Yolo County Library
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Biography and Memoir July 2017
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| The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell: Tales of a 6' 4", African American, Heterosexual... by W. Kamau BellW. Kamau Bell, the comedian and star of CNN's United Shades of America, says he's always been awkward. In this humorous and thought-provoking memoir, each chapter title begins with "My Awkward..." (My Awkward Youth, ...Start in Stand-Up Comedy, ...Sexism, ...Awesome Parenting Skills. ...Thoughts about the Democratic Party). This is a must-read if you're a Bell fan or addicted to social and political humor. |
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A Man and His Presidents : The Political Odyssey of William F. Buckley Jr.
by Alvin S. Felzenberg
"William F. Buckley Jr. is widely regarded as the most influential American conservative writer, activist, and organizer in the postwar era. In this nuanced biography, Alvin Felzenberg sheds light on little-known aspects of Buckley's career, including his role as back-channel adviser to policy makers, his intimate friendship with both Ronald and Nancy Reagan, his changing views on civil rights, and his break with George W. Bush over the Iraq War. Felzenberg demonstrates how Buckley conveyed his message across multiple platforms and drew upon his vast network of contacts, his personal charm, his extraordinary wit, and his celebrity status to move the center of political gravity in the United States closer to his point of view. Including many rarely seen photographs, this account of one of the most compelling personalities of American politics will appeal to conservatives, liberals, and even the apolitical."--Provided by publisher. |
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| Becoming Ms. Burton: From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women by Susan Burton and Cari LynnAfter her five-year-old son was killed by a car on their street, author Susan Burton turned to cocaine and then crack to dull her pain. The African American resident of South Los Angeles was inevitably arrested and spent 15 years in and out of prison, until she found a private rehab program that set her straight. Burton then created an organization that offers other previously incarcerated women a lifeline: addiction treatment, education, and a path to employment. In this moving and eye-opening memoir, Burton recounts her experiences while advocating for improvements in the prison system. |
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| Churchill and Orwell: The Fight for Freedom by Thomas E. RicksEnglishmen Winston Churchill and George Orwell never met; their lives had some parallels, but many more differences. Churchill was an extroverted, aristocratic conservative, while Orwell was an introverted, left-leaning member of the middle class. But they both championed democracy against totalitarianism and emphasized the significance of language in politics, offering their distinctively English worldviews to counter the perils of fascism and communism. In this "bracing" (Publishers Weekly) depiction, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Thomas Ricks provides a biography of each man and assesses their combined impact on 20th-century history. |
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| An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris HadfieldAfter watching the Apollo 11 moon landing on television, nine-year-old Chris Hadfield knew absolutely that he wanted to be an astronaut. It was a lofty dream -- for one thing, his native Canada had no space program. Nevertheless, Hadfield achieved his goal, becoming one of his country's few military test pilots before launching a distinguished career at NASA. His inspiring memoir is packed with fascinating details about the International Space Station and everyday life as an astronaut. |
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| A House in the Sky: A Memoir by Amanda Lindhout and Sara CorbettCanadian journalist Amanda Lindhout had an avid desire to travel from the time she was young. Early in her journalism career, she went to Somalia with her friend Nigel Brennan, an Australian photographer. There, they were kidnapped by bandits who demanded impossible sums for ransom and kept them shackled, starved, and in filthy conditions for 15 months. This "well-honed, harrowing account" (Publishers Weekly) details their ordeal and explains how Lindhout found the strength to persevere. |
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| Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man by William Shatner with David FisherIn Leonard, Montreal-born actor William ("Captain Kirk") Shatner offers an absorbing remembrance of his friendship with Leonard ("Spock") Nimoy. Unusual for actors, their on-set camaraderie deepened into lifelong devotion through movies and trekker conventions. Shatner's moving reflections will delight general biography readers as well as fans of the Star Trek universe. |
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| Talking with My Mouth Full: My Life as a Professional Eater by Gail SimmonsIn this "straightforward and relaxed" (Kirkus Reviews) memoir, Toronto native Gail Simmons, a host and judge on television's Top Chef programs, relates details about her life and describes jobs that led her to her current work. If you're curious about the phenomenon of celebrity chefs and internationally famous restaurants, you'll appreciate Talking with My Mouth Full, and you may want to follow up with Padma Lakshmi's Love, Loss, and What We Ate. |
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They Left Us Everything : A Memoir
by Plum Johnson
The award-wining publisher of KidsToronto and co-founder of Help's Here! traces the aftermath of her parents' deaths after years of caregiving, describing the difficult process of settling their affairs and sifting through family mementos while struggling to reconcile painful family dynamics.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Yolo County Library
226 Buckeye St. Woodland, California 95695 530-666-8005
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