Posts
You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism
The stories shared by comedian Amber Ruffin and her sister Lacey Lamar are hilarious and heartbreaking, unbelievable and yet unsurprising. Their personal and professional experiences and those of their parents demonstrate systemic racism experienced from Omaha to Chicago and New York City. Yes, this book is funny. More importantly, it provides valuable insight on the experiences of Black women in modern America–the daily injustices, the casual ignorance, and the obstacles faced.
Mobituaries: Great Lives Worth Reliving
Mo Rocca expands on his podcast of the same name in this engaging and wryly humorous collection of biographies. In Mobituaries (2019), Rocca writes obituaries for those who were not appropriately celebrated upon their death—or whose actions have been forgotten by history.
Action Park: Fast Times, Wild Rides and the Untold Story of America’s Most Dangerous Amusement Park by Andy Mulvihill with Jake Rossen
Action Park is a memoir written by Andy Mulvihill, whose father, Gene, founded the titular amusement park in 1978. Located in New Jersey, Action Park was known for its innovative rides with lax safety standards, and was popularly known by nicknames such as “Traction Park” and “Class Action Park”. This book tells the horrifying, fascinating story of the park from its founding to its eventual closure in 1996 following six deaths and countless personal injury lawsuits.
In Pieces by Sally Field
Looking back on her life on and off the screen, Sally Field brings a mature, sensitive, and poignant reading to her intimate, hauntingly honest, as well as authentic and fresh memoir,
Still Foolin’ ‘Em by Billy Crystal
Billy Crystal has just turned 65 as he reflects on his personal and professional life while providing his observations on aging in his memoir,
The Poison Squad by Deborah Blum
The Poison Squad tells the story of Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley, head chemist of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 30 years beginning in the late 1880s, who was instrumental in the passing of the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act. Not only an account of Wiley’s career, this book also describes in detail the horrifying food industry practices that led to the need for national regulations.
The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
In Erik Larson’s latest book, The Splendid and the Vile, we join Winston Churchill on the day he is sworn in as Prime Minister of England, momentous as it is the same day that Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
If you love to read memoirs, you will love Maybe You Should Talk to Someone. Gottlieb does a wonderful job with making the topic of therapy fun, engaging, human and relatable.