The Memoir Shelf.

Innocent Spouse

Carol Ross Joynt

Crown

c/o The Random House Publishing Group

1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019

9780307592095, $25.00, www.crownpublishing.com

Innocent Spouse: A Memoir tells of a family struggle when a husband dies suddenly, leaving behind a five-year old son and a widow forced to take over her husband's finances and legendary restaurant business. Carol discovered her husband had secrets - including nearly, $3 million in debt to the IRS, which she was responsible for as his surviving spouse. Her struggles and recovery makes for a vivid memoir with an unusual twist to the widow's tale, and should be in any general lending library.

Familyhood

Paul Reiser

Hyperion Books

77 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023-6298

9781401324322, $25.99, www.hyperionbooks.com

FAMILYHOOD comes from the best-selling author of COUPLEHOOD and BABYHOOD and is a pick for either fans of the prior books or collections catering to parents and families. Here Paul Reiser, an actor and comedian, shares his views about marriage, parenthood and midlife and adds humor to his explorations of universal truths about life and love. A fine, involving survey, this will appeal to a wide audience.

Mind on the Run

Dottie Pacharis

Idyll Arbor

39129 264th Ave SE, Enumclaw, WA 98022

978188288912, $18.00, www.idyllarbor.com

The cruelty of bipolar disorder can shake one's life ever so strongly. "Mind on the Run: A Bipolar Chronicle" is a memoir of Dottie Pacharis, who writes of her son and his struggles with bipolar disorders. Through many major episodes which prevented Scott Baker from attaining normalcy, as Dottie criticizes a broken mental health system which prevented him from getting the assistance he needed. "Mind on the Run" is a poignant and tragic memoir of a mother losing her son, a cautionary tale about the damage it can do to lives.