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| No Walls and the Recurring Dream by Ani DiFrancoWhat it is: the freewheeling debut memoir from Grammy Award-winning musician and activist Ani DiFranco.
Topics include: DiFranco's creation of her independent label Righteous Babe Records (on which she has released all her studio albums); her bouts of homelessness after leaving home at age 15.
Read it for: snippets of the author's original poetry and her candid musings on politics and feminism. |
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| Naturally Tan by Tan FranceWhat it is: a charming coming-of-age memoir from Queer Eye fashion expert Tan France.
Why you might like it: With wit and candor, France tackles topics both affecting (the racist bullying he endured as a Pakistani Muslim teen in England) and amusing (his penchant for no-nonsense sartorial advice).
For fans of: fellow Fab Five personality Karamo Brown's Karamo: My Story of Embracing Purpose, Healing, and Hope. |
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| The Castle on Sunset: Life, Death, Love, Art, and Scandal at Hollywood's Chateau Marmont by Shawn LevyWhat it's about: the iconic Los Angeles hotel Chateau Marmont, which for nearly a century has attracted celebrities to its secluded bungalows for all manner of decadence and debauchery.
Want a taste? "Chateau Marmont is the ultimate Hollywood hotel because it is, like Hollywood itself, bigger than life even when it is obviously fake."
Try this next: For another dishy history of a storied landmark, try Julie Satow's The Plaza: The Secret Life of America's Most Famous Hotel. |
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| Mind and Matter: A Life in Math and Football by John Urschel and Louisa ThomasWhat it's about: John Urschel's adventures in academia (he's currently pursuing a PhD in mathematics at MIT) and athletics (he was a Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman for three seasons).
Read it for: Urschel's infectious enthusiasm for his disparate passions.
Want a taste? "So often, people want to divide the world into two. Matter and energy. Wave and particle. Athlete and mathematician. Why can't something (or someone) be both?" |
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| Mr. Know-It-All: The Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder by John WatersWhat it is: an irreverent and wide-ranging essay collection from cult filmmaker and self-proclaimed "garbage guru" John Waters.
Don't miss: juicy gossip about the making of Serial Mom and Polyester (Waters' favorites of his own films); tips for aspiring filmmakers.
Is it for you? The author's provocative sense of humor may be off-putting to readers unfamiliar with his work. |
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Books You Might Have Missed
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| Showtime at the Apollo: The Epic Tale of Harlem's Legendary Theater by Ted Fox; illustrated by James Otis SmithWhat it is: a lively graphic adaptation of Ted Fox's 1983 history of the Apollo Theater, which has been at the forefront of African American culture since the 1930s.
Featuring: Cab Calloway, Billie Holiday, Jimi Hendrix, Chris Rock, Lauryn Hill, and many more.
Art alert: Dynamic black and blue illustrations burst from the panels to mimic the experience of being in a dimly lit theater. |
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| Don't Let Me Down by Erin HosierWhat it's about: how the music of the Beatles shaped author Erin Hosier's complicated relationship with her evangelical father, Jack, during her fraught coming-of-age in 1980s small-town Ohio.
What sets it apart: This evocative two-part memoir, structured as sides of a record (Side One is about Jack, while Side Two is about the author herself), includes chapter headings named after Beatles songs.
Reviewers say: "A vividly rhythmic chronicle of reconciliation couched with a 1960s rock-'n'-roll soundtrack" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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I Do and I Don't: A History of Marriage in the Movies by Jeanine BasingerCommunication and Media Studies. "ere is “happily ever after”—except when things aren’t happy, and when “ever after” is abruptly terminated by divorce, tragedy . . . or even murder. With her large-hearted understanding of how movies—and audiences—work, leading film historian Jeanine Basinger traces the many ways Hollywood has tussled with the tricky subject of marriage, explicating the relationships of countless marriages from Blondie and Dagwood to the heartrending couple in the Iranian A Separation, from Coach and his wife in Friday Night Lights to Tracy and Hepburn, and even to Laurel and Hardy (a marriage if ever there was one). A treasure trove of insight and sympathy, illustrated with scores of wonderfully telling movie stills, posters, and ads." (432 pages)
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I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual
by Luvvie Ajayi
Blogger and activist Luvvie Ajayi is obsessed with pop culture (witness her blog, awesomelyluvvie.com, taking on everything from the Met Gala to House of Cards) -- but she's also interested in the ways that people interact with each other. The essays collected here range from topics like social media etiquette to why things like racism, homophobia, and misogyny haven't yet disappeared. Witty and insightful, these essays might make you laugh, but they'll also make you think.
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1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
by James Mustich
What it is: an enthusiastic, genre-hopping tome of must-read books that includes concise annotations and insightful commentary for each selected title.
Featuring: recommended reading lists such as "Books to Read in a Sitting," "Offbeat Escapes," and "A Long Climb, but What a View."
Read it for: the additions (and omissions!) that are sure to spark bibliophile debates.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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BRAZORIA COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM 912 N. Velasco Angleton, Texas 77515 (979) 864-1505bcls.lib.tx.us |
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