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Biography and Memoir January 2020
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| The Cartiers: The Untold Story of the Family Behind the Jewelry Empire by Francesca Cartier BrickellWhat it is: a sweeping family history of French jewelry dynasty the Cartiers, from their humble 19th-century Parisian beginnings to their contemporary status as purveyors of globally-renowned luxury goods.
Read it for: the glitz, the glamour, and the gossip.
Author alert: Francesca Cartier Brickell is the great-granddaughter of Louis-François Cartier, who founded the eponymous company in 1847. |
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| She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman by Erica Armstrong DunbarWhat it is: a short, conversational biography of heroic Underground Railroad conductor, Union Army spy, and abolitionist Harriet Tubman.
Why you might like it: Filled with photographs and eye-catching illustrations and sidebars, this engaging, pop-culture infused read "will leave even the least historically inclined readers in awe" (Booklist). |
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Black Radical: The Life and Times of William Monroe Trotter
by Kerri Greenidge
Who it's about: William Monroe Trotter (1872- 1934), though still virtually unknown to the wider public, was an unlikely American hero. With the stylistic verve of a newspaperman and the unwavering fearlessness of an emancipator, he galvanized black working- class citizens to wield their political power despite the violent racism of post- Reconstruction America. For more than thirty years, the Harvard-educated Trotter edited and published the Guardian, a weekly Boston newspaper that was read across the nation. Defining himself against the gradualist politics of Booker T. Washington and the elitism of W. E. B. Du Bois, Trotter advocated for a radical vision of black liberation that prefigured leaders such as Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr.
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A Long Time Ago in a Cutting Room Far, Far Away: My Fifty Years Editing Hollywood Hits, Star Wars, Carrie, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Mission: Impossible, and More
by Paul Hirsch
What it is: A behind-the-scenes look at some of the most influential films of the last 50 years by Paul Hirsch, a film editor who worked on more than 40 features. Starting with his work on Carrie, Hirsch gives insight into the production process, touching upon casting, directing, cutting, and scoring.
Why you might like it: Part film-school primer, part paean to legendary directors and professionals, the funny yet insightful writing will entertain and inform aficionados and casual moviegoers alike.
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| In the Dream House by Carmen Maria MachadoWhat it's about: In this inventive collection of short essays, award-winning author Carmen Maria Machado (Her Body and Other Parties) unflinchingly recounts a relationship with an unstable woman that devolved into physical and psychological abuse.
What sets it apart: Machado's fragmented, genre-defying prose plays with storytelling tropes, offering a multilayered view of her relationship as a choose your own adventure, a noir, a stoner comedy, and more.
Book buzz: In the Dream House was longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. |
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| Wedding Toasts I'll Never Give by Ada CalhounWhat it is: an expansion of Ada Calhoun's 2015 essay "The Wedding Toast I'll Never Give," originally published in the New York Times' Modern Love column.
What's inside: a funny and insightful exploration of marriage -- both Calhoun's own and the concept itself -- aided by extensive research and interviews with couples, scholars, and clergy.
Who it's for: Newlyweds and longtime spouses alike will appreciate this engaging collection blending personal reflections with frank advice. |
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Bad Dog: A Love Story
by Martin Kihn
Bad Dog describes how Bernese mountain dog Hola joined author Martin Kihn's family as a puppy, intended as a companion to Martin's wife, Gloria (Martin, an alcoholic, had been neglecting her). When it became clear that the growing Hola was unmanageable and potentially dangerous, Gloria left -- just when Martin had sobered up with Alcoholics Anonymous. Realizing that he needed to get a grip on himself and on Hola, Martin enrolled them both in AKC Canine Good Citizen classes. Martin's account interweaves his efforts to win Gloria back, stay sober, and train Hola into a hilarious but heartfelt narrative that will have readers cheering for the success of both the Kihns' marriage and Hola's training.
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Eve of a Hundred Midnights: The Star-Crossed Love Story of Two WWII Correspondents...
by Bill Lascher
American journalists Mel and Annalee Jacoby married shortly before Pearl Harbor and were working in China until just before the Japanese invasion (they got out just in time). Throughout World War II, they managed to keep a step ahead of the enemy forces while reporting on the Pacific theater. In this swiftly paced dual biography, author Bill Lascher, a distant cousin of the Jacobys, recounts their exploits while chronicling the war's major events "in an utterly detailed and beguiling way" (Booklist, starred review).
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Eleanor and Hick: The Love Affair That Shaped a First Lady
by Susan Quinn
What it's about: the 30-year relationship between First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and reporter Lorena Hickok, who championed each other's pursuits to make the world a better place.
Why you might like it: Fast-paced and meticulously researched, this illuminating dual biography chronicles the evolution of an empowering love.
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| Before I Forget: Love, Hope, Help, and Acceptance in Our Fight Against Alzheimer's by B. Smith & Dan Gasby with Michael Shnayerson; foreword by Rudolph E. Tanzi, PhDWhat it is: a heartfelt account of restaurateur B. Smith's life with early-onset Alzheimer's, co-written by her husband and caregiver Dan Gasby.
Is it for you? Packed with tips, resources, and lessons the couple have learned, this candid blend of memoir and self-help guide will be best appreciated by Alzheimer's patients and their families.
Reviewers say: "an enduring love story of care and adoration" (Publishers Weekly). |
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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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