|
Biography and Memoir July 2022
|
|
|
|
|
Dilla time : the life and afterlife of J Dilla, the hip-hop producer who reinvented rhythm
by Dan Charnas
In Dilla Time, Dan Charnas chronicles the life of James DeWitt Yancey, from his gifted childhood in Detroit, to his rise as a Grammy-nominated hip-hop producer, to the rare blood disease that caused his premature death; and follows the people who kept him and his ideas alive. He also rewinds the histories of American rhythms: from the birth of soul in Dilla’s own “Motown,” to funk, techno, and disco. Here, music is a story of Black culture in America and of what happens when human and machine times are synthesized into something new. Dilla Time is a different kind of book about music, a visual experience with graphics that build those concepts step by step for fans and novices alike, teaching us to “see” and feel rhythm in a unique and enjoyable way.
|
|
|
Bomb shelter : love, time, and other explosives
by Mary Laura Philpott
A lifelong worrier, Philpott always kept an eye out for danger, a habit that only intensified when she became a parent. But she looked on the bright side, too, believing that as long as she cared enough, she could keep her loved ones safe.
Then, in the dark of one quiet, pre-dawn morning, she woke abruptly to a terrible sound—and found her teenage son unconscious on the floor. In the aftermath of a crisis that darkened her signature sunny spirit, she wondered: If this happened, what else could happen? And how do any of us keep going when we can’t know for sure what’s coming next?
Leave it to the writer whose critically acclaimed debut had us “laughing and crying on the same page” (NPR) to illuminate what it means to move through life with a soul made of equal parts anxiety and optimism.
|
|
| 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." |
|
| 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. |
|
| 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. |
|
| 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). |
|
| 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. |
|
| 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). |
|
| 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." |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
Newmarket Public Library 438 Park Ave. Newmarket, Ontario L3Y1W1 905-953-5110www.newmarketpl.ca |
|
|
|