted and the scientific community.

    Have you ever seen something that wasn’t really there? Heard someone call your name in an empty house? Sensed someone following you and turned around to find nothing? Hallucinations don’t belong ... (Goodreads)

  7. Blue Nights

    by Joan Didion
    A reflective look back at motherhood, memory and the fragility of life.

    From one of our most powerful writers, a work of stunning frankness about losing a daughter. Richly textured with bits of her own childhood and married life with her husband, John Gregory Dunne, and ... (Goodreads)

  8. A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II

    by Sonia Purnell
    The incredible true story of Virginia Hall, an American spy who worked undercover in Nazi-occupied France during World War II.

    A, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER,Chosen as a BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR by, NPR, the New York Public Library, Amazon, the, Seattle Times, the, Washington Independent Review of Books,, PopSugar, the, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  9. Shadow Divers

    by Robert Kurson
    Risk-taking divers uncover a sunken WWII German U-boat off the coast of New Jersey.

    In the tradition of Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air and Sebastian Junger’s The Perfect Storm comes a true tale of riveting adventure in which two weekend scuba divers risk everything to solve a great ... (Goodreads)

  10. Just Kids

    by Patti Smith
    Chronicles of two young artists in New York City, finding friendship and inspiration in each other.

    In Just Kids , Patti Smith's first book of prose, the legendary American artist offers a never-before-seen glimpse of her remarkable relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in the epochal ... (Goodreads)

  11. On Death and Dying

    by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
    A look into the stages of grief, exploring the emotion and physical impacts of death.

    One of the most important psychological studies of the late twentieth century, On Death and Dying grew out of Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's famous interdisciplinary seminar on death, life, and ... (Goodreads)

  12. The Path to Power

    by Robert A. Caro
    The first volume of a biography of Lyndon B. Johnson, tracing his early life and political career in Texas.

    The Years of Lyndon Johnson is the political biography of our time. No president—no era of American politics—has been so intensively and sharply examined at a time when so many prime witnesses to ... (Goodreads)

  13. Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10

    by Marcus Luttrell
    A riveting account of a heroic mission gone wrong, and the courage and strength of the Navy SEALS who faced impossible odds.

    On a clear night in late June 2005, four U.S. Navy SEALs left their base in northern Afghanistan for the mountainous Pakistani border. Their mission was to capture or kill a notorious al Qaeda leader ... (Goodreads)

  14. Master of the Senate

    by Robert A. Caro
    Detailed account of Lyndon Johnson's tenure as the leader of the US Senate, and his rise to power.

    The most riveting political biography of our time, Robert A. Caro’s life of Lyndon B. Johnson, continues. Master of the Senate takes Johnson’s story through one of its most remarkable periods: his ... (Goodreads)

  15. The Woman Warrior

    by Maxine Hong Kingston
    A personal memoir of identity and culture, told through Chinese mythology and folklore.

    The book is divided into five interconnected chapters, which read like short stories. In the first part of this chapter, the narrator is recounting how her mother once told her the story of the ... (Wikipedia)

  16. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

    by Bryan Stevenson
    A powerful true story of justice and redemption, exposing the flaws of America's criminal justice system.

    In 1989, idealistic young Harvard law graduate Bryan Stevenson travels to Alabama hoping to help fight for poor people who cannot afford proper legal representation. Teaming with Eva Ansley, he ... (Wikipedia)

  17. The Broken Circle: A Memoir of Escaping Afghanistan

    by Enjeela Ahmadi-Miller
    Enjeela and her family flee Afghanistan during the Soviet-Afghan War, facing danger and uncertainty as they seek refuge in Pakistan and eventually the United States.

    An emotional and sweeping memoir of love and survival—and of a committed and desperate family uprooted and divided by the violent, changing landscape of Afghanistan in the early 1980s., Before the ... (Goodreads)

  18. Yes Please

    by Amy Poehler
    Humorous memoir of a celebrated comedian, exploring her life, career, and relationships.

    In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please , she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some ... (Goodreads)

  19. Chronicles: Volume One

    by Bob Dylan
    A memoir tracking Bob Dylan's musical journey from humble beginnings to iconic status.

    WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE The celebrated first memoir from arguably the most influential singer-songwriter in the country, Bob Dylan. “I’d come from a long ways off and had started a ... (Barnes & Noble)

  20. Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love

    by Larry Levin
    A heartwarming story of a rescued dog who overcomes abuse and becomes a beloved member of his family.

    In the bestselling tradition of, Rescuing Sprite, comes the story of a puppy brought back from the brink of death, and the family he adopted. In 2002, Larry Levin and his twin sons, Dan and Noah, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  21. Fresh Off the Boat

    by Eddie Huang
    Memoir of a Taiwanese-American chef and his family's struggles and triumphs in assimilating to American culture.

    Assimilating ain’t easy. Eddie Huang was raised by a wild family of FOB (“fresh off the boat”) immigrants—his father a cocksure restaurateur with a dark past back in Taiwan, his mother a fierce ... (Goodreads)

  22. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic

    by Alison Bechdel
    An autobiographical story of a daughter's complex relationship with her father and her own journey of self-discovery.

    The narrative of Fun Home is non-linear and recursive. , Incidents are told and re-told in the light of new information or themes. , Bechdel describes the structure of Fun Home as a labyrinth , ... (Wikipedia)

  23. The Tao of Pooh

    by Benjamin Hoff
    A whimsical exploration of Taoism through the beloved characters of Winnie the Pooh.

    The Wisdom of Pooh. Is there such thing as a Western Taoist? Benjamin Hoff says there is, and this Taoist's favorite food is honey. Through brilliant and witty dialogue with the beloved Pooh-bear and ... (Goodreads)

  24. Don't Get Too Comfortable: The Indignities of Coach Class, The Torments of Low Thread Count, The Never-Ending Quest for Artisanal Olive Oil, and Other First World Problems

    by David Rakoff
    A collection of humorous essays on the absurdities of modern life, consumerism, and the pursuit of luxury.

    A bitingly funny grand tour of our culture of excess from an award-winning humorist. Whether David Rakoff's contrasting the elegance of one of the last flights of the supersonic Concorde with the ... (Goodreads)

  25. A Thousand Naked Strangers: A Paramedic's Wild Ride to the Edge and Back

    by Kevin Hazzard
    A memoir of a paramedic's experiences in Atlanta, Georgia, dealing with life and death situations on a daily basis.

    A former paramedic’s visceral, poignant, and mordantly funny account of a decade spent on Atlanta’s mean streets saving lives and connecting with the drama and occasional beauty that lies inside ... (Barnes & Noble)

  26. French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure

    by Mireille Guiliano
    A French woman's guide to enjoying food without gaining weight, emphasizing portion control, quality ingredients, and a balanced lifestyle.

    The million copy, ultimate #1 bestseller that is changing the way Americans eat and live Don't Diet Eat Chocolate Drink Wine Take Long Walks Enjoy Life Stay Slim the French way Experience the joie de ... (Goodreads)

  27. 1776

    by David McCullough
    A riveting account of the events leading up to and during the American Revolution.

    In this masterful book, David McCullough tells the intensely human story of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence - when the whole American ... (Goodreads)

  28. The Truths We Hold: An American Journey

    by Kamala Harris
    Memoir of Kamala Harris, detailing her life and political career, and advocating for social justice and equality.

    From one of America's most inspiring political leaders, a book about the core truths that unite us, and the long struggle to discern what those truths are and how best to act upon them, in her own ... (Goodreads)

  29. On Wings of Eagles

    by Ken Follett
    A thrilling true story of a businessman's rescue from Iran during the revolution. A tale of courage, determination, and loyalty.

    The #1 International Bestseller now in trade paperback—with 16 pages of photos. Number-one bestselling author Ken Follett tells the inspiring, true story of the Middle East hostage crisis that began ... (Goodreads)

  30. This Is How: Proven Aid in Overcoming Shyness, Molestation, Fatness, Spinsterhood, Grief, Disease, Lushery, Decrepitude & More. For Young and Old Alike.

    by Augusten Burroughs
    A humorous yet thoughtful collection of personal stories and advice on dealing with life challenges.

    If you're fat and fail every diet, if you're thin but can't get thin enough, if you lose your job, if your child dies, if you are diagnosed with cancer, if you always end up with exactly the wrong ... (Goodreads)