In the Form of a Question: The Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life

Former Jeopardy! contestant Schneider, who became the most successful woman and trans person to participate on the show in 2022 after winning 40 consecutive games, debuts with a funny if scattershot memoir loosely organized around the “rich rewards” of her lifelong curiosity. In 21 essay-like chapters titled as Jeopardy! questions (“When Did You Know You Were Trans?”; “How Did You Lose Your Virginity?”), Schneider covers a lot of ground, weighing in on her Catholic childhood in Dayton, Ohio, and her early (and ongoing) questions about gender identity, as well as pop culture from Daria to the bizarre 1990 anti-drug TV special Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue. She clarifies off the bat that the book isn’t for young fans, making good on that disclaimer with candid passages about polyamory and drug use (cocaine served as “the medical treatment I didn’t know I needed for ADD” for a while), but fans of all ages may wish for more details about Schneider’s Jeopardy! stint, which is mostly relegated to casual asides until the final chapters. Humorous footnotes and a general sense of well-earned confidence keep things afloat, but by the end, the lack of focus starts to wear thin. This doesn’t quite live up to its potential. Agent: Cait Hoyt, CAA. (Oct.)