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Biography and Memoir May 2018
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| The Best Cook in the World: Tales from My Momma's Table by Rick BraggWhat it's about: In this heartfelt and nostalgic tribute to the cuisine of his Alabama childhood, author Rick Bragg (All Over but the Shoutin') shares the stories behind his family's recipes.
Recipes include: pinto beans and ham bone, baked possum.
Want a taste? "She cooks in dabs, and smidgens, and tads, and a measurement she mysteriously refers to as 'you know, hon, just some.'" |
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| The Age of Eisenhower: America and the World in the 1950s by William I. HitchcockWhat it is: a measured reevaluation of the "do-nothing" president that demonstrates the extent of his accomplishments in office.
About the author: William I. Hitchcock is a history professor at the University of Virginia and the author of The Bitter Road to Freedom: A New History of the Liberation of Europe, for which he was a Pulitzer Prize finalist.
Further reading: Jean Edward Smith's Eisenhower: In War and Peace. |
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| The Recovering: Intoxication and Its Aftermath by Leslie JamisonWhat it is: a candid and galvanizing memoir of Leslie Jamison's recovery from the alcohol addiction that dominated her 20s.
What's inside: perceptive profiles of famous alcoholics throughout history -- including writer Raymond Carver and singer Billie Holiday -- that explore the link between addiction and creativity.
Try this next: Olivia Laing's The Trip to Echo Spring: On Writers and Drinking. |
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| The Duchess: Camilla Parker Bowles and the Love Affair That Rocked the Crown by Penny JunorWhat it's about: Royal biographer Penny Junor sympathetically delves into the life of "the other woman" deemed responsible for the dissolution of Prince Charles and Princess Diana's marriage.
Topics include: Camilla's romance with Charles prior to his marriage; how she handled her highly publicized vilification once their extramarital affair was revealed.
Is it for you? This persuasive portrait recasts Camilla from reviled to redeemed, arguing that her support of the royal family strengthens their standing. |
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Unwifeable : A Memoir
by Mandy Stadtmiller
What it's about: The dating columnist known for her unflinching candor chronicles her plans and struggles to conquer New York city, her decision to reclaim her life by getting sober, and how after giving up on love she found herself getting engaged on the last day of her thirties.
Is it for you? Unwifeable is a New York fairytale brought to life—Sex and the City on acid - with hysterical insight, unabashed sexuality, and unprecedented levels of raw, honest pain.
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Jane and Dorothy : A True Tale of Sense and Sensibility; the Lives of Jane Austen and Dorothy Wordsworth
by Marian Veevers
What it is: An intimate portrait of Jane Austen, Dorothy Wordsworth, and their world—two women torn between revolutionary ideas and fierce conservatism, artistic creativity and emotional upheavals.
What's new about this story: Marian Veevers discovers a crucial missing piece to the puzzle of Dorothy and William’s relationship and addresses enduring myths surrounding the one man who seems to have stolen Jane’s heart, only to break it .
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Everything is Horrible and Wonderful : A Tragicomic Memoir of Genius, Heroin, Love, and Loss
by Stephanie Wittels Wachs
What it's about: The sister of a comedic writer who worked on Parks and Recreation discusses her brother’s struggle with heroin addiction, which ultimately led to his tragic, untimely death, and her struggle to deal with the emotional devastation.
Is it for you? This heartbreaking but hopeful memoir of addiction, grief, and family will make you laugh, cry, and wonder if that possum on the fence is really your brother's spirit animal.
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| The Accidental Life: An Editor's Notes on Writing and Writers by Terry McDonellWhat it's about: Magazine editor Terry McDonell, who's worked for Rolling Stone, Esquire, and Sports Illustrated, reflects on his 40-year career and the luminaries (Hunter S. Thompson and Tom Wolfe, among others) whose careers he helped shape along the way.
Want a taste? McDonell likens his friendship with Thompson to the plot of Treasure Island: "Adventurous boy kidnapped by pirates; joins pirates."
Don't miss: Word counts accompany McDonell's short, witty chapters. |
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| Where the Past Begins: A Writer's Memoir by Amy TanWhat it is: a captivating, nonlinear chronicle of the forces that have shaped Amy Tan's writing, including her tumultuous upbringing and her love of music and drawing.
Featuring: Tan's difficult mother, in whom her fiction fans will recognize a familiar character type.
For fans of: reflective literary memoirs like Richard Ford's Between Them. |
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| Sailor and Fiddler: Reflections of a 100-Year-Old Author by Herman WoukWhat it's about: In this engaging memoir, centenarian Herman Wouk reveals the stories behind his 16 published works with humor and clarity.
About the author: Wouk is a Pulitzer Prize winner (for 1951's The Caine Mutiny) whose works have been published in 27 languages.
To be continued? The author teases a posthumous publication of "the whole Herman Wouk story" -- his diary. |
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