I thought I’d do something just a little different today and highlight a few biographies I’ve really enjoyed, and would recommend to others! I’ve tried for ones that cover a wide range, but with my interests there might be some slight crossover in the themes. But if you’re looking for non-fiction and are interested in non-celebrity biographies, these are ones I really think are worth reading.
Breakfast at Bronzefield by Sophie Campbell
Topic: True Crime Memoir
Published: June 22nd, 2020
Format: ebook
Review
This is a really fascinating look at a life inside a UK women’s prison – the author is honest in her account of life in prison, including her own behaviours and attitudes. I remember being utterly hooked by this book when I initially read it, and feeling angry for the experiences that many women must face in these prisons. Definitely an enlightening, if difficult at times, read.
The Book of Pride: LGBTQ Heroes Who Changed the World by Mason Funk
Topic: LGBTQ+ History
Published: May 21st, 2019
Format: Audiobook
This is an excellent record of North American LGBTQ+ history. It’s a valuable resource and the project undertaken to collect these voices is, quite frankly, brilliant. There are stories here that truly show what it was like to be queer in the 20th Century, after so long having their voices silenced.
Anti-Social: The Secret Diary of an Anti-Social Behaviour Officer by Nick Pettigrew
Topic: Memoir – Politics
Published: July 23rd, 2020
Format: ebook
Review
This is an incredibly eye-opening read that really shines a light on many societal issues in the UK today – it details how exactly officers are used to try and reduce anti-social behaviour, and shows where the techniques are used best, and where there’s massive failings in the system.
Small Town Girl: Love, Lies and the Undercover Police by Donna McLean
Topic: Memoir – True Crime
Published: February 3rd, 2022
Format: ebook
Review
The Spy Cops scandal seemed to be one of those things that was everywhere in the news, then very quickly wasn’t, but the impact of what those officers did is far reaching and still felt by many. Through Small Town Girl, Donna McLean gets her story – and others – across, revealing the truth of what these women experienced during and after their relationships.
A Childhood in a Welsh Mining Valley by Vivian Jones
Topic: Memoir – History
Published: June 22nd, 2017
Format: Paperback
This is a much more recent read than the others, and a very enjoyable one. Jones recalls his childhood and the community he lived in during the 1930s, in great detail and considering how his childhood influenced the man he would become. An absolutely great insight into the culture and history of the Welsh mining valleys, told in a lovely, conversational style.
If you have read any of these or decide to pick them up, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Unwrapping Words 