memoir

In brutally honest and funny stories, Drew Magary reveals how American mothers and fathers cope with being in over their heads (getting drunk while trick-or-treating, watching helplessly as a child defiantly pees in a hotel pool, engaging in role-play with a princess-crazed daughter), and how stepping back can sometimes make all the difference (talking a toddler down from the third story of a netted-in playhouse, allowing children to make little mistakes in the kitchen to keep them from making the bigger ones in life). It's a celebration of all the surprises--joyful and otherwise--that come with being part of a real family. In the wake of recent bestsellers that expose how every other culture raises their children better, Someone Could Get Hurt offers a hilarious and heartfelt defense of American child rearing with a glimpse into the genuine love and compassion that accompany the missteps and flawed logic. It's the story of head lice, almost-dirty words, and flat head syndrome, and a man trying to commit the ultimate act of selflessness in a selfish world.

Balance is the theme of Nik's life: between his work and family, his faith in God and artistry, his body and soul. It resonates from him when performing and when no one is looking. When walking across Niagara Falls, he prayed aloud the entire time, and to keep his lust for glory and fame in check, Nik returned to the site of his performance the next day and spent three hours cleaning up trash left by the crowd.

A poignant and inspirational memoir of one family's emigration from Cuba to the United States during the harsh political times associated with the Cuban Revolution, Boxing for Cuba is a lyrical testament to the tenacity of the human spirit. A must-read for all.

The author recounts his experiences as a stand-up comic turned character actor who regularly makes guest appearances on sitcoms, without ever having a show of his own.

The author of the popular blog Enjoying the Small Things interweaves lyrical prose and stunning four-color photography as she recounts the story of the first year of her daughter Nella--who has Down syndrome--and celebrates the beauty found in the unexpected, the strength of a mother's love, and, ultimately, the amazing power of perspective.

Illuminates the friendships that have influenced, nourished, inspired, and haunted the author--and sometimes torn her apart--each of which has its own lessons that she seeks to understand.

Documents the author's observations of circumstances reflected in a maximum-security prison and subsequent launch of a humanities college course for dropouts, immigrants and former inmates who eventually became high-achieving contributors to society.

An autobiography in graphic-novel form, A Chinese Life traces a remarkable personal journey through modern history, from the creation of the People's Republic of China in 1949 to the present day. Working in close collaboration with writer Philippe O?tie?, artist Li Kunwu has created a timely and compelling memoir of state and self that is at once epic and intimate, comic and tragic, in scope.

In the summer of 1962, nineteen-year-old Mimi Beardsley arrived in Washington, D.C., to begin an internship in the White House press office. After just three days on the job, the privileged but sheltered young woman was presented to the President himself. Almost immediately, the two began an affair that would continue for the next eighteen months. Emotionally unprepared to counter the President?s charisma and power, Mimi was also ill-equipped to handle the feelings of isolation that would follow as she fell into the double life of a college student who was also the secret lover of the most powerful man in the world. After the President?s assassination in Dallas, she grieved alone, locked her secret away, and tried to start a new life, only to be blindsided by her past.

Nina Sankovitch reflects on the influence of reading on her life, sharing details of how her sister's death led her to find the therapeutic qualities of a book and discussing the authors who have made an impression on her as well as her family history.