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Biography and Memoir September 2024
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| Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (or Just Me)? Adventures in Boyhood by Jay EllisInsecure actor Jay Ellis' funny and reflective debut chronicles his coming of age alongside his adventurous imaginary friend, Mikey, who helped boost his confidence and creativity while also getting him into a fair bit of trouble. Try this next: All My Friends Are Invisible by Jonathan Joly. |
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| That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America by Amanda JonesIn her inspiring and incisive blend of memoir and manifesto, Louisiana middle school librarian Amanda Jones details her fight against censorship at her local public library, which led to death threats and social media smear campaigns. Further reading: Burning the Books: A History of the Deliberate Destruction of Knowledge by Richard Ovenden; On Censorship: A Public Librarian Examines Cancel Culture in the US by James LaRue. |
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| Alexander at the End of the World: The Forgotten Final Years of Alexander the Great by Rachel KousserThis compelling latest from classics professor Rachel Kousser (The Afterlives of Greek Sculpture) offers fresh insights on the life and legacy of Alexander III of Macedon by focusing on his final seven years, arguing that this period was what cemented his status as "Alexander the Great." Further reading: Alexander the Great: His Life and His Mysterious Death by Anthony Everitt. |
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| A Passionate Mind in Relentless Pursuit: The Vision of Mary McLeod Bethune by Noliwe RooksHistorian Noliwe Rooks thoughtfully chronicles the trailblazing career of educator and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955), who worked tirelessly to obtain voting rights, economic independence, and educational opportunities for Black Americans. For fans of: Madam C.J. Walker: The Making of an American Icon by Erica L. Ball. |
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| Docile: Memoirs of a Not-So-Perfect Asian Girl by Hyeseung SongHyeseung Song's moving memoir reveals her fraught coming of age as the child of ambitious and abusive Korean immigrant parents, detailing her struggles with identity, expression, and self-worth. For fans of: Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong. |
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Focus on: Hispanic Heritage Month
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Solito : a memoir
by Javier Zamora
"When Javier Zamora was nine, he traveled unaccompanied by bus, boat, and foot from El Salvador to the United States to reunite with his parents. This is his memoir of that dangerous journey, a nine-week odyssey that nearly ended in calamity on multiple occasions. It's a miracle that Javier survived the crossing and a miracle that he has the talent to now tell his story so masterfully. While Solito is Javier's story, it's also the story of millions of others who have risked so much to come to this country. A memoir that reads like a novel, rooted in precise and authentic detail, Solito is destined to be a classic of the immigration experience."
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The man who could move clouds : a memoir
by Ingrid Rojas Contreras
Interweaving spellbinding family stories, resurrected Colombian history and her own deeply personal reckonings with the bounds of reality, the author shares her inheritance of“the secrets”—the power to talk to the dead, tell the future, treat the sick and move the clouds.
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| Liliana's Invincible Summer: A Sister's Search for Justice by Cristina Rivera GarzaIn her lyrical Pulitzer Prize-winning blend of memoir and true crime, author Cristina Rivera Garza grapples with the 1990 murder of her younger sister by an ex-boyfriend in Azcapotzalco, Mexico. Try this next: Fear Is Just a Word: A Missing Daughter, a Violent Cartel, and a Mother's Quest for Vengeance by Azam Ahmed. |
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The Distance Between Us: A Memoir
by Reyna Grande
In The Distance Between Us, award-winning novelist Reyna Grande chronicles her childhood in Mexico and eventual emigration to the U.S. Becoming the first person in her family to graduate from college, Grande achieved success that's light-years away from the deprivation and abandonment that characterized her early years. Her memoir brings to life her traumas and triumphs.
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| Chita by Chita Rivera with Patrick PachecoBroadway icon and three-time Tony Award winner Chita Rivera's lively and intimate memoir chronicles her seven-decade career on the stage, featuring her reflections on originating roles in West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie, and Chicago. For fans of: Rita Moreno by Rita Moreno. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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If you are having trouble unsubscribing to this newsletter, please contact the Guelph Public Library at 519-824-6220, 100 Norfolk Street Guelph, ON N1H 4J6
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