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Biography and Memoir December 2018
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Holiday Closings
The library will be close at noon on Friday, December 21. The library will be closed on Monday, December 24; Tuesday, December 25; Monday, December 31; and Tuesday, January 1, for the holidays.
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Library Holiday Collections The library is collecting mittens, gloves, hats and scarves during the holiday season to decorate our holiday tree. Donations will be sent to the Salvation Army. Also, the library is collecting non-perishable food items for the local food pantry. A box will be located near the Circulation Desk through January 7.
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Becoming
by Michelle Obama
An intimate memoir by the former First Lady chronicles the experiences that have shaped her remarkable life, from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago through her setbacks and achievements in the White House.
Format/Location: Biography.Obama, eBook, eAudiobook
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| Reagan: An American Journey by Bob SpitzWhat it is: an evenhanded cradle-to-grave biography of America's 40th president, extensively researched to include numerous interviews and personal family documents.
About the author: Bob Spitz is the bestselling author of The Beatles: The Biography and Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child.
Reviewers say: "Readers need not be Reagan fans or Republicans to enjoy this outstanding biography" (Publishers Weekly).
Format/Location: Biography/Reagan, eBook |
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The Unstoppable Ruth Bader Ginsburg: American Icon
by Antonia Felix
"This is an adoring photo history that wonderfully shows Ginsburg in her private life as well as public."-- Publishers Weekly On the 25th anniversary of her appointment to the Supreme Court, this unofficial pictorial retrospective celebrates and honors the barrier-breaking achievements of Ruth Bader Ginsburg--the "Notorious RBG." The Unstoppable Ruth Bader Ginsburg covers her formative years growing up in Brooklyn; her time at Cornell University and at Harvard and Columbia Law Schools; her marriage and partnership with husband, Marty; her landmark cases; and the prejudice she overcame to reach the pinnacle of her field as the second woman to ascend to the country's highest court. It also highlights the many "firsts" she achieved--including her becoming the first female tenured professor at Columbia Law School and cofounding the first Women's Rights Project for the ACLU--while becoming a true American icon and pop culture sensation celebrated in the award-winning documentary RBG and the 2018 feature film about her origins, On the Basis of Sex .
Format/Location: Biography/Ginsburg
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Johnny Cash: The Life and Legacy of the Man in Black
by Alan Light
Describes the life of Johnny Cash, from rural Arkansas to his first recordings with Sun Records, to his battles with drugs and romance with June Carter through unpublished materials and memorabilia from his family, including handwritten notes and personal photos.
Format/Location: Biography/Cash
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Let It Bang: A Young Black Man's Reluctant Odyssey into Guns
by R. J. Young
The quest, funny and searing, of a young man black man learning to shoot--a fascinating odyssey into race, guns, and self-protection in America The most RJ Young knew about guns was that they could get him killed. Until, recently married to a white woman and in desperate need of a way to relate to his gun-loving father-in-law, Young does the unimaginable: he accepts Charles's gift of a Glock. Despite, or because of, the racial rage and fear he experiences among white gun owners ("Ain't you supposed to be shooting a basketball?"), Young determines to get good, really good, with a gun. Let It Bang is the compelling story of the author's unexpected obsession--he eventually becomes an NRA-certified pistol instructor--and of his deep dive into the heart of America's gun culture: what he sees as the domino effect of white fear, white violence, black fear, rinse, repeat. Young's original reporting on shadow industries like US Law Shield, which insures and defends people who report having shot someone in self-defense, and on the newly formed National African American Gun Association, gives powerful insight into the dynamic. Through indelible profiles, Young brings us up to the current rocketing rise in gun ownership among black Americans, most notably women.
Format/Location: Biography/Young
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| Dear World: A Syrian Girl's Story of War and Plea for Peace by Bana AlabedWhat it is: a gripping chronicle of the ongoing Syrian Civil War as told by eight-year-old Bana Alabed, whose now-famous Twitter account brings much-needed attention to the conflict.
Is it for you? While this brave child's-eye portrait provides little context for the violence, it offers striking descriptions (including how Alabed came to recognize the sounds of various weapons) and photos juxtaposing her happy home life with the devastation of bombed-out Aleppo.
Format/Location: Biography/Alabed |
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| My American Dream: A Life of Love, Family, and Food by Lidia Matticchio BastianichWhat it's about: After fleeing Tito's communist regime in Yugoslavia and spending two years in an Italian refugee camp, Lidia Bastianich and her family immigrated to America in 1958. As a teen, she worked in several New York City restaurants before opening her own in 1971.
Author alert: Bastianich is the Emmy Award-winning host of Lidia's Kitchen and best-selling author of Lidia's Celebrate Like an Italian.
Who it's for: This charming, upbeat memoir will satisfy Bastianich's many fans -- and court new ones, too.
Format/Location: Biography/Bastianich |
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| The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir by Thi BuiWhat it's about: Faced with a life of poverty and constant surveillance in postwar Vietnam, author Thi Bui's family immigrated to America in 1976. In present day New York City, Bui, now a mother herself, reflects on her parents' complicated reasons for leaving their homeland.
Art alert: Subtle colors and expressively-drawn characters offer depth and clarity to complement the intimate and poetic narrative.
Book buzz: Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen (The Sympathizer) calls The Best We Could Do "a book to break your heart and heal it."
Format/Location: Graphic Fiction/Bui |
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| The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After by Clemantine Wamariya and Elizabeth WeilWhat it's about: In 1994, six-year-old Clemantine Wamariya escaped the Rwandan genocide with her older sister Claire. Separated from their parents, the pair spent the next six years in refugee camps throughout Africa before they were granted asylum in the United States.
What happened next: Settling in Chicago, Clemantine and Claire were featured on a 2006 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, where they were reunited with the parents they believed to be dead.
Reviewers say: "a soulful, searing story about how families survive" (Booklist); "A must read" (Library Journal).
Format/Location: Biography/Wamariya |
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Needle Arts League
Every Thursday, 5:30 pm
Library Meeting Room
The Needle Arts League of Michigan City promotes all forms of needle arts. Membership is open to anyone interested in needle arts such as crochet, needlepoint, cross stitch, crewel, tatting, and other hand stitching. All skill levels and ages are welcome. An exchange of skills and materials is encouraged. For information, call 219-873-3049.
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Red Cross Blood Drive
Thursday, December 20, 12:30 - 4:00 pm
Library Meeting Room
The need for blood is especially high during the summer. The Red Cross will conduct a blood drive Friday, July 13, from 12:30-4: 00 pm. You can make an appointment by calling 1-800-RED CROSS. Or go to redcrossblood.org and put in the sponsor code “mcplib.” Walk-ins are welcome! Give the gift of life.
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Biography in Context
Research notable people from the past and today using this multimedia site with articles, books, photos, and videos. Log in with your library card number.
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Biography Reference Bank
Find in-depth, original profiles from the Current Biography and World Authors series, Junior Authors & Illustrators, and articles from today’s leading magazines and journals. Log in with your library card number. Don’t have a library card? Sign up now to get an eCard.
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Biography Reference Center
Read full-text and narrative biographies, including those from Biography Today and Biography. This database offers a collection of full-text biographies and unique narrative biographies. Log in with your library card number. Don’t have a library card? Sign up now to get an eCard.
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Axis 360 eBooks
Find popular fiction, non-fiction, and picture e-books and e-audiobooks for children, teens, and adults! It's simple--just download the app on your device, search for "Michigan City Public Library", and log in with your library card number and PIN.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Michigan City Public Library 100 E. 4th Street Michigan City, Indiana 46360 219-873-3044mclib.org/ |
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