Section Header Text
Explore Our Digital Libraries

While the library is closed, all digital resources will remain available. Visit this link to see all the eBooks, audiobooks, magazines, videos and more that you have access to with your library card. 
Popular Culture
May 2020
Recent Releases
This Is Not a Fashion Story : Taking Chances, Breaking Rules, and Being a Boss in the Big City
by Danielle Bernstein

Who it's about: The creative genius behind the hit style platform @WeWoreWhat, who is a famed influencer with over 2 million followers, reveals how she became one of the most recognizable names in fashion by trusting her gut, knowing when to take risks and fighting to get what she wants in life.
 
Reviewer's say: It's a story that proves success isn't about a college degree or how rich your parents are. It's about trusting your gut, knowing when to take risks and fighting to get what you want in life, love and business. -from publisher
Swing Kings: The Inside Story of Baseball's Home Run Revolution
by Jared Diamond

What it's about: How professional baseball's recent "home run boom" can be attributed to evolving practices in batting.

Why you might like it: Wall Street Journal baseball writer Jared Diamond's upbeat and humorous account spotlights a game-changing cast of players "worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster" (Library Journal).

Don't miss: Diamond testing out new batting techniques for himself.
You never give me your money: the Beatles after the breakup (e-audiobook)
by Peter Doggett

What it's about: Though the Beatles' breakup was widely viewed as a cultural tragedy, one of the most fascinating phases of their story was just about to begin. Here is the behind-the-scenes story of the personal rivalries and legal feuds that have dominated the Beatles' lives since 1969.
 
Why you might like it: This is a compelling human drama and a rich and absorbing story of the Beatles' creative and financial empire, set up to safeguard their interests but destined to control their lives.--From publisher description
 
Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s: An Oral History
by Andy Greene

What it is: a nostalgic oral history that traces the evolution of NBC's hit sitcom The Office, from its humble beginnings as a low-rated series to its eventual success as a nine-season cultural juggernaut.

What's inside: lively interviews with the show's tight-knit cast and crew.

Try this next: For another engaging behind-the-scenes look at a decade-defining sitcom, read Jennifer Keishin Armstrong's Seinfeldia.  
Cool town : how Athens, Georgia, launched alternative music and changed American culture
by Grace Elizabeth Hale

What it's about: In the summer of 1978, the B-52's conquered the New York underground. A year later, the band's self-titled debut album burst onto the Billboard charts, capturing the imagination of fans and music critics worldwide. The fact that the group had formed in the sleepy southern college town of Athens, Georgia, only increased the fascination.
 
A town making history: As acts like the B-52's, R.E.M., and Pylon drew the eyes of New York tastemakers southward, they discovered in Athens an unexpected mecca of music, experimental art, DIY spirit, and progressive politics--a creative underground as vibrant as any to be found in the country's major cities.
Wow, No Thank You. Essays
by Samantha Irby

What it is: The third irreverent essay collection from comedian Samantha Irby, written in her signature self-deprecating style.

Topics include: city life vs. suburban life; Irby's ambivalence about turning 40; writing for Hulu's Shrill; the seductive lure of targeted advertising; daily routines.    

Want a taste? "I like to wake up naturally, gripped by a heart-pounding panic as the sun slices through my eyelids at noon."
The Castle on Sunset: Life, Death, Love, Art, and Scandal at Hollywood's Chateau Marmont
by Shawn Levy

What it's about: The iconic Los Angeles hotel Chateau Marmont, which for nearly a century has attracted celebrities to its secluded bungalows for all manner of decadence and debauchery.

Want a taste? "Chateau Marmont is the ultimate Hollywood hotel because it is, like Hollywood itself, bigger than life even when it is obviously fake."   

Try this next: For another dishy history of a storied landmark, try Julie Satow's The Plaza: The Secret Life of America's Most Famous Hotel. 
The House of Kennedy
by James Patterson

What it is: A revelatory portrait of the Kennedys explores how the dual mottos, “To whom much is given, much is expected” and “Win at all costs” shaped generations of life inside and outside the family.
 
Why you might like it: James Patterson returns with another best selling book, this time giving s insight into the complex Kennedy family. 
About Your Father and Other Celebrities I Have Known : Ruminations and Revelations from a Desperate Mother to Her Dirty Son
by Peggy Rowe

What it is: Peggy Rowe is at it again—this time giving a hilarious inside look at growing up Rowe, both before and after Mike's rise to fame.
 
Hilarity ensues: Since the day they said, "I do," Peggy's previous "doting" lifestyle met with her husband John's minimalistic ways and became the backdrop for years of adventure and a quirky sense of humor because of their differences. From thoughts of wearing headlamps in the house to save energy, to squeezing out the last drop of toothpaste with a workbench vise, Peggy learned to pick her battles and celebrate the hilarity in each situation.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
629 Poyntz Ave
Manhattan, Kansas 66502
785-776-4741

http://www.MHKLibrary.org

If you have questions, just email us at rhargett@mhklibrary.org