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Popular Culture January 2021
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| I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel BloomWhat it is: a chatty and self-deprecating essay collection from Emmy Award-winning Crazy Ex-Girlfriend co-creator and star Rachel Bloom.
What's inside: intimate musings on Bloom's mental health battles; insights on navigating male-dominated spaces in the entertainment industry; dish on attending award shows; childhood diary entries.
Don't miss: "Inside Jokes Can Leave Many Outside," the earnest newspaper editorial Bloom wrote as a teen. |
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Happiness Becomes You : a Guide to Changing Your Life for Good
by Tina Turner
What it's about: The iconic performing artist provides spiritual tools and advice for self-empowerment and fulfillment while examining the role of her enduring Buddhist faith in helping her overcome poverty, loss and other personal and professional obstacles.
In her words: "We are linked by a shared responsibility: to help our human family grow kinder and happier."-from the Introduction
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| Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton with Robert K. OermannFeaturing: annotated lyrics to 175 of country legend Dolly Parton's songs, grouped by subject matter or theme; memorabilia and never-before-seen photographs from Parton's archives.
Read it for: Parton's candid assessment of her artistic output, peppered with her trademark sense of humor: "I've killed a lot of puppies and kids and ladies in my songs." |
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| One Life by Megan Rapinoe with Emma BrockesWhat it's about: Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women’s World Cup champion Megan Rapinoe's soccer career and dedication to social justice activism.
Why you might like it: Rapinoe's frank and inspiring memoir offers a hopeful outlook on addressing inequality both on and off the field.
Topics include: Rapinoe playing on a boy's soccer team at age six, where she outshone her peers; coming out in 2012; equal pay advocacy; solidarity with Colin Kaepernick during national anthem protests. |
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The Best of Me
by David Sedaris
What it's about: The American humorist, author and radio contributor presents shares his most memorable work in a collection of stories and essays that feature him shopping for rare taxidermy and hand-feeding a carnivorous bird.
Read it for: Absurd and hilarious stories from the popular essayist.
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Spotlight on: Grammy Award Winners
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She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs
by Sarah Smarsh
What it's about: country superstar Dolly Parton's musical and cultural legacy.
What sets it apart: Heartland author Sarah Smarsh's thoughtful exploration of how Parton's music resonates with working-class women and folks from marginalized communities.
For fans of: NPR's Dolly Parton's America podcast, on which Smarsh appeared as an interviewee.
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| Delta Lady by Rita Coolidge with Michael WalkerWhat it is: a lyrical memoir from singer-songwriter and rock muse Rita Coolidge, who won two Grammy Awards with then-husband Kris Kristofferson in the 1970s.
Is it for you? Although Coolidge's reflective account of her rise to stardom is light on gossip, she offers an intimate glimpse into the 1960s and '70s rock scene, chronicling her collaborations with Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, and Stephen Stills, as well as her volatile relationship with Kristofferson. |
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| Me & Patsy Kickin' Up Dust: My Friendship with Patsy Cline by Loretta Lynn with Patsy Lynn Russell; foreword by Dolly PartonWhat it's about: the life-changing bond between country stars Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline.
Why you might like it: Lynn's heartwarming and humorous tribute is written in a plainspoken style that evokes the way she speaks.
Don't miss: Cline taking Nashville newbie Lynn under her wing in 1959 and helping her navigate the ins and outs of showbiz life. |
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| Let's Go (So We Can Get Back): A Memoir of Recording and Discording with Wilco, Etc. by Jeff TweedyWhat it's about: Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy's artistic coming-of-age, fueled by his battles with anxiety and addiction.
Book buzz: A New York Times bestseller, Let's Go was named a Best Music Book of 2018 by Pitchfork and Rolling Stone.
Try this next: For another funny yet moving memoir from a 1990s alt-rock musician, check out Ben Folds' A Dream About Lightning Bugs. |
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I Would Leave Me if I Could : a collection of poetry
by Halsey
What it's about: Grammy Award-nominated, platinum-selling musician Halsey is heralded as one of the most compelling voices of her generation. In I Would Leave Me If I Could, she reveals never-before-seen poetry of longing, love, and the nuances of bipolar disorder.
Read it for: More hand grenades than confessions, these autobiographical poems explore and dismantle conventional notions of what it means to be a feminist in search of power.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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