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Biography and Memoir August 2016
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"He says he can't decide whether to be a scientist or a comedian." ~ from Jim Ottaviani's Feynman
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Delta Lady : A Memoir
by Rita Coolidge
An intimate portrait of the two-time Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter, who is a muse to some of the 20th-century's most influential rock musicians, reveals the strength, resilience and inner and outer beauty—as well as her strong sense of heritage and devotion to her family—that helped her survive and thrive the music world.
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My father before me : a memoir
by Chris Forhan
A multigenerational portrait of the author's Irish-Catholic American family describes how his numerous siblings and he were raised to hide their feelings, recounts his coming-of-age in the 60s and 70s in the wake of his father's suicide and reflects on his adult efforts to reconcile inherited traits. By the award-winning author of Forgive Us Our Happiness.
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| Eve of a Hundred Midnights: The Star-Crossed Love Story of Two WWII Correspondents... by Bill LascherAmerican journalists Mel and Annalee Jacoby married shortly before Pearl Harbor and were working in China until just before the Japanese invasion (they got out just in time). Throughout World War II, they managed to keep a step ahead of the enemy forces while reporting on the Pacific theater. In this swiftly paced dual biography, author Bill Lascher, a distant cousin of the Jacobys, recounts their exploits while chronicling the war's major events "in an utterly detailed and beguiling way" (Booklist, starred review). |
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Ten ways not to commit suicide : a memoir by DMCThe legendary rap star and co-founder of Run D.M.C. speaks out about his battle with depression and overcoming suicidal thoughts-- one of the most devastating yet little known health issues plaguing the black community today.
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| William Tecumseh Sherman: In the Service of My Country by James Lee McDonoughFor many, the name of General William Tecumseh Sherman is synonymous with ruthless, scorched-earth-style warfare. However, according to historian James McDonough's biography, Sherman was a complex man who maintained warm friendships, experienced a difficult relationship with his wife, grieved the early death of his son, and struggled with debt. McDonough provides a comprehensive account of Sherman's life enriched by a generously informative discussion of the history of his period. Whether you're a biography fan or an American history buff, you won't want to miss William Tecumseh Sherman. |
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Graphic Biographies and Memoirs
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| Alan's War: The Memories of G.I. Alan Cope by Emmanuel GuibertIn Alan's War, artist and graphic novelist Emmanuel Guibert goes back in time to World War II through the memories of U.S. Army veteran Alan Cope. Gathering Cope's reminiscences, letters, and photographs into an absorbing narrative, Guibert illuminates the G.I.'s life from his first days as a soldier through the war's end, and afterwards living in France. Though there's not much combat action, Cope's relationships with officers, other enlisted men, and even German musicians provide an unusual perspective on the war in a thoughtful, intelligent voice. If Cope's story appeals to you, look for Guibert's prequel about his childhood in How the World Was. |
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| An Age of License by Lucy KnisleyYoung author and illustrator Lucy Knisley took advantage of every chance she could get to travel in 2011, even if it meant doing so alone. In graphic novel format, she wonderfully depicts her life during this confusing time, when she visited France with relatives, Norway for a comics convention where she promoted her work, and several other places, including Sweden, where she had a romantic fling. Foodies and cat lovers will especially appreciate this charming morsel, since meals and felines receive lots of attention. If you like An Age of License, try Knisley's 2016 book: Something New. |
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| Feynman by Jim Ottaviani; illustrated by Leland MyrickNobel Prize-winning American physicist Richard Feynman played a role in the creation of the atomic bomb and was one of the pioneers of quantum electrodynamics. He was also an enthusiastic percussionist and a talented safecracker. This biography in graphic novel form casts Feynman as the narrator of his own story, interweaving episodes from his personal life with scenes portraying his work on everything from the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos, New Mexico, to the Rogers Commission, which investigated the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. For more about Feynman, in his own words, check out "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" |
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| The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story by Vivek J. Tiwary; illustrated by Andrew C. Robinson and Kyle BakerEveryone knows that there were four Beatles in the wildly popular 1960s band, but there was another essential member of the group: Brian Epstein, their manager since their Liverpool days. Author Vivek Tiwary's biography brings Epstein onto center stage, recounting his life and revealing how his contacts and skills brought success to the young musicians. Tiwary also sensitively explores Epstein's struggles with being Jewish and gay. Drawing on deep research and on interviews with people who knew Epstein well, this is a dexterous and poignant biography, enlivened by artwork that "captures the exuberances and longings of the 1960s" (Library Journal). |
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| Everything Is Teeth by Evie Wyld; illustrated by Joe SumnerLondoner Evie Wyld spent her childhood summers in New South Wales, where sharks endlessly circle in the waters off the beaches. They also circle endlessly in Wyld's dreams and her waking subconscious, as her awareness of their menace invades her bathtub, her otherwise normal childhood anxieties, and, as she grows up, her presentiments of mortality. Illustrator Joe Sumner perfectly contrasts the vigor and grandeur of the sharks with the vulnerability of mere humans. As for Wyld's brief text, Kirkus Reviews observes that this "rite of passage memoir" offers "the resonance of a tone poem." |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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