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Popular Culture March 2019
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| Hollywood's Eve: Eve Babitz and the Secret History of L.A. by Lili AnolikWhat it is: a gossipy yet perceptive biography of Los Angeles artist, writer, and pleasure-seeking socialite Eve Babitz, a mainstay of the 1960s and '70s Hollywood milieu.
Guest starring: Jim Morrison, Steve Martin, Andy Warhol, and more.
Why you might like it: Sweeping and colorful, Hollywood's Eve is a tribute both to Babitz's enduring allure and a bygone Hollywood era. |
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| Bookends: Collected Intros and Outros by Michael ChabonWhat it is: an upbeat collection of introductions and afterwords penned by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon.
Read it for: Chabon's enthusiastic discussion of his favorite books (including some of his own); insights into his literary influences and writing process.
Notable favorites include: Andrew Bolton's Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy; Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth; Ray Bradbury's "The Rocket Man;" Chabon's Summerland. |
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| All That Heaven Allows: A Biography of Rock Hudson by Mark GriffinWhat it's about: the complex rags-to-riches life of 1950s film icon Rock Hudson, whose public persona as "Hollywood's Most Eligible Bachelor" concealed his homosexuality until his death from AIDS in 1985.
What's inside: over 100 interviews with co-stars and loved ones; a comprehensive analysis of Hudson's filmography.
Movie buzz: A film adaptation helmed by Love, Simon director Greg Berlanti is in the works. |
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| The Birth of Loud: Leo Fender, Les Paul, and the Guitar-Pioneering Rivalry That Shaped... by Ian S. PortWhat it's about: the epic rivalry between guitar manufacturers Leo Fender and Les Paul that changed the sound of rock music forever.
Don't miss: Jimi Hendrix (playing a Fender Stratocaster) besting Eric Clapton (playing a Les Paul Gibson) at a 1966 concert.
Reviewers say: "this love letter to American creativity and rock and roll belongs in every library and should be read by all rock fans" (Library Journal). |
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| How to Date Men When You Hate Men by Blythe RobersonWhat it's about: the pitfalls of modern love, as recounted by 27-year-old Blythe Roberson, a researcher for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and self-described "horned-up perv."
Topics include: Good Flirts That Work; Bad Flirts That Do Not Work; Definitive Proof That Tom Hanks Is The Villain Of You’ve Got Mail.
For fans of: Phoebe Robinson and other feminist comedy writers. |
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| Coach Wooden and Me: Our 50-Year Friendship On and Off the Court by Kareem Abdul-JabbarWhat it is: a sensitive portrait of the friendship between NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Basketball Hall of Fame coach John Wooden, which began after Wooden recruited Abdul-Jabbar for the UCLA Bruins in the 1960s and endured until Wooden's 2010 death at age 99.
Read it for: the lessons Abdul-Jabbar learned from Wooden over the years, including the importance of properly attired feet during games. |
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| The Legends Club: Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Valvano, and an Epic College... by John FeinsteinStarting lineup: Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) coaches Dean Smith (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) Mike Krzyzewski (Duke University), and Jim Valvano (North Carolina State University).
What it's about: the trio's fierce rivalry throughout the 1980s as they navigated recruiting wars and sought (and won) national championships.
Further reading: Johnny Moore and Art Chansky's The Blue Divide and Joe Menzer's Four Corners similarly explore North Carolina rivalries. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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