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Biography and Memoir December 2018
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| Invisible: The Forgotten Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America's... by Stephen L. CarterWhat it is: the page-turning story of Eunice Carter, the African American lawyer who overcame gender and racial barriers in 1930s New York City to prosecute mobster Charles "Lucky" Luciano.
About the author: Yale law professor and bestselling novelist Stephen L. Carter (The Emperor of Ocean Park) is Eunice Carter's grandson.
For fans of: inspiring stories of unsung heroes (think Liza Mundy's Code Girls and Margot Lee Shetterly's Hidden Figures). |
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| Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life by Jane Sherron De HartWhat it is: Comprehensive and timely, the first full-length biography of United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is an insightful look into her trailblazing life and career.
Read it for: the anecdotes and interviews that reveal Ginsburg's sly wit.
Media buzz: In addition to her starring role in this summer's documentary RBG, Ginsburg is the subject of the feature film On the Basis of Sex, also released this month. |
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Blowing the bloody doors off : and other lessons in life
by Michael Caine
What it's about: With over 100 movies and two Academy Awards to his credit over six decades, a Hollywood legend discusses the wisdom, stories, insight and skills that life has taught him in his remarkable career.
What sets it apart: Coming from a poor, working class background, he provides no nonsense advice to life and acting.
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| Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese LaymonWhat it's about: In this compelling and complex memoir, Kiese Laymon examines the burdens of the frequently policed and politicized black male body. Growing up obese in 1980s Mississippi, his was no exception, and he grappled with abuse, anorexia, and addiction.
What sets it apart: Laymon's eloquent, stylistic narrative is a direct address to "you" -- his mother, an academic who instilled in him a love of language and reading.
Want a taste? "I didn’t know how to tell you or anyone else the stories my body told me, but, like you, I knew how to run, deflect, and duck." |
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| Reagan: An American Journey by Bob SpitzWhat it is: an evenhanded cradle-to-grave biography of America's 40th president, extensively researched to include numerous interviews and personal family documents.
About the author: Bob Spitz is the bestselling author of The Beatles: The Biography and Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child.
Reviewers say: "Readers need not be Reagan fans or Republicans to enjoy this outstanding biography" (Publishers Weekly). |
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Butterfly : from refugee to Olympian, my story of rescue, hope, and triumph
by Yusra Mardini
What it's about: Traces the author's life-changing rescue of a boatload of fellow refugees and how it inspired her to compete on the 2016 Refugee Olympic Team in Rio de Janeiro, tracing her subsequent work with the UN as a Goodwill Ambassador and her advocacy on behalf of people who have been forced from their homes by war.
Reviewers say: "This unforgettable memoir shines a spotlight on the refugee experience and the role sports can play in giving a voice to those affected by conflict throughout the world." (Booklist)
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Waiting for snow in Havana : confessions of a Cuban boy
by Carlos M. N. Eire
What it's about: A survivor of the Cuban Revolution recounts his pre-war childhood as the religiously devout son of a judge, and describes the conflict's violent and irrevocable impact on his friends, family, and native home.
Reviewers say: " In this open, honest, and at times angry memoir, Eire bares his soul completely and captivates the reader in the process." (Booklist Online)
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| My American Dream: A Life of Love, Family, and Food by Lidia Matticchio BastianichWhat it's about: After fleeing Tito's communist regime in Yugoslavia and spending two years in an Italian refugee camp, Lidia Bastianich and her family immigrated to America in 1958. As a teen, she worked in several New York City restaurants before opening her own in 1971.
Author alert: Bastianich is the Emmy Award-winning host of Lidia's Kitchen and best-selling author of Lidia's Celebrate Like an Italian.
Who it's for: This charming, upbeat memoir will satisfy Bastianich's many fans -- and court new ones, too. |
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| The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After by Clemantine Wamariya and Elizabeth WeilWhat it's about: In 1994, six-year-old Clemantine Wamariya escaped the Rwandan genocide with her older sister Claire. Separated from their parents, the pair spent the next six years in refugee camps throughout Africa before they were granted asylum in the United States.
What happened next: Settling in Chicago, Clemantine and Claire were featured on a 2006 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, where they were reunited with the parents they believed to be dead.
Reviewers say: "a soulful, searing story about how families survive" (Booklist); "A must read" (Library Journal). |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Carrollton Public Library 1700 Keller Springs Road, Carrollton Texas 75006 4220 North Josey Lane, Carrollton Texas 75010 |
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