Staff Picks: Biography
National Book Awards Nominees for 2011
In 1950, several book publishers created the National Book Awards to create awareness of outstanding books written by American authors and to popularize reading by the public. These awards have become one of the best known literary prizes. The awards are presented in four categories to recognize the best in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and young people's literature. The nominees for 2011 are as follows:
FICTION
The Sojourn by Andrew Krivak
The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht
The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
Binocular Vision by Edith Pearlman
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
NONFICTION
The Convert: A Tale of Exile and Extremism by Deborah Baker
Love and Capital: Karl and Jenny Marx and the Birth of a Revolution by Mary Gabriel
The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt
Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable
Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie, A Tale of Love and Fallout by Lauren Redniss
POETRY
Head Off & Split by Nikky Finney
The Chameleon Couch by Yusef Komunyakaa
Double Shadow by Carl Phillips
Tonight No Poetry Will Serve: Poems 2007-2010 by Adrienne Rich
Devotions by Bruce Smith
YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE
Chime by Franny Billingsley
My Name Is Not Easy by Franny Billingsley
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy by Albert Marrin
Shine by Lauren Myracle
Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt
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Living many lives
As a child of the 1970s I love TV, so much so that I watch some of the old 70s and 80s TV shows. I’ve been watching Hart to Hart, so when I ordered Stefanie Powers autobiography, One from the Hart I thought I’d give it a go. I knew the basics, successful actress, William Holden’s girlfriend, wildlife enthusiast. Powers is a California girl, her grandparents emigrated from Poland in the early 20th century, and her mother was born in New York State in 1912. Her mother, Julie, headed to Hollywood in the 1930s along with hundreds of other movie hopefuls, met and married, and had Stefanie and her brother.
While growing up in Hollywood in the 1940s, Powers is on the fringe of the Hollywood scene, taking dance with Natalie Wood, getting a part in the movie West Side Story, only to be cut and replaced several weeks into rehearsing. Thru all the ups and downs, Stefanie keeps her sense of humor and her thirst for travel. In 1974 Bill Holden takes her to his place in east Africa, Mt. Kenya Safari Club and her life changes forever. Stefanie has always been an animal lover but being in Africa seems to take it to another level. Today she is the president of the William Holden Wildlife Foundation. Ever the performer Powers has toured on stage with various productions for the past 20 years. Stefanie Powers's passion for everything is inspiring and I enjoyed sharing her life for a brief period of time.
So go ahead, pick another life to live!
Here are some of the new biographies from the last year.
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SRC Reviews: Friday Short Picks - Nonfiction
The Day John Died by Christopher Andersen
4 Stars - Great. Definitely Worth It.
I couldn't put it down. It was a detailed account of JFK, Jr. life from infant through adulthood. Just fascinating the family dynamics of the Kennedy family. Not only did I learn alot about John but also his mother, aunts ,uncles and cousins. (92 Kennedy) By Dawn P.
Man in the Rockefeller Suit by Mark Seal
4 Stars - Great. Definitely Worth It.
Fascinating read on a real life con man gone bonkers. The Rockefeller name endures. (364.1633 S438m) By Tony M.
20 Years Younger by Bob Greene
4 Stars - Great. Definitely Worth It.
If you are interested in staying healhy and looking and feeling better as you age, you should read this book. The book includes how-to-advice for changing your diet, your exercise, skin care, sleeping habits, all geared toward looking and feeling younger. I read a lot of "health-type" information and found this book to be easy to read and understand. (613.2 G799t) By Sharon R.
Sky High : irresistible triple-layer cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne
4 Stars - Great. Definitely Worth It.
I enjoyed the book. It has some great introduction information. Great prepatory information for creating these wonderful cakes. I liked the presentation of it all. Then finally getting to the recipes, I found some great recipes and lots of variety. All around great dessert book. (641.865 H956s) Anita A.
Suck On This Year: LYFAO @ 140 Characters or Less by Dennis Leary
4 Stars - Great. Definitely Worth It.
This is a teensy tiny book of about a year's worth of tweets from the (in)famous comedian/actor/producer Denis Leary. Taking a note from the pages of Sh!t My Dad Says, he's compiled his favorite tweets into one collection. It's topical, snarky, and humorous. If you're having a bad day and need a grin this little volume will likely hit the spot. It's like a pbj at 3 p.m. when you missed lunch. Sugar high! (817.6 L438s) By Shannon B.
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Pulitzer Prize Winners 2011
The Pulitzer Prizes are dedicated to honoring excellence in journalism and the arts since 1917. Awarded every year by Columbia University, these prizes are selected from a short list of nominated entrants and are very prestigious. Recently announced, the winners for 2011 are as follows:
Fiction: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
History: The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery by Eric Foner
Biography or Autobiography: Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow
General Nonfiction: The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Finalists included:
Fiction:
The Privileges by Jonathan Dee
The Surrendered by Chang-rae Lee
Biography or Autobiography:
The Publisher: Henry Luce and His American Century by Alan Brinkley
Mrs. Adams in Winter: A Journey in the Last Days of Napoleon by Michael O'Brien
General Nonfiction:
The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr
Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History by S.C. Gwynne
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Elizabeth Taylor 1932-2011
Elizabeth in Father of the Bride
Elizabeth Taylor passed away today after a long and fruitful life. Take a look at some movies and and remember: "It is strange that the years teach us patience; that the shorter our time, the greater our capacity for waiting."--Elizabeth Taylor
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
The Comedians
Cleopatra
Father of the Bride
Giant
Ivanhoe
Last Time I Saw Paris
The Mirror Crack'd
A Place in the Sun
The Sandpiper
The VIPs
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf
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