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Biography and Memoir September 2024
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Leslie f*cking Jones : a memoir
by Leslie Jones
Introducing the woman behind the laughs, this audacious memoir reveals what it took to for Leslie Jones to become one of America's most beloved and plain-speaking superstars, encouraging others to let go of the fear and self-doubt holding them back to live a bigger life than ever imagined.
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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.
*If you like to request this book, please visit your library and ask for assistance! |
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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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Why didn't you tell me? : a memoir
by Carmen Rita Wong
"Carmen Rita Wong--media entrepreneur, former national television host, author and advice columnist--has always craved a sense of belonging. First, in a warm room full of Black and brown Latina women cheering on her dancing during her childhood in Harlem. Then, among the almost exclusively white playgrounds of New Hampshire, after her mother married her stepfather, Charlie, who seemed to be the ideal of the white American dad. She had always believed what her mother told her: that her father was a man named Peter Wong, a Chinese hustler whom she was forced to marry for a green card. But then, as Carmen's mother was dying of cancer, Charlie revealed that he was actually her father--a painful revelation made all the more confusing when a DNA test later proved that neither Peter nor Charlie was her father. It was too late for answers. Her mother had passed away. Carmen wanted to shake her mother's soul at its shoulders and demand: "Why didn't you tell me?" What follows is Carmen's search for understanding of who she is as she peels back the layers of her mother's history and the secrets that seep out. Why Didn't You Tell Me? is a riveting and poignant story of Carmen's experience of race and culture in America and how it shapes who we think we are"
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Focus on: Hispanic Heritage Month
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| Illegally Yours by Rafael AgustinBorn in Ecuador, TV writer Rafael Agustin (Jane the Virgin) immigrated to the United States at age seven; he did not learn he was undocumented until he was a teenager. Augustin's witty and heartfelt debut offers "an enthusiastic and motivational self-portrait" (Kirkus Reviews). For fans of: In the Country We Love: My Family Divided by Diane Guerrero.
*If you'd like to request this book, please visit your library and ask for assistance! |
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| First Gen by Alejandra CampoverdiTrailblazing women's health advocate and former Obama White House aide Alejandra Campoverdi's unflinching memoir discusses her life as a first-generation Mexican American woman who found success amid poverty, fractured family dynamics, and limited education opportunities. Try this next: Hood Wellness: Tales of Communal Care from People Who Drowned on Dry Land by Tamela J. Gordon. |
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Liliana's Invincible Summer: A Sister's Search for Justice
by Cristina Rivera Garza
In 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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| Children of the Land by Marcelo Hernandez CastilloPoet Marcelo Hernandez Castillo's debut memoir details the author's difficult coming of age as an undocumented immigrant, which was compounded by frequent ICE raids, his father's deportation back to Mexico, and the rigidity of the United States immigration system. Try this next: Solito by Javier Zamora. |
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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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Central Mississippi Regional Library System
100 Tamberline Street
Brandon, Mississippi 39042
601-825-0100
http://www.cmrls.lib.ms.us
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