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Biography and Memoir August 2018
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| Call Me American by Abdi Nor IftinWhat it is: The stirring chronicle of Abdi Nor Iftin's remarkable immigrant success story, beginning with his impoverished childhood in war-torn Somalia, his painstaking self-education in English (which he learned through consuming American pop culture), and his flight from religious extremism in Mogadishu -- first to a refugee camp in Kenya, and eventually to the U.S. as a recipient of the Green Card Lottery.
Read it for: Iftin's clear prose and inspiring perseverance in the face of adversity. |
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| In Search of Mary Shelley: The Girl Who Wrote Frankenstein by Fiona SampsonWhat it is: A perceptive biography of author Mary Shelley, written to coincide with Frankenstein's bicentennial.
Who it's for: Readers who appreciate literary histories and episodic storytelling.
What sets it apart: With little surviving primary source material at her disposal, poet Fiona Sampson's resonant, speculative prose "succeeds in bringing an unconventional woman to vivid life" (Publishers Weekly). |
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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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| Uncensored: My Life and Uncomfortable Conversations at the Intersection... by Zachary R. WoodWhat it's about: Frustrated with his classmates' close-mindedness, Zachary R. Wood initiated Williams College's Uncomfortable Learning, a speaker series meant to provoke honest debate by hosting controversial presenters whose ideological perspectives often vastly differed from the campus community's -- and Wood's own.
Reviewers say: "A must-read for young social activists, free speech crusaders, and fans of inspirational memoirs" (Library Journal). |
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Cork dork : a wine-fueled adventure among the obsessive sommeliers, big bottle hunters, and rogue scientists who taught me to live for taste
by Bianca Bosker
What it's about: A professional journalist describes how she left her job to enter into the world of wine tasting in an attempt to become a professional sommelier, as well her attempts to understand wine culture and what makes people obsessed with this type of drink.
Read it for: "An 18 month immersion in the study of wine, teaching us not just about what to look for in the glass, but how to experience the world in a new way" (Kirkus).
Reviewers say: "a page-turning and fascinating memoir," "Bosker's mix of science, food writing, and memoir will be enjoyed by many" (Publishers Weekly).
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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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Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory
by Caitlin Doughty
What it's about: Mortician Caitlin Doughty offers an informative account of her lifelong interest in death, relating how her college major in medieval history prepared her to deal with the subject of mortality before she enthusiastically began work as a mortician's assistant in a large crematory.
Read it for: Describing some of the details of preparing corpses for burial or cremation while wittily depicting the natural processes of decomposition, Doughty also explores traditional attitudes and rituals that surround death.
Is it for you? This "sincere, hilarious, and perhaps life-altering memoir" (Booklist) seeks to demystify death and promote understanding and acceptance of it.
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| Hammer Head: The Making of a Carpenter by Nina MacLaughlinWhat it's about: On the cusp of her 30th birthday, dissatisfied journalist Nina MacLaughlin quit her job at the Boston Phoenix to become a carpenter's assistant, despite having no previous experience in the trade.
Did you know? Only 2% of carpenters are women.
Reviewers say: "Book groups will love this engaging and entertaining chronicle" (Booklist); "effortless blending of literary craft with woodcraft" (Library Journal). |
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The shepherd's life : modern dispatches from an ancient landscape
by James Rebanks
What it's about: A shepherd on a family-owned farm in northern England shares his way of life in words and pictures, bringing to life the landscapes that inspired Beatrix Potter, William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Read it for: A reflective look at the Lake District, the people who live there, and the life of a modern-day shepherd.
Good to know: The book is organized by season as Rebanks goes through a shepherd's year, weaving in personal anecdotes with the details of shepherding work.
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Contact your librarian for more great books! |
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New Hanover County Library
201 Chestnut Street Wilmington, North Carolina 28401 910-798-6301 www.nhclibrary.org |
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