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History and Current Events June 2019
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| The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez: A Border Story by Aaron Bobrow-StrainWhat it is: a sobering examination of the U.S.-Mexico border conflict that intimately depicts the high-stakes life of an undocumented immigrant.
Starring: the pseudonymous Aida Hernandez, a young mother and deportee desperate to reunite with her son.
Try this next: Francisco CantĂș's heartwrenching memoir The Line Becomes a River explores the border conflict from the perspective of a Mexican American Border Patrol agent. |
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| Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey CepWhat it's about: how Harper Lee's obsession with a 1970s murder case inspired her to write a true crime book that she later abandoned.
Why you might like it: Furious Hours paints a compelling portrait of the elusive Lee, whose insecurities hindered her creative endeavors.
Book buzz: Killers of the Flower Moon author David Grann calls Furious Hours "a triumph on every level." |
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| Ungovernable: The Victorian Parent's Guide to Raising Flawless Children by Therese OneillWhat it is: a tongue-in-cheek "guide" to Victorian-era child rearing, full of questionable advice from 19th-century medical texts.
Topics include: which toys will engender sexual deviancy; how much heroin is appropriate to take while pregnant; the best application of leeches to mend broken bones.
Author alert: Historian Therese Oneill is the author of Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady's Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners. |
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| D-Day Girls: The Spies Who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis, and Helped... by Sarah RoseWhat it is: a gripping tribute to the women spies employed by Britain's Special Operations Executive (SOE) during WWII, whose contributions were crucial to the war effort in occupied France.
Is it for you? This fast-paced blend of thriller, social history, biography, and romance offers something for every reader.
Try this next: Larry Loftis' suspenseful biography Code Name: Lise centers on Odette Sansom, one of the spies profiled in D-Day Girls. |
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| Defying Hitler: The Germans Who Resisted Nazi Rule by Gordon Thomas and Greg LewisWhat it's about: how Germans from all walks of life resisted and undermined Hitler throughout his rise to power.
What sets it apart: This stirring rejoinder to the notion that Germans supported Hitler en masse highlights both famous and lesser-known resistance efforts.
Don't miss: the disturbing story of Kurt Gerstein, a Gestapo officer who became one of the first people to publicize the horrors of the Holocaust. |
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| The Right Side of History: 100 Years of LGBTQI Activism by Adrian Brooks; foreword by Jonathan D. KatzWhat it is: a sweeping history of LGBTQIA advocacy, structured into two parts -- "Before Stonewall" and "After Stonewall."
What's inside: essays written by a diverse group of contributors; interviews and first-person accounts.
Read it for: poet Adrian Brooks' frank and bold prose. |
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| "You're in the Wrong Bathroom!" And 20 Other Myths and Misconceptions About... by Laura Erickson-Schroth and Laura A. JacobsWhat it is: a sympathetic, advice-filled rebuttal to 21 common myths concerning transgender and gender-nonconforming people, co-written by a psychiatrist and a psychotherapist.
Myths include: "Trans People Are a Danger to Others, Especially Children;" "Trans People Are 'Trapped in the Wrong Body'"
Who it's for: readers curious to learn about the evolving language and conceptualizations of gender identity. |
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| The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle by Lillian FadermanWhat it's about: This passionate history traces the evolution of the gay rights movement from the 1950s onward, touching on topics both well-trod (the Stonewall Riots) and lesser-known (the Mattachine Society).
Is it for you? Comprehensive and well-researched, this 800-page account is ideal for readers looking for a deep dive into LGBTQIA history.
Reviewers say: "readers will feel like they are experiencing these history-altering moments in real time" (Booklist). |
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| How to Survive a Plague: The Story of How Activists and Scientists Tamed AIDS by David FranceWhat it is: a moving, unputdownable chronicle of the advocacy movements that fought tirelessly for effective AIDS testing, treatment, and funding throughout the 1980s and '90s; a companion to the Academy Award-nominated documentary of the same name.
Book buzz: A 2016 New York Times Notable Book, How to Survive a Plague is also the winner of a Stonewall Book Award, a Lambda Literary Award, and the Baillie Gifford Prize. |
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| Then Comes Marriage: United States v. Windsor and the Defeat of DOMA by Roberta Kaplan with Lisa DickeyWhat it's about: the 2013 Supreme Court decision that brought down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and signaled a breakthrough victory for marriage equality.
Reviewers say: "deliciously gripping" (Library Journal).
Try this next: For another inspiring behind-the-scenes look at the case, check out Debbie Cenziper's Love Wins: The Lovers and Lawyers Who Fought the Landmark Case for Marriage Equality. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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| | Washoe County Library System 301 S Center St, Reno, NV 89501 | |
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