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Biography and Memoir October 2019
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| Alexander the Great: His Life and His Mysterious Death by Anthony EverittWhat it is: a riveting, richly contextualized biography of the Macedonian conqueror's life that de-mythologizes history's prior depictions of him. Chapters include: "First Blood;" "The Empire Strikes Back;" "Show Me the Way to Go Home." Book buzz: In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews says Alexander the Great is "a story for everyone" that "reads as easily as a novel." |
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To Love and Let Go : A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Gratitude
by Rachel Brathen
The best-selling author of Yoga Girl reveals how restorative yoga practices helped her navigate depression and anxiety surrounding a best friend’s death, her own emergency surgery, and an unexpected pregnancy.
"Breathtakingly honest, Rachel beautifully illustrates that loving fiercely and grieving deeply are often two halves of the same whole. Her story will break you down and lift you up."--Glennon Doyle, author of Love Warrior
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| The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You by Dina NayeriWhat it's about: In 1988, eight-year-old Dina Nayeri and her family fled Iran, eventually finding asylum in the United States. Now an award-winning novelist, Nayeri grapples with living as an immigrant in a world that often diminishes her humanity. Don't miss: "Camp," a chapter of eye-opening interviews Nayeri conducted with refugees from Afghanistan, Iran, and Syria at a camp in Greece. |
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| And How Are You, Dr. Sacks?: A Biographical Memoir of Oliver Sacks by Lawrence WeschlerIn the early 1980s, journalist Lawrence Weschler met with Oliver Sacks with the purpose of writing a New Yorker profile on the renowned neurologist; the project was eventually scrapped due to the then-closeted Sacks' concerns about his privacy. In this immersive blend of biography and memoir, Weschler revisits that period and discusses his friendship with Sacks, who in his final years of life urged Weschler to publish the profile.
"In genre terms, [this book is] neither fish nor fowl but, rather, some other odd, often delightful animal."--The New Yorker |
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| Prince Albert: The Man Who Saved the Monarchy by A.N. WilsonHere's a lively and accessible portrait of Queen Victoria's German-born Prince Consort, published to commemorate his 200th birthday. Read it for: Albert's successful efforts to define his role and influence in his adopted homeland (such as spearheading the Great Exhibition of 1851), despite facing significant prejudice. Book buzz: Prince Albert is the companion biography to A.N. Wilson's award-winning Victoria: A Life, the basis for the PBS series Victoria. |
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Fun home : a family tragicomic
by Alison Bechdel
An unusual memoir done in the form of a graphic novel offers a darkly funny family portrait that details Bechdel's relationship with her father, a historic preservation expert dedicated to restoring the family's Victorian home, funeral home director, high-school English teacher, and closeted homosexual.
"If David Sedaris could draw, and if Bleak House had been a little funnier, you'd have Alison Bechdel's Fun Home."--Amy Bloom
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| Something New: Tales From a Makeshift Bride by Lucy KnisleyIn 2010, Lucy and her long-term boyfriend, John, broke up. Three long, lonely years later, John returned to New York, walked into Lucy's apartment, and proposed. This is not that story. It is, rather, the story of what came after: the wedding. The author set out to plan and execute the adorable DIY wedding to end all DIY weddings. And she succeeds.
"It's digressive, meandering, and entirely charming--her comics read like a letter one treasures"--The New York Times
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| Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home by Nora KrugWhat it's about: German artist Nora Krug's affecting journey to learn the truth about her family's Nazi ties. Art alert: Krug intimately conveys her fractured relationship to her homeland by combining mixed-media illustrations, letters, and photographs in fragmented or superimposed arrangements. Book buzz: Belonging is the winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award and was named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, Comics Beat, The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Kirkus Reviews, and Library Journal. |
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Can't we talk about something more pleasant? : A Memoir
by Roz Chast
A long-time New Yorker cartoonist celebrates the final years of her aging parents' lives through four-color cartoons, family photos, and documents that reflect the artist's struggles with caregiver challenges.
"Gut-wrenching and laugh-aloud funny. I want to recommend it to everyone I know who has elderly parents, or might have them someday.--Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
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Contact your librarian for more great books! |
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