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Biography and Memoir
June 2024
Recent Releases
Did I Ever Tell You?
by Genevieve Kingston

Genevieve Kingston expands on her 2021 "Modern Love" essay in her affecting debut memoir about the milestone-themed letters and gifts her mother left behind after dying from cancer when the author was 11. For fans of: My Wife Said You May Want to Marry Me by Jason B. Rosenthal.
I heard her call my name : a memoir of transition
by Lucy Sante

The Belgian-born American writer shares the both the arc of her artistic journey as well as a step-by-step account of her 2021 transition to becoming a woman at the age of nearly 70.
Power and Glory: Elizabeth II and the Rebirth of Royalty
by Alexander Larman

Drawing on previously unpublished materials, the final volume in Alexander Larman's trilogy about the House of Windsor chronicles the British royal family's post-World War II exploits, culminating in the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Further reading: Young Elizabeth: The Making of the Queen by Kate Williams.
The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their...
by Karen Valby

Karen Valby's inspiring expansion of her 2021 New York Times article profiles the trailblazing accomplishments of Black ballerinas Lydia Abarca-Mitchell, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells, and Karlya Shelton-Benjamin, who were among the first company members of the Dance Theatre of Harlem in the 1960s and '70s. Further reading: Dance Theatre of Harlem: A History, A Movement, A Celebration by Judy Tyrus and Paul Novosel.
Small Acts of Courage: A Legacy of Endurance and the Fight for Democracy
by Ali Velshi

Journalist and MSNBC correspondent Ali Velshi details over 100 years of his family's history in activism and resistance in this sweeping memoir that "provides a crash course in Indian diasporic history" (Kirkus Reviews). For fans of: An American Family: A Memoir of Hope and Sacrifice by Khizr Khan.
Focus on: Pride Month
Drive : the lasting legacy of Tiger Woods
by Bob Harig

A deep-dive into Tiger Woods' thrilling career, as seen through his iconic 2019 Masters comeback and win. Illustrations.
Chasing beauty : the life of Isabella Stewart Gardner
by Natalie Dykstra

Chronicles the life of the creator of one of America's most stunning museums—an American original whose own life was remade by art; includes archival photos of her world, museum and the art she collected.
Hijab Butch Blues
by Lamya H

Pseudonymous Lamya H's Stonewall Book Award-winning debut offers a moving account of the author's experiences as a queer Muslim woman who immigrated to the United States as a teen and found strength from stories in the Quran. Try this next: Love Is an Ex-Country by Randa Jarrar.
Rebel rising : a memoir
by Rebel Wilson

Chronicling the emotional and physical lessons she's learned as well as her most embarrassing experiences, the scene-stealing actress, writing about the most personal and important moments in her life, from fertility issues and weight gain and loss to rejections, shows us how to love ourselves while making us laugh uncontrollably
In the Form of a Question: The Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life
by Amy Schneider

Jeopardy! contestant Amy Schneider, the show's most decorated woman champion, shares her unlikely path toward becoming a "Famous Celebrity Trans Person" in this funny and nonlinear memoir-in-essays featuring chapter titles styled like Jeopardy! questions. Try this next: Form of a Question by Andrew Rostan.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Mary Riley Styles Public Library
120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church, Virginia 22046
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www.mrspl.org