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Biography and Memoir October 2025 |
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| Backstage: Stories of a Writing Life by Donna LeonCelebrated mystery author and creator of the Guido Brunetti series Donna Leon gives her readers a peek into the workings of a prolific creative mind. In brief but gorgeously crafted essays, Leon relates memorable scenes from her life and talks about some of her inspirations, including Venice, the books of Ruth Rendell, and Baroque music. Readers looking for other authors’ musings about life and art should try A Memoir of My Former Self: A Life in Writing by Hilary Mantel. |
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| Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati RoyBooker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy shares vivid memories of growing up poor in India and her complicated relationship with her single mother, Mary. It is a raw account of living with a headstrong, volatile, and sometimes abusive parent, but one who also ignited the author’s dedication to Indian women’s rights, and whose death in 2022 left Arundhati overcome with grief. For fans of: I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy. |
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| Awake by Jen HatmakerPopular Christian living author and podcaster Jen Hatmaker courageously explores the heartbreaking and humiliating end of her marriage of 26 years and the challenges of reclaiming her independence. Hatmaker, suddenly a single mother of five, is relatable as she searchingly poses questions about her purpose and identity that she had taken for granted for so long. For fans of: Untamed by Glennon Doyle. |
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| Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist by Daniel Pollack-PelznerTheater and culture writer Daniel Pollak-Pelzner’s debut charts the startling rise of Lin-Manuel Miranda -- creator of the Broadway hits Hamilton and In the Heights -- from inner-city kid to worldwide phenomenon. Pollack-Pelzner interviewed Miranda and other intimate sources, and his background and expertise render him an “astute observer of the more human side of creating art” (Kirkus Reviews). Try this next: How to Survive a Killer Musical by Douglas J. Cohen. |
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| Softly, As I Leave You: Life After Elvis by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley with Mary Jane RossMore than 50 years after her divorce from the King of Rock and Roll, Priscilla Beaulieu Presley candidly recalls finding her independence after her relationship with Elvis, which had dominated her life since she was 14. Presley is frank about her triumphs (success as an actor) and tragedies (the deaths of her daughter and grandson), as well as the grief she felt after her ex-husband’s death. Try this next: Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story by Leslie Jamison. |
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The unexpected journey : finding strength, hope, and yourself on the caregiving path
by Emma Heming Willis
Draws on personal experience and expert insights to support dementia caregivers with practical advice, emotional validation and strategies for maintaining self-care and resilience while navigating the unpredictable, often isolating and life-altering reality of supporting a loved one with frontotemporal dementia.
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Alexander von Humboldt : a concise biography
by Andreas W. Daum
"In this lucid biography, Andreas Daum offers a succinct and novel interpretation of the life and oeuvre of Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859). A Prussian nobleman born into the age of European Enlightenment, Humboldt was a contemporary of Napoleon, Simón Bolívar, and Charles Darwin. As a naturalist and scholar, he travelled the world, from the Americas to Central Asia, and recorded his observations in multiple volumes. Humboldt is still admired today for his interdisciplinary outreach and ecological awareness. Moving beyond the conventional views of Humboldt as either intellectual superhero or gentleman coloniser, Daum's incisive account focuses on Humboldt in the context of the tumultuous period of history in which he lived. Humboldt embodied the contradictions that marked the age of Atlantic Revolutions. He became a critic of slavery and embraced the emerging civil society but remained close to authoritarian rulers. He dedicated his life to scientific research yet was driven by emotional impulses and pleaded for an aesthetic appreciation of nature. Daum introduces a man passionately striving to establish a "cosmic" understanding of nature while grappling with the era's explosion of knowledge. This book provides the first concise biography of Humboldt, covering all periods of his life, exploring his personality, the vast range of his works, and his intellectual networks. Daum helps us understand Humboldt as a seminal historical figure and illuminates the role of science at the dawn of the global world"
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Rock star : my life on and off the ice
by Jennifer Jones
"From the first slides as a toddler at her hometown Winnipeg curling club to the top step of the Olympic podium, Jennifer Jones has risen to become one of curling's greatest players. Along the way, she has altered how the game is played and has kicked open doors to allow women to have equality in what was, traditionally, a male-dominated field. Her record of achievement is unmatched, but it never came easily. In Rock Star, Jones opens up about the tensions between teammates and opponents, how she combined law school and a legal career with curling at the highest level, the inside story on what many consider the greatest shot in curling history, how her Olympic dream almost ended on a ski hill in Switzerland, and the challenges of balancing world-class curling with motherhood. Jones also reveals the personal battles she endured during her career. While she was front and centre in arenas and television coverage, she had to push herself past her severe introversion to find some level of comfort with being in the spotlight. There were also clashes with the media, which sometimes portrayed her so harshly that it left her in tears. The journey Jones shares in this memoir is one that may surprise even her biggest fans. Jones helped to grow the sport, and in exchange, she grew as a curler, a wife, a mother, and a public figure. Equal parts inspiring and shocking, Rock Star will leave readers in awe of her accomplishments and the journey that led her to become the person she is today"
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Côte Saint-Luc Public Library
5851 Cavendish Blvd.
Côte Saint-Luc, Quebec H4W 2X8
514-485-6900csllibrary.org/ |
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