“Bonkers: My Life” is a biography by British comedienne and actress Jennifer Saunders. She has been in two of the most popular double acts in British television history. As one half of French and Saunders, she gave the world one of the longest-running and most-loved comedy partnerships. She also created the two hilarious and monstrous characters — Eddie and Patsy — in the lovable series Absolutely Fabulous. Jennifer reflects on the life that brought her to comedy as well as how she came to create her beloved characters and her comedic partnerships. She also gives readers an insider’s look at her private life. She includes it all here; or at least the bits she can recall!

“Dear Mr. You” is a memoir by actress Mary-Louise Parker. In this work, Parker tells the story of her life through letters that she composes to men, both real and hypothetical, who have influenced the person she is today. She begins with a letter to the grandfather she never knew. From there, she pens a letter to the beloved priest from her childhood, former lovers, and even to a firefighter she briefly encountered. She writes to the uncle of the infant daughter she adopted. These letters reveal the range of emotions — from loving to tumultuous — that our relationships bring. These beautiful and poignant letters tell more than Parker’s story, they tell the complexity and power of human interactions.

“Dancing Through Life: Steps of Courage and Conviction” is a memoir of Candace Cameron Bure with Erin Davis. Growing up before our eyes on Full House, Candace Cameron Bure had to learn to balance her Christian faith with Hollywood’s pull. The spotlight seemed to get even brighter when she competed on Dancing with the Stars. For Bure, it was a dream come true. It was also an opportunity to share her personal convictions with millions of people on live television as well as to learn lessons valuable for everyone—on or off stage. In this book she reflects up the highs and lows, the roadblocks, and the victories that came from leaping outside of her comfort zone. See how she stayed true to herself and her Christian values all the way to the finale.

“Situation Momedy: A First-Time Mom’s Guide to Laughing Your Way through Pregnancy & Year One” is by actress Jenna Von Oy. Part parenting book and part biography, Jenna Von Oy shares with her readers a lighthearted and comedic look at pregnancy and the first year of motherhood. Best known for her roles as the quintessential best friend on both Blossom and The Parkers, Jenna chose to write this book while preparing for the birth of her first daughter. All of the parenting books she picked up seemed to be too clinical and didn’t really offer any practical advice for what to expect from not only the baby, but also from everyone else. She uses humor to illustrate that we are all a work in progress and that things don’t always go according to plan. Most of all, she wants “to inspire women to embrace the tough times with extra love and laughter and to be empowered to trust their own instincts.”

“My Life on the Road” is an autobiography by Gloria Steinem. Her itinerant childhood planted the love of adventure and the realization that growing up didn’t have to mean settling down. She has lived a lifetime of travel, of activism and leadership, and of listening to people whose voices and ideas would inspire change and revolution. From her first experience of social activism among women in India to her work as a journalist in the 1960s; from the endless buzz of political campaigns to the founding of Ms. Magazine; from the historic 1977 National Women’s Conference to her travels through Indian Country — her lifetime on the road has allowed Gloria to really get to listen and connect with people and to become a part of a movement that would change the world. Gloria reminds her readers that living “an open, observant, and ‘on the road’ state of mind can make the difference in how we learn, what we do, and how we understand each other.”

“The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait” is by the late artist Frida Kahlo with an introduction by Carlos Fuentes. This book is a full color facsimile of the diary Frida kept from 1944 to 1954. In it are poems, thoughts, dreams, letters, and reflections on her stormy relationship with her husband, Diego Rivera, Mexico’s famous artist. The text entries are written in her round script with brightly colored inks and have as much of a decorative quality as the drawings and sketches she includes in the diary. This reproduction is accompanied by a complete translation of the diary’s text along with commentaries on the images and historical context for the entries.

Even if you cannot read Spanish, the diary itself is beautiful to look at and the introduction by Carlos Fuentes and the commentaries on the images are interesting to read.

“Florynce ‘Flo’ Kennedy: The Life of a Black Feminist Radical” is a biography written by Sherie M. Randolph. Flo Kennedy (1916-2000) was often photographed in a cowboy hat with her middle finger held defiantly in the air. This image represents the bold, uncommon woman whose influence extended to both the Black Power and feminist movements. Kennedy had a progressive upbringing, graduated from Columbia Law School, and had a long career as a media-savvy activist. She had founding roles in organizations such as the National Black Feminist Organization and the National Organization for Women, allying herself with both black and white activists. Her legacy is one of a powerful woman who built bridges in the struggles against racism and sexism.