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Biography and Memoir August 2018
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My Girls : A lifetime with Carrie and Debbie
by Todd Fisher
What it is: A revelatory and touching tribute to the lives of Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds written by the person who knew them best, Todd Fisher's poignant memoir is filled with moving stories of growing up among Hollywood royalty and illustrated with never-before-seen photos and memorabilia.
Reviewers say: "Poignant and joyous, genuine and reverential, Fisher's tribute to these larger-than-life creative ladies is a down-to-earth portrait of a loving mother and supportive sister" (Haggas, Carol Booklist).
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The Desert and the Sea : 977 days captive on the Somali Pirate Coast
by Michael Scott Moore
What it's about: Michael Scott Moore, a journalist and the author of Sweetness and Blood, incorporates personal narrative and rigorous investigative journalism in this profound and revelatory memoir of his three-year captivity by Somali pirates--a riveting, thoughtful, and emotionally resonant exploration of foreign policy, religious extremism, and the costs of survival.
Try this next: Lorinda Stewart's One day closer: a mother's quest to bring her kidnapped daughter home.
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| Little Panic: Dispatches from an anxious life by Amanda SternWhat it is: a conversational, attention-grabbing memoir of coping with lifelong mental illness, written by novelist Amanda Stern (The Long Haul), who lived with untreated panic disorder for almost 25 years until she was properly diagnosed by a therapist.
Chapters include: the immersive "Countdown to Karen Silkwood," in which Stern invites readers into her head for a detailed day-by-day account of a typical week, demonstrating how she battles her anxieties.
Try this next: Andrea Petersen's On Edge: A Journey Through Anxiety. |
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| Goodbye, Sweet Girl: A story of domestic violence and survival by Kelly SundbergWhat it's about: In her haunting debut memoir, Kelly Sundberg bravely chronicles her abusive eight-year marriage and the shock, grief, and confusion that accompanied her journey toward healing.
Book buzz: Goodbye, Sweet Girl is an expansion of Sundberg's viral 2014 essay "It Will Look Like A Sunset."
Is it for you? Though the subject matter may be difficult for some readers, Sundberg's invaluable insights and candid prose illuminate various aspects of domestic abuse, including how to recognize the signs. |
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Out of the clouds : The unlikely horseman and unwanted colt who conquered the sport of kings
by Linda Carroll
What it's about: Taking readers on a crowd-pleasing ride with Stymie and Jacobs, Out of the Clouds unwinds a real-life Horatio Alger tale of a dauntless team and its working-class fans who lived vicariously through the stouthearted little colt they embraced as their own.
Why you might like it: Out of the Clouds is an inspiration story written in the wake of World War II, showing that it was possible to start from the bottom and work your way up to the top.
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| Romance is my day job: A memoir of finding love at last by Patience BloomWhat it is: a whimsical, lighthearted memoir of Harlequin editor Patience Bloom's romantic history -- at work and after-hours.
Why you might like it: Bloom skillfully deploys her knowledge of romance novel tropes, juxtaposing them with her own real-life romantic entanglements -- she refers to one ex-boyfriend as "The Secretive Hero (Who May Be Hiding Something Really Bad)."
For fans of: Bridget Jones's Diary and romantic comedies. |
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| American Radical: Inside the world of an undercover Muslim FBI agent by Tamer Elnoury with Kevin MaurerWhat it is: a layered and compelling reconstruction of pseudonymous FBI agent Tamer Elnoury's infiltration of an al-Qaeda unit.
Why it's significant: This intimate account provides an insightful look into the worldview of al-Qaeda operatives, perfect for fans of Lawrence Wright's The Looming Tower.
Don't miss: Elnoury's reflections on what it means to be a Muslim American patriot and the dangers of enacting xenophobic policy. |
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| Reading with Patrick: A teacher, a student, and a life-changing friendship by Michelle KuoWhat it's about: the transformative power of literature, movingly experienced by Teach for America volunteer-turned-law student Michelle Kuo and her former pupil Patrick Browning, who met regularly for book discussions while the latter was in jail on a murder charge.
On the syllabus: the two discussed works by Frederick Douglass, Rita Dove, C.S. Lewis, Marilynne Robinson, Derek Walcott, and Walt Whitman, among others. |
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Adele : The biography
by Marc Shapiro
What it is: A portrait of the British singer and songwriter who won six Grammy Awards in 2012. Adele's biography shows that everything happens for a reason and dreams do come true.
Topics include: Answers the most commonly asked fan questions about her life, from what her childhood was like as the daughter of a teen mother and the greatest inspirations for her music to her struggles with vocal cord issues and the cancellation of her Adele Live tour.
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Angelina : An unauthorized biography
by Andrew Morton
What it is: An award-winning biographer goes behind tabloid headlines to provide coverage of topics ranging from the A-list actress's childhood under father Jon Voight and teenage entry into celebrity to her relationship with Brad Pitt and humanitarian contributions.
Why it's significant: Andrew Morton draws upon far-reaching original interviews and research, accompanied by exclusive private photographs, to show us the true story behind both the wild excesses of Angelina's youth and her remarkable work with children.
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