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Biography and Memoir December 2020
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Bright Precious Thing by Gail CaldwellThe Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe literary critic and best-selling author of Let’s Take the Long Way Home chronicles the women’s movement from the 1960s through the #MeToo era to evaluate its impact on her feminist pursuits.
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| Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life by Christie TateWhat it's about: After years spent battling suicidal ideation and bulimia, lawyer Christie Tate entered group therapy, where she found a renewed sense of self-worth.
Why you might like it: Tate's candid and hopeful account "empowers readers to better understand their own lives" (Booklist).
Book buzz: This New York Times bestselling debut was named a Reese's Book Club pick in November. |
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| Mad at the World: A Life of John Steinbeck by William SouderWhat it's about: the complicated life and career of Pulitzer and Nobel Prize-winning novelist John Steinbeck (1902-1968).
Read it for: a nuanced portrait of a man whose deep devotion to his craft did not extend to his relationships.
Don't miss: Steinbeck pitting his wife and mistress against each other to determine the "winner" of his affections; his response when asked if he deserved his Nobel. |
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The Power of Adrienne Richby Hilary HolladayA comprehensive portrait of the lesbian-feminist icon and National Book Award-winning poet draws on a wealth of unpublished materials, including personal correspondence, to discuss Rich’s creative motivations and barrier-breaking achievements within the male-dominated literary establishment. Illustrations.
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| Where I Come From: Stories from the Deep South by Rick BraggWhat it is: a collection of previously published pieces written by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and memoirist Rick Bragg that celebrates his relationship to the American South's "gentler, easier nature."
Who it's for: Fans of Bragg and lovers of witty repartee will enjoy this breezy collection that feels like having a chat with an old friend.
Topics include: Southern music and cuisine; encounters with Southern celebrities Pat Conroy, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Harper Lee; the wonders of Tupperware. |
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| This Time Next Year We'll Be Laughing by Jacqueline WinspearWhat it is: an evocative and richly detailed memoir of novelist Jacqueline Winspear's childhood in post-World War II Kent.
Want a taste? "Mist hangs across the land like a silk scarf -- not quite touching the earth, but not rising high enough to join a cloud."
Who it's for: Fans of Winspear's Maisie Dobbs mysteries will enjoy spotting real-life inspirations for the series; readers who appreciate family histories will also find much to savor in this reflective coming-of-age tale. |
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| The Art of Resistance: My Four Years in the French Underground by Justus RosenbergWhat it is: a riveting account of Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient Justus Rosenberg's time spent fighting in the French Resistance, which he joined after fleeing his native Poland as a teen.
About the author: As of this writing, the 99-year-old Rosenberg is the Professor Emeritus of Languages and Literature at Bard College.
Reviewers say: "has all the suspense of a tense spy thriller" (Publishers Weekly); "a welcome addition to the World War II memoir shelf" (Kirkus). |
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Joy Enough by Sarah McCollWhat it's about: the year Sarah McColl spent grappling with her mother's impending death from cancer and the dissolution of her own marriage.
For fans of: candid memoirs of loss, such as Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking and C.S. Lewis' A Grief Observed.
Why you might like it: Despite its difficult subject matter, Pushcart Prize nominee McColl's introspective debut is ultimately hopeful.
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| Missed Translations: Meeting the Immigrant Parents Who Raised Me by Sopan Deb; foreword by Hasan MinhajWhat it's about: comedian and New York Times reporter Sopan Deb's attempts to reconnect with his divorced Bengali parents, from whom he became estranged in adulthood.
Why you might like it: Though Deb's insightful memoir candidly addresses topics like South Asian stereotypes, intergenerational trauma, and fractured family dynamics, his prose is witty and engaging. |
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Nobody Will Tell You This But Me: A True (as Told to Me) Story by Bess KalbStarring: spirited Jewish New Yorker Bobby Bell, Jimmy Kimmel Live! writer Bess Kalb's beloved grandmother, who died in 2017.
What sets it apart: This amusing and bittersweet family history is "narrated" by Bell herself, and includes cheeky wisdom, photographs, and excerpts from her voicemails to Kalb.
Want a taste? "San Francisco is for people who wear polar fleece to restaurants and try to convince each other to go camping."
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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