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| Swing Kings: The Inside Story of Baseball's Home Run Revolution by Jared DiamondWhat it's about: how professional baseball's recent "home run boom" can be attributed to evolving practices in batting.
Why you might like it: Wall Street Journal baseball writer Jared Diamond's upbeat and humorous account spotlights a game-changing cast of players "worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster" (Library Journal).
Don't miss: Diamond testing out new batting techniques for himself. |
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| The Back Roads to March: The Unsung, Unheralded, and Unknown Heroes... by John FeinsteinWhat it is: an engaging chronicle of the 2018-2019 college basketball season as experienced by the small, lesser-known teams who rarely find championship glory.
Read it for: an enthusiastic celebration of surprising successes, like Loyola of Chicago making its second-ever Final Four appearance in the team's 104-year history.
Did you know? Division I college basketball has more than 350 teams. |
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| Warhol by Blake GopnikWhat it is: a comprehensive, meticulously researched biography of pop art pioneer Andy Warhol.
Is it for you? Though its nearly 900-page length may be daunting to some readers, its stylish, accessible prose and juicy gossip will draw fans of Warhol as well as those unfamiliar with his work.
Reviewers say: "A fascinating, major work that will spark endless debates" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s: An Oral History by Andy GreeneWhat it is: a nostalgic oral history that traces the evolution of NBC's hit sitcom The Office, from its humble beginnings as a low-rated series to its eventual success as a nine-season cultural juggernaut.
What's inside: lively interviews with the show's tight-knit cast and crew.
Try this next: For another engaging behind-the-scenes look at a decade-defining sitcom, read Jennifer Keishin Armstrong's Seinfeldia. |
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| Wow, No Thank You. Essays by Samantha IrbyWhat it is: the third irreverent essay collection from comedian Samantha Irby, written in her signature self-deprecating style.
Topics include: city life vs. suburban life; Irby's ambivalence about turning 40; writing for Hulu's Shrill; the seductive lure of targeted advertising; daily routines.
Want a taste? "I like to wake up naturally, gripped by a heart-pounding panic as the sun slices through my eyelids at noon." |
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| The Wrong Kind of Women: Inside Our Revolution to Dismantle the Gods of Hollywood by Naomi McDougall JonesWhat it's about: how systemic sexism in Hollywood continues to rob women filmmakers of opportunities.
Featuring: eye-opening data (95% of films are directed by white men), interviews with industry insiders, and author Naomi McDougall Jones' insights from her own experiences as an actress and producer.
Why you might like it: This timely study celebrates trailblazing directors like Ava DuVernay and offers strategies for how filmmakers and audiences alike can champion inclusivity in Hollywood. |
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| Thinking Inside the Box: Adventures with Crosswords and the Puzzling People Who... by Adrienne RaphelWhat it is: a spirited history exploring how crossword puzzle enthusiasts (or "cruciverbalists") have kept the game alive for more than a century.
Topics include: the ins-and-outs of puzzle creation; how the beloved pastime continues to stay relevant in an increasingly digital world; competitive tournaments; crossword-themed cruises.
For fans of: the offbeat whimsy of Mary Roach. |
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| Screening Reality: How Documentary Filmmakers Reimagined America by Jon WilkmanWhat it is: a thought-provoking and accessible history of American documentary filmmaking that explores the myriad ways in which documentarians have portrayed "truth."
What sets it apart: profiles of a diverse group of filmmakers like William D. Alexander, who chronicled the experiences of black soldiers in World War II, and Henry Hampton, who produced the Oscar-nominated Eyes on the Prize. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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