641.0973
KIN Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
by Barbara Kingsolver
Kingsolver, her husband, and daughter vowed to only eat homegrown and locally grown food for a year. They had been living as vegetarians for years before and had to abandon their vegetarian ways to survive. Kingsolver’s husband adds sidebars and her daughter writes a short essay for each month including recipes. This is a charming story about a conscious effort to avoid the manufacturing of foods with harmful chemicals and revert back to a balanced existence with nature.
966.404
BEA A Long Way Gone: Memories of a Boy Soldier
by Ishmael Beah
A young boy is brought up in Sierra Leone during a brutal civil war. This memoir explains how he transforms from a typical, innocent young boy to a cocaine addicted, hateful solider and then to a successful adult. It is a captivating story about the tragedy he witnessed and the struggles he overcame.
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Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Starting at age 5 in Somalia, Ali writes about her struggle growing up in an Islamic society and her disapproval of the treatment of women. She was told God would strike her dead if she removed her headdress and was sent to Canada for an arranged marriage. On her way to Canada she escaped and was accepted, on false pretenses, as a Dutch citizen. She was even elected to Parliament. Once elected to Parliament she started to speak out about the mistreatment of Muslim women and her background was revealed. This is a fascinating story about a heroic woman who took risks to voice her struggle and hope for change.
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FDR by Jean Edward Smith
A readable biography for someone with little or no previous knowledge about Franklin D. Roosevelt, yet also appealing to history buffs. Smith successfully outlines FDR’s political and private lives in a single volume. FDR’s childhood and education are emphasized and his struggles and triumphs through his public life are examined closely. This biography unveils FDR’s life from a perspective that is unusual and enticing.
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Anchored in Love: An Intimate Portrait of June Carter Cash
by John Carter Cash
The story begins by reiterating what is already known about June Carter Cash, but ends up exploring and revealing stories that have not been made public before. This is a very personal approach to her life, written by her only child with Johnny Cash. John Carter Cash goes into details about the addictions his family endured, his mother’s religious faith, and the personal relationships and people who touched their lives.
Best picks by Gus Issakson