American mother / Mccann, Colum

The English language has no specific word for the parent that has lost a child. There exist words for orphan, widow and widower, but there is no word that captures and conveys this tragic type of loss. It has been eleven years since Diane Foley's son, the American journalist James Foley, was kidnapped in northern Syria, and nearly ten since that day in August 2014 when she would learn that he had been murdered by ISIS in a public beheading that would ricochet in video around the world. A whole decade. Time rushes past. And yet, for Diane, that moment is unending. In American Mother, legendary author Colum McCann tells Diane's story as she recalls the months of his captivity, the efforts made to bring him home and the days following his death, in which Diane came face to face with one of the men responsible for her son's kidnapping and torture. A testament to the power of radical empathy and moral courage, American Mother takes us inside one woman's extraordinary journey to find connection in a world torn asunder, and to fight for others as a way to keep her son's memory alive.

Briefly perfectly human : making an authentic life by getting real about the end / Arthur, Alua

"A deeply transformative memoir that reframes how we think about death and how it can help us lead better, more fulfilling and authentic lives, from America's preeminent death doula"--

The fixer : moguls, mobsters, movie stars, and Marilyn / Westphal, Manfred

"A riveting tell-all biography that delves into the extraordinary life of Hollywood's most infamous private detective and "fixer" to the stars, revealing newly discovered shocking revelations from his never-before-seen investigative files. During the height of Hollywood's golden age, one man lorded over the city's lurid underbelly of forbidden sin and celebrity scandal like no other: Fred Otash. An ex-Marine turned L.A.P.D. vice cop, Otash became the most sought-after private detective and fixer to the stars by specializing in the dark arts that would soon dominate the entertainment industry. Otash was notorious for bugging the homes, offices, and playpens of movie stars, kingmakers, and powerful politicians, employing then state-of-the-art methods of electronic surveillance and wiretapping for a who's who list of clients for whom he'd do "anything short of murder." He lied to federal authorities to protect Frank Sinatra from criminal liability; recorded Rock Hudson's coming out confession to his estranged wife; moved in with Judy Garland to help her get sober; taped President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy's tragic love affairs with the greatest sex symbol of all time, and he listened to Marilyn Monroe die. Based on Otash's never-before-seen investigative files and personal archives, The fixer takes readers inside the sensational and nefarious world of the man whose art imitating life inspired the private eye characters portrayed by Jack Nicholson in Chinatown and Russell Crowe in LA Confidential"--

My beloved monster : Masha, the half-wild rescue cat who rescued me / Carr, Caleb

"Caleb Carr has had special relationships with cats since he was a young boy in a turbulent household, famously peopled by the founding members of the Beat Generation, where his steadiest companions were the adopted cats that lived with him both in the city and the country. As an adult, he has had many close feline companions, with relationships that have outlasted most of his human ones. But only after building a three-story home in rural, upstate New York did he enter into the most extraordinary of all of his cat pairings: Masha, a Siberian Forest cat who had been abandoned as a kitten, and was languishing in a shelter when Caleb met her. She had hissed and fought off all previous carers and potential adopters, but somehow, she chose Caleb as her savior. For the seventeen years that followed, Caleb and Masha were inseparable. Masha ruled the house and the extensive, dangerous surrounding fields and forests. When she was hurt, only Caleb could help her. When he suffered long-standing physical ailments, Masha knew what to do. Caleb's life-long study of the literature of cat behavior, and his years of experience with previous cats, helped him decode much of Masha's inner life. But their bond went far beyond academic studies and experience. The story of Caleb and Masha is an inspiring and life-affirming relationship for readers of all backgrounds and interests--a love story like no other."--

Nine lives and counting : a bounty hunter's journey to faith, hope, and redemption / Chapman, Duane (Duane Lee)
9 lives and counting :
"In his riveting follow up to two New York Times bestsellers, bounty hunter and reality television star Duane "Dog" Chapman reveals the story of how God redeemed his life and gave him renewed purpose and along the way recounts the adventures and exploits that have made him legend"--

Rough magic : living with borderline personality disorder / Newman, Miranda

"A harrowing but ultimately uplifting literary memoir about living with borderline personality disorder--the most stigmatized diagnosis in mental health. 'I didn't know whether to take you to a psychologist or an exorcist.' This is how Miranda Newman's mother described the experience of trying to find an explanation for her daughter's behaviour. It would be years before Miranda was able to find a diagnosis that explained the complicated way she moved through the world. She would have to advocate for herself in the mental health system while dealing with abuse, homelessness, survival sex, suicide attempts and hospitalizations. Through it all, Miranda has found strength in her diagnosis. Her recollections are visceral and confessional, but also self-aware, irreverent and funny. She tells readers how she has found strength and joy in what others might see as tragic, while bolstering her personal recollections with deeply researched observations on Canada's mental healthcare system, and the history of diagnostics and disorder, using research supported by her work at Yale University."--

Unrooted : botany, motherhood, and the fight to save an old science / Zimmerman, Erin.

"An exploration of science, motherhood, and academia, and a stirring account of a woman at a personal and professional crossroads. Growing up in rural Ontario, Erin Zimmerman became fascinated with plants -- an obsession that led to a life in academia as a professional botanist. But as her career choices narrowed in the face of failing institutions and subtle, but ubiquitous, sexism, Zimmerman began to doubt herself. Unrooted: Botany, Motherhood, and the Fight to Save an Old Science is a scientist's memoir, a glimpse into the ordinary life of someone in a fascinating field. This is a memoir about plants, about looking at the world with wonder, and about what it means to be a woman in academia -- an environment that pushes out mothers and those with any outside responsibilities. Zimmerman delves into her experiences as a new mom, her decision to leave her position in post-graduate research, and how she found a new way to stay in the field she loves. She also explores botany as a "dying science" worth fighting for. While still an undergrad, Zimmerman's university started the process of closing the Botany Department, a sign of waning funding for her beloved science. Still, she argues for its continuation, not only because we have at least 100,000 plant species yet to be discovered, but because an understanding of botany is crucial in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. Zimmerman is also a botanical illustrator and will provide 12 original illustrations for the book"--

Inside life : I bend, I don't break / Oluyole, Seyi

"Here, between these pages, I am Seyi Oluyole - the woman you have seen, admired, talked about, looked up to even, maybe, many times and still do; and then I am the child abused, the daughter misunderstood, the wife unloved, the woman scorned, and the soul undone. This book is a love letter to myself; a reminder of who I am - not my mistakes, not my past, not my vulnerabilities or weaknesses, but my soul. It hurt to write, and it may hurt to read but I hope it leaves you knowing: regardless of who is saying what, that you are worth fighting for"--Back cover.

Life : my story through history / Francis, Pope

For the first time, Pope Francis tells the story of his life as he looks back on the momentous world events that have changed history-from his earliest years during the outbreak of WWII to the turmoil of today. Turning the pages of the precious book that is life, Pope Francis leads us along a path made of emotions, joys, and agonies: a window on the past that will allow us to better understand our present.

Spector / Argott, Don

A chance encounter between charismatic actress Lana Clarkson and legendary music producer Phil Spector ended in a fatal shooting that forever warped his legacy. How could one of the most important figures in 20th-century pop music also be a monster? This four-part docuseries peels back the layers of one of Hollywood's most tragic crimes to paint a more human portrait of Lana Clarkson and the deeply disturbed man convicted of her murder.