| Surviving the White Gaze by Rebecca CarrollWhat it's about: Adopted by a white couple in infancy, Rebecca Carroll spent her formative years navigating racist vitriol -- including emotional abuse from her white birth mother -- as the only Black person in her small New Hampshire town.
Read it for: the author's frank and thoughtful account of her hard-won battle for self-acceptance.
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| Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika JaouadHow it began: At 22, recent Princeton grad Suleika Jaouad was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
What happened next: Jaouad spent five years documenting her treatment for the New York Times; when her cancer went into remission, she embarked on a 100-day road trip to meet well-wishers.
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| The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James... by Anna Malaika TubbsWhat it is: a well-researched collective biography of Alberta King (Martin Luther King, Jr.'s mother), Louise Little (Malcolm X's mother), and Berdis Baldwin (James Baldwin's mother), each of whom were foundational influences on their sons' lives and careers.
Why it matters: Sociology doctoral candidate Anna Malaika Tubbs' illuminating debut celebrates three women whose contributions to the civil rights movement have largely been ignored and offers needed perspectives on Black women's experiences in the early 20th century. |
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| Queens of the Crusades: England's Medieval Queens Book Two by Alison WeirWhat it is: a sweeping group biography of England's first five Plantagenet queens, packed with vivid detail and court intrigue.
Series alert: Queens of the Crusades is the 2nd in the England's Medieval Queens series, following Queens of the Conquest.
Is it for you? Fans of medieval history will enjoy this accessible volume, though historian Alison Weir's narrative employs speculation about events that haven't been well-documented. |
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Cheeky : a head-to-toe memoir
by Ariella Elovic
A full-color graphic-novel memoir celebrating the imperfections of the author’s female body shares compassionate insights into how to reject body-shaming messages while embracing the body’s uniqueness, needs, desires and power.
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The Magic of Terry Pratchett
by Marc Burrows
Marc Burrows is a London bases writer, stand up comic and musician. He discovered the works of Pratchett when his mum lent him The Colour of Magic as an 11 year old, and spent the next week annoying his classmates by reading the funniest bits out loud. He has never looked back.
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Diary of an apprentice astronaut
by Samantha Cristoforetti
"Six years ago, Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti spent two hundred days orbiting around Earth on the International Space Station. In this fascinating memoir, she tells the story of her extraordinary journey: from grueling years of training to daily life in space, from great events to small discoveries, from old rituals to jokes about the meaning of life. Writing with warmth and authenticity, Cristoforetti chronicles her journey to becoming an astronaut--the many years spent traveling around the world, from Star City to Houston, always between languages and cultures, technology and nature. Honest and inspiring, Diary of an Apprentice Astronaut is a riveting story about what it takes to pursue your dreams"
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Young heroes of the Soviet Union : a memoir and a reckoning
by Alex Halberstadt
Pondering the question “Can trauma be inherited?”, a Russian-American author and journalist seeks to name and acknowledge a legacy of familial trauma and to end a cycle of estrangement that afflicts his family. Illustrations.
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| Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by Anne GlenconnerWhat it's about: Anne Glenconner's life in the royal spotlight, serving as maid of honor at Queen Elizabeth's 1953 coronation and lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret for more than 30 years. Also available in Large Print.
Read it for: a candid, occasionally gossipy insider's account of what it's like to live among a famously private family. |
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| The World's Fastest Man: The Extraordinary Life of Cyclist Major Taylor, America's First... by Michael KranishStarring: Black athlete Marshall "Major" Taylor, who in early 20th-century America broke barriers -- and records -- by becoming the world's fastest bicyclist, persisting in the face of relentless racist harassment.
Why you should read it: This engaging biography celebrates a trailblazing yet forgotten sports hero who inspired other Black athletes, including heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson, who initially aspired to cycling stardom himself. |
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| The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman's Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death... by Sarah KrasnosteinWhat it is: a riveting biography of Sandra Pankhurst, a larger-than-life trans woman who runs a trauma cleaning business in Australia. Also available in Ebook and Talking Book CD.
Topics include: Pankhurst's rough childhood as an adoptee living in an abusive household; her complicated relationship with her own children; addiction battles; her brief foray into sex work.
Awards buzz: The Trauma Cleaner won the Victorian Prize for Literature and the Nettie Palmer Prize for Non-fiction in 2018. |
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| The Dalai Lama: An Extraordinary Life by Alexander NormanWhat it is: a compelling and well-researched biography of the Dalai Lama, with a particular interest in His Holiness' worldview and ambivalent relationship with politics. Also available in Ebook. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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