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Recommendations based on The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Familyby Mary S. Lovell
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Zelda
by Nancy Milford
Biography of Zelda Fitzgerald, exploring the tumultuous life and times of the iconic figure.
Zelda Sayre began as a Southern beauty, became an international wonder, and died by fire in a madhouse. With her husband, F. Scott Fitzgerald, she moved in a golden aura of excitement, romance, and ... (Goodreads)
Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table
by Ruth Reichl
A memoir of a food critic's childhood, filled with eccentric characters and culinary adventures that shaped her love for food and writing.
At an early age, Ruth Reichl discovered that "food could be a way of making sense of the world. . . . If you watched people as they ate, you could find out who they were." Her deliciously crafted ... (Goodreads)
A Girl Named Zippy
by Haven Kimmel
A charming account of growing up in rural Indiana, exploring the joys and hardships of life.
When Haven Kimmel was born in 1965 in Mooreland, Indiana, it was a sleepy little hamlet of three hundred people. Nicknamed "Zippy" for the way she would bolt around the house, this small girl was ... (Goodreads)
The Six Wives of Henry VIII
by Alison Weir
A historical account of the tumultuous lives of Henry VIII's six wives, their political and religious struggles.
The tempestuous, bloody, and splendid reign of Henry VIII of England (1509-1547) is one of the most fascinating in all history, not least for his marriage to six extraordinary women. In this ... (Goodreads)
Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History
by Erik Larson
Story of the 1900 Galveston hurricane, and one man's desperate struggle to save his city.
September 8, 1900, began innocently in the seaside town of Galveston, Texas. Even Isaac Cline, resident meteorologist for the U.S. Weather Bureau failed to grasp the true meaning of the strange ... (Goodreads)
All Souls: A Family Story from Southie
by Michael Patrick MacDonald
A memoir of growing up in a poverty-stricken Irish-American neighborhood in Boston.
Michael Patrick MacDonald grew up in "the best place in the world"–the Irish-American Old Colony projects of South Boston--where 85% of the residents collect welfare in an area with the highest ... (Goodreads)
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
by Barack Obama
An exploration of the Obama family history, tracing the threads of identity and race.
In this lyrical, unsentimental, and compelling memoir, the son of a black African father and a white American mother searches for a workable meaning to his life as a black American. It begins in New ... (Goodreads)
Comfort Me with Apples: More Adventures at the Table
by Ruth Reichl
Culinary and cultural exploration of the world, experienced through food.
In this delightful sequel to her bestseller Tender at the Bone, Ruth Reichl returns with more tales of love, life, and marvelous meals. Comfort Me with Apples picks up Reichl's story in 1978, when ... (Goodreads)
Nicholas and Alexandra
by Robert K. Massie
An epic saga about the last Tsar of Russia and the fall of the Romanov dynasty.
The story of the love that ended an empire. In this commanding book, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Robert K. Massie sweeps readers back to the extraordinary world of Imperial Russia to tell the story ... (Goodreads)
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
by Anthony Bourdain
A humorous and unflinching account of life in restaurant kitchens, exploring the culture and camaraderie of the culinary world.
A deliciously funny, delectably shocking banquet of wild-but-true tales of life in the culinary trade from Chef Anthony Bourdain, laying out his more than a quarter-century of drugs, sex, and haute ... (Goodreads)
Jane Austen: A Life
by Claire Tomalin
A biography of Jane Austen, exploring her life, family, and the social context in which she wrote her beloved novels.
At her death in 1817, Jane Austen left the world six of the most beloved novels written in English—but her shortsighted family destroyed the bulk of her letters; and if she kept any diaries, they did ... (Goodreads)
Seabiscuit: An American Legend
by Laura Hillenbrand
An inspiring story of the rise of champion racehorse Seabiscuit and his unlikely jockey.
There's an alternate cover edition, here, Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more ... (Goodreads)
My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey
by Jill Bolte Taylor
Neuroscientist's journey of recovery from a stroke, learning to rewire her brain and appreciate life.
Jill Taylor was a 37-year-old Harvard-trained brain scientist when a blood vessel exploded in her brain. Through the eyes of a curious scientist, she watched her mind deteriorate whereby she could ... (Goodreads)
Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire
by Amanda Foreman
A captivating biography of the 18th century aristocratic society, highlighting the life of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire.
The winner of Britain's prestigious Whitbread Prize and a bestseller there for months, this wonderfully readable biography offers a rich, rollicking picture of late-eighteenth-century British ... (Goodreads)
How to Be a Woman
by Caitlin Moran
A humorous exploration of modern femininity and fighting for women's rights.
Caitlin Moran puts a new face on feminism, cutting to the heart of women’s issues today with her irreverent, transcendent, and hilarious How to Be a Woman. “Half memoir, half polemic, and entirely ... (Goodreads)
The Sense and Sensibility Screenplay and Diaries: Bringing Jane Austen's Novel to Film
by Emma Thompson
Behind-the-scenes look at the making of the 1995 film adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel.
This engaging and beautiful book includes the complete Academy Award-winning script and Thompson's own diaries detailing the production of the film, reviewed by Stanley Kauffmann in The New Republic ... (Goodreads)
Victoria The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire
by Julia Baird
Comprehensive account of Queen Victoria's life, from her early childhood to her death.
The true story for fans of the PBS Masterpiece series Victoria, this page-turning biography reveals the real woman behind the myth: a bold, glamorous, unbreakable queen–a Victoria for our times. ... (Goodreads)
Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America's Soul
by Karen Abbott
A historical account of the notorious Everleigh Club brothel in Chicago and the social and political forces that led to its downfall.
Step into the perfumed parlors of the Everleigh Club, the most famous brothel in American history–and the catalyst for a culture war that rocked the nation. Operating in Chicago’s notorious Levee ... (Barnes & Noble)
84, Charing Cross Road
by Helene Hanff
A 20-year correspondence between an American book lover and a London bookseller.
This charming classic, first published in 1970, brings together twenty years of correspondence between Helene Hanff, a freelance writer living in New York City, and a used-book dealer in London. ... (Goodreads)
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
by Malcolm X
A gripping account of one man's transformation from criminal to civil rights leader.
Alternate cover for ISBN 9780345350688 Through a life of passion and struggle, Malcolm X became one of the most influential figures of the 20th Century. In this riveting account, he tells of his ... (Goodreads)
Marie Antoinette: The Journey
by Antonia Fraser
A biography of Marie Antoinette, from her childhood in Austria to her reign as Queen of France and eventual execution during the French Revolution.
Marie Antoinette's dramatic life-story continues to arouse mixed emotions. To many people, she is still 'la reine méchante', whose extravagance and frivolity helped to bring down the French monarchy; ... (Goodreads)
The Power of Art
by Simon Schama
Exploration of the ways in which art has shaped the world, from antiquity to the present.
"Great art has dreadful manners," Simon Schama observes wryly at the start of his epic and explosive exploration of the power, and whole point, of art. "The hushed reverence of the gallery can fool ... (Goodreads)
When You Are Engulfed in Flames
by David Sedaris
Humorous reflections on everyday life, navigating the absurdities of the human condition.
It's early autumn 1964. Two straight-A students head off to school, and when only one of them returns home Chesney Yelverton is coaxed from retirement and assigned to what proves to be the most ... (Goodreads)
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
by David Sedaris
A humorous collection of autobiographical essays reflecting on family relationships.
David Sedaris plays in the snow with his sisters. He goes on vacation with his family. He gets a job selling drinks. He attends his brother’s wedding. He mops his sister’s floor. He gives directions ... (Goodreads)
Yes Please
by Amy Poehler
Humorous memoir of a celebrated comedian, exploring her life, career, and relationships.
In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please , she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some ... (Goodreads)
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
by John Berendt
A journalist's exploration of a mysterious murder in Savannah, Georgia.
A sublime and seductive reading experience. This portrait of a beguiling Southern city was a best-seller (though a flop as a movie). ~ Shots rang out in Savannah's grandest mansion in the misty, ... (Goodreads)
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
A comprehensive study of the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, and the unique cabinet he assembled.
Winner of the Lincoln Prize Acclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Lincoln's political genius in this highly original work, as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rises from ... (Goodreads)
The Tao of Pooh
by Benjamin Hoff
A whimsical exploration of Taoism through the beloved characters of Winnie the Pooh.
The Wisdom of Pooh. Is there such thing as a Western Taoist? Benjamin Hoff says there is, and this Taoist's favorite food is honey. Through brilliant and witty dialogue with the beloved Pooh-bear and ... (Goodreads)
Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory
by Ben Macintyre
True story of a WWII deception operation involving a dead body, fake documents, and a daring plan to mislead the Nazis.
“Pure catnip to fans of World War II thrillers and a lot of fun for everyone else.”—Joseph Kanon,, Washington Post Book World, “Thrilling . . . What makes, Operation Mincemeat, so winning, in ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Road to Character
by David Brooks
A journey through the lives of influential figures, exploring how they developed their character and moral compass.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • David Brooks challenges us to rebalance the scales between the focus on external success—“résumé virtues”—and our core principles. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE ... (Goodreads)
