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Biography and Memoir July 2022 |
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| Alabama v. King: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Criminal Trial That Launched the Civil Rights... by Dan Abrams and Fred D. Gray with David FisherWhat it is: a memoir from Black attorney and activist Fred D. Gray, who represented Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when King was tried for his involvement in the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955-1956.
Read it for: a revealing account of a pivotal moment in Dr. King's emergence as a civil rights icon.
Try this next: Gilbert King's Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America. |
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| Corrections in Ink by Keri BlakingerWhat it's about: In 2001, Olympic hopeful Keri Blakinger's dreams were crushed when her figure skating partner quit. Turning to heroin to cope, she later wound up in prison for nearly two years.
Why you should read it: In her candid debut, Blakinger investigates how her white privilege afforded her rehabilitation opportunities rarely given to prisoners of color; her experiences, paired with extensive research, offer a clear-eyed call for prison reform.
For fans of: Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman. |
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| Blood Orange Night: My Journey to the Edge of Madness by Melissa BondWhat it is: journalist Melissa Bond's memoir of her battles with benzodiazepine addiction.
Is it for you? Bond's evocative cautionary tale doesn't shy away from the disturbing aspects of her withdrawal and recovery process.
Want a taste? "I feel like a house that has somehow remained standing in the wake of a massive fire." |
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| Directed by James Burrows: Five Decades of Stories from the Legendary Director of... by James Burrows with Eddy Friedfeld; foreword by Glen and Les CharlesWhat it is: a nostalgic behind-the-scenes account of prolific Emmy Award-winning sitcom director James Burrows' five-decade career.
Featuring: never-before-told stories about the making of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, Cheers, and many more.
Try this next: For another upbeat memoir written by an iconic TV industry veteran, read Norman Lear's Even This I Get to Experience. |
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| The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There by Jenna Fischer & Angela Kinsey What it is: a funny and intimate chronicle of the making of NBC sitcom The Office, written by costars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, who currently cohost the Office Ladies podcast.
What's inside: never-before-seen photographs; insights on the pair's nearly two-decade friendship.
Try this next: For another engaging memoir from an Office alum, read Welcome to Dunder Mifflin by Brian Baumgartner. |
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| Miss Memory Lane by Colton HaynesWhat it's about: Arrow and Teen Wolf actor Colton Haynes' redemptive journey toward self-acceptance after enduring numerous personal and professional setbacks in his pursuit of fame.
Is it for you? Haynes' moving debut unsparingly details the actor's battles with anxiety and addiction, surviving physical and sexual abuse, and losing out on roles because of his sexuality.
Reviewers say: "Fans will be left breathless by the grit and courage on display" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| Hometown Victory: A Coach's Story of Football, Fate, and Coming Home by Keanon Lowe with Justin SpizmanWhat it's about: After a former high school friend and teammate died of an opioid overdose, San Francisco 49ers offensive analyst Keanon Lowe quit his job and returned to his Oregon hometown to coach an underfunded and underperforming high school football team.
Read it for: an inspiring sports story of overcoming the odds.
Movie buzz: A Disney+ film adaptation produced by Dwayne Johnson is currently in the works. |
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| Happy-Go-Lucky by David SedarisWhat it is: a candid and irreverent collection of essays by bestselling author and humorist David Sedaris that chronicles life during COVID.
Don't miss: the moving title essay, which sees Sedaris and his siblings gathering at the deathbed of their nonagenarian father, Lou, with whom they had a complicated relationship.
Reviewers say: "This is Sedaris at his best" (Library Journal); "as rich and rewarding as ever" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| Rough Draft by Katy TurWhat it is: MSNBC anchor Katy Tur's account of her life and journalism career, told with equal parts humor and candor.
Topics include: Tur supporting her father, helicopter journalist Zoey Tur, during her transition despite the pair's fraught history; becoming tabloid fodder in her early 20s during her relationship with Keith Olbermann; her marriage to CBS Mornings co-anchor Tony Dokoupil, with whom she has two children.
Want a taste? "Journalism is the world's best career for avoiding your own problems." |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Atlantic County Library System | 40 Farragut Avenue, Mays Landing, NJ 08330
Phone: (609) 625-2776 | www.atlanticlibrary.org
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|  | Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson
Atlantic County Board of Commissioners, Maureen Kern, Chairwoman |
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