'memoirs'

7/4/2022

We're bringing the convenience of the library to you--Stop by our Pop-Up Library at local farmer's markets this summer! More information...

The Genome Defense Jorge L. Contreras

Inside the Epic Legal Battle to Determine Who Owns Your DNA // The gripping true story of a Supreme Court civil rights battle to prevent biotech companies from owning the very thing that makes us who we are--our DNA.

346.7304 CONTRERAS

Cramm This Book Olivia Seltzer

So You Know WTF Is Going On in the World Today // A guide to the recent history of the world that's led to where we are today, so Gen Z readers can have context for the news they see and hear every day.

306 SELTZER

Smile by Sarah Ruhl

The Story of a Face // In this poignant and deeply intimate memoir, Sarah Ruhl chronicles her experience with Bell's palsy after giving birth to twins. // Also in Large Print

812.6 RUHL

Eat for Energy by Ari Whitten & Alex Leaf M.S.

How to Beat Fatigue, Supercharge Your Mitochondria, and Unlock All-Day Energy // Ari Whitten takes you on a deep dive of our cellular energy centers, exploring the biggest stressors that affect our mitochondria and the holistic workings of our body systems.

641.59477 HERCULES

If you need help accessing any of these titles or using front door pickup, email or call us and we will be happy to assist you!

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Curiosity is probably my strongest characteristic. It shows up most strongly when I meet new people. Sometimes, I meet them in person at the library or when I’m traveling. Even more often, I meet new people in books.

There is never the awkward stumbling through an initial conversation. No wondering if I’m saying something offensive or confusing while reading. The author introduces me to someone new and away I go into finding out all about them.

My curiosity leads me to ask questions, even when reading. “Why would he do that?,” will send me back through the pages to catch what I must have missed. Fictional characters’ actions are often well explained in a book. Then there are the historical books which sometimes give one view of a moment in our past. I especially enjoy histories of groups of people like Warriors in Uniform: the Legacy of American Indian Heroism by Herman Viola. It had personal stories and the history that put their stories into context. I enjoyed a lot of the pictures also.

Memoirs are a real person’s retelling of an event or life experience through an emotional lens. Will I learn about the person? Absolutely. Some personal stories are told through important messages they want to share as in Every Body Yoga by Jessamyn Stanley.

How many times have you asked a question like “Is Sam your oldest brother or cousin?” That’s done when in the presence of another person. No matter how many times we visit with that individual, we can’t keep those details straight. A good amount of credit needs to go to people who can remember all the details about a person they meet like Sherlock Holmes does or Detective Vale in The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman. Yes, that one’s fiction but I’m connected to all the characters. I also ask why about actions or viewpoints and sometimes get answers from living and breathing people though this can be much easier in a book. When searching for an answer in a book, there is no consequence for rereading a page to find the answer like there might be by asking, “What’s your name again?”.

Another way to get to know people who I can’t find in our community is to read their folklore or stories based on them. The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri includes the epics of India as the background. Stories set in a real location in a different time, brings the people of those parts of the world to life. Noor by Nnedi Okorafor is another science fiction novel that uses African culture as a backdrop. In it, I met Fulani herdsman which I knew nothing about before reading this fictional story.

Our Library also has some great children’s biographical picture books. The stories are true but placed in a story format. We even have graphical biographies which are wonderful fun to read.

With so many options, you could make new acquaintances every day at the library. It’s OK if you don’t remember the title or the author or the name of the character. Ask one of us and we’ll help you locate it. We love to be asked, “What is the name of the book that has the colorful cover with eyes looking out at me?” We’ll start asking you questions and very likely find your book. “Is it about a tracker?”

“Yes,” you say and we answer with the title or walk you over to find the book. By the way, that is Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James which gives us a look into African history and mythology through a fictional tale.

Curiosity is great. Keep asking questions and discovering who else is out there.

11/1/2021

Get out your bags and boxes! The Friends of the Campbell Library Book Sale is November 5 and 6! More information

The Taking of Jemima Boone by Matthew Pearl

Colonial Settlers, Tribal Nations, and the Kidnap That Shaped America // Explores the little-known true story of the kidnapping of thirteen-year-old Jemima Boone, Daniel Boone's daughter, by a Cherokee-Shawnee raiding party and the ensuing battle with reverberations that nobody could predict.

976.902 PEARL

Days Like Smoke by Nick Davis

A Minnesota boyhood // Here is the story of Jon Hassler's early years. His poignant remembrance of family and friends, of youthful calamities and triumphs, show what shaped him and opened his path to become one of Minnesota's best-loved and iconic writers. Memoirs are written from the vantage point of age. Here, his close examination of memory--what endures and why--unfold the pivotal moments of his growing up in the small towns of Staples and Plainview, MN. Family, friends, new neighborhoods and old, questions of faith and doubt--all had deep meaning, he comes to see.

813.54 HASSLER

Voices from the Pandemic by Eli Saslow

Americans Tell Their Stories of Crisis, Courage and Resilience // The Covid-19 pandemic was a world-shattering event, affecting everyone in the nation. From its first ominous stirrings, renowned journalist Eli Saslow began interviewing a cross-section of Americans, capturing their experiences in real time: An exhausted and anguished EMT risking his life in New York City; a grocery store owner feeding his neighborhood for free in locked-down New Orleans; an overwhelmed coroner in Georgia; a Maryland restaurateur forced to close his family business after forty-six years; an Arizona teacher wrestling with her fears and her obligations to her students; rural citizens adamant that the whole thing is a hoax, and retail workers attacked for asking people to wear masks; patients struggling to breathe and doctors desperately trying to save them.

614.5 SASLOW

Once Upon a Time in Queens  by Nick Davis

An oral history of the 1986 Mets // A full-color celebration of the New York Mets' iconic World Series championship, with oral history-style text throughout and remembrances from key players and fans. October 2021 will mark the 35th anniversary of the 86 Mets' World Series win. This is a tie-in book to the ESPN multi-part "30 for 30" documentary series. Unique photographs of the team and the era are also included. A foreword by Kimmel, discussing what the Mets and their triumph means to him, round out this fantastic package.

796.357 DAVIS

If you need help accessing any of these titles or using front door pickup, email or call us and we will be happy to assist you!

View Book Notes PDF archive