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Biography and Memoir July 2024
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| The Uptown Local: Joy, Death, and Joan Didion by Cory LeadbeaterCory Leadbeater's moving debut chronicles the transformative decade the author spent working as a personal assistant to writer Joan Didion as she neared the end of her life. Further reading: Joan Didion: The Last Interview and Other Conversations by Joan Didion with an introduction by Patricia Lockwood. |
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| I've Tried Being Nice: Essays by Ann LearyBestselling novelist Ann Leary's (The Foundling) debut essay collection offers a witty and self-deprecating account of the author's attempts to stop being a self-proclaimed "people pleaser," with varying (and relatable) degrees of success. For fans of: Well, This Is Exhausting: Essays by Sophia Benoit. |
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| Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People by Tiya MilesNational Book Award-winning author Tiya Miles' (All That She Carried) nuanced and demythologizing biography of abolitionist Harriet Tubman offers fresh insights on her life, particularly how her religious faith and ecological knowledge informed her work as an Underground Railroad conductor. Try this next: Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom During the Civil War by Edda L. Fields-Black. |
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| Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell by Ann PowersNPR music critic Ann Powers plumbs the life and career of legendary singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell in this thoughtful and lyrical portrait named one of Observer's Best New Biographies of 2024. Further reading: Joni: The Anthology edited by Barney Hoskyns. |
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Books You Might Have Missed
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American Shield: The Immigrant Sergeant Who Defended Democracy
by Aquilino Gonell and Susan Shapiro
Iraq War veteran and former United States Capitol Police officer Aquilino Gonell affectingly recounts his experiences during the January 6, 2021 insurrection, detailing how his injuries sustained from the attacks ended his law enforcement career and later spurred him to publicly testify at the January 6 Select Committee investigation. Try this next: Standing My Ground: A Capitol Police Officer's Fight for Accountability and Good Trouble After January 6th by Harry Dunn.
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An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
In this affecting blend of biography, memoir, and history, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin reveals the tumult of the 1960s as experienced by her husband, speechwriter Dick Goodwin, who died in 2018. Materials from the Goodwins' personal archives offer an evocative portrait of the era. Try this next: Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History by Ted Sorensen.
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A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, a History, a Memorial
by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen (The Sympathizer) incisively explores "the thin border between / history and memory" in his nonlinear memoir detailing how colonization, war, and a fractured sense of self have impacted him as the child of Vietnamese refugees. Read-alike: The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir by Thi Bui.
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Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones
by Dolly Parton with Holly George-Warren; curated by Rebecca Seaver
Beloved country superstar Dolly Parton shares the stories behind her favorite fashion moments in this charming full-color memoir featuring 450 photographs, never-before-seen images from her personal archives, and insights from her designers and stylists. Read-alike: Supreme Glamour by Mary Wilson.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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