Category: Biography

Making a scene: New biographies and memoirs

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It’s that time again, a bumper crop of new biographies and memoirs are hitting our shelves and we’d love to share them with you. Whether your interest is stars of the screen, literary giants, world history or stories close to home, we’ve got something for everyone.

Making a scene / Wu, Constance
“Through raw and relatable essays, Constance shares private memories of childhood, young love and heartbreak, sexual assault and harassment, and how she “made it” in Hollywood. Her stories offer a behind-the-scenes look at being Asian American in the entertainment industry and the continuing evolution of her identity and influence in the public eye.” (Catalogue)

Terry Pratchett : a life with footnotes / Wilkins, Rob
“At the time of his death in 2015, he was working on his finest story yet – his own. Tragically, Terry ran out of time to complete the memoir he so desperately wanted to write. But now, in the only authorised biography of one of our best known and best loved writers, his manager and friend Rob Wilkins picks up where Terry left off, and with the help of friends, family and Terry’s own unpublished work, tells the full story of an extraordinary life.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Remainders of the day : a bookshop diary / Bythell, Shaun
“The Bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland is a book lover’s paradise, with thousands of books across nearly a mile of shelves, a real log fire, and Captain, the portly bookshop cat. You’d think that after twenty years, owner Shaun Bythell would be used to his quirky customers by now. Filled with the pernickety warmth and humor that has touched readers around the world, stuffed with literary treasures, hidden gems, and incunabula, Remainders of the Day is a warm and welcome memoir of a life in books.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Surviving Marmite : a memoir of growing up Iranian in New Zealand / MacLean, Anisa
“In 2000, when I was just seven years old, my family immigrated from Iran to New Zealand. Surviving Marmite chronicles our wild Kiwi journey; brimming with serious culture shock to hilarious misunderstandings and everything in between. It features my unconventional family: my overly optimistic taxi-driver father, my overly pessimistic eyebrow-threading mother, and my sister and I, frizzy-haired, confused and clearly incongruous third-culture kids.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

No filter : the good, the bad, and the beautiful / Porizkova, Paulina
“Writer and former model Paulina Porizkova pens a series of intimate, introspective, and enlightening essays about the complexities of womanhood at every age, pulling back the glossy magazine cover and writing from the heart”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

A heart that works / Delaney, Rob
“In 2016, Rob Delaney’s one-year-old son, Henry, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The family had moved from Los Angeles to London with their two young boys when Rob’s wife was pregnant with Henry, their third.  Amid the hospital routine, surgeries, and brutal treatments, they found a newfound community of nurses, aides, caregivers, and fellow parents contending with the unthinkable. Two years later, Henry died, and his family watched their world fall away to reveal the things that matter most.” (Catalogue)

Mussolini’s daughter : the most dangerous woman in Europe / Moorehead, Caroline
“Edda Mussolini was the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini’s oldest and favorite child. Drawing on a wealth of archival material, some newly released, along with memoirs and personal papers, Mussolini’s Daughter paints a portrait of a woman in her twenties whose sheer force of character and ruthless narcissism helped impose a brutal and vulgar movement on a pliable and complicit society. Yet as Moorehead shows, not even Edda’s colossal willpower, her scheming, nor her father’s avowed love could save her husband from Mussolini’s brutal vengeance.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Lives of the wives : five literary marriages / Ciuraru, Carmela
“The history of wives is largely one of silence, resilience, and forbearance. Toss in celebrity, male privilege, ruthless ambition, narcissism, and a few more factors, and it’s easy to understand why the marriages of many famous writers have been stormy, short-lived, and mutually destructive. looks at the complex and fascinating but tumultuous marriages of five well-known figures in the literary world,and exposes the misery behind closed doors. The wives were often demonized and misrepresented, and paid a price when they achieved recognition and freedom.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

We danced on our desks : brilliance and backstabbing at the sixties’ most influential magazine / Norman, Philip
“At the age of 22, Philip Norman lands a dream job as a staff writer on the Sunday Time’s hugely wealthy and prestigious colour magazine at the epicentre of newly-dubbed Swinging London. Under its indulgent editor, Godfrey Smith, he’s allowed to travel the world on munificent expenses, interviewing the famous and infamous from Stevie Wonder to Libya’s combustible Colonel Gaddafi. And between assignments, he’s caught up in office politics and partying that makes the Borgias seem almost civilized by comparison.” (Catalogue)

Boldly go : reflections on a life of awe and wonder / Shatner, William
“The beloved star of Star Trek, recent space traveler, and living legend William Shatner reflects on the interconnectivity of all things, our fragile bond with nature, and the joy that comes from exploration in this inspiring, revelatory, and exhilarating collection of essays.” (Catalogue)

The light we carry : overcoming in uncertain times / Obama, Michelle
“Mrs. Obama offers readers a series of fresh stories and insightful reflections on change, challenge, and power, including her belief that when we light up for others, we can illuminate the richness and potential of the world around us, discovering deeper truths and new pathways for progress.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

For more new items in the collection, go to: What’s new & Popular / March 2023 (wcl.govt.nz)

Phenomenal Women – Celebrating International Women’s Day 2023

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It’s International Women’s Day and while we like to celebrate the achievements and lives of women every day, it’s good to stop and highlight the outstanding women of the world on this special day every year.  We’ve put together this list of recent titles showcasing books by and about phenomenal women.

Hilma af Klint : a biography / Voss, Julia
“The Swedish painter Hilma af Klint (1862-1944) was 44 years old when she broke with the academic tradition in which she had been trained. While her naturalistic landscapes and botanicals were shown during her lifetime, her body of radical, abstract works never received the same attention. Today, it is widely accepted that af Klint produced the earliest abstract paintings by a trained European artist. But this is only part of her story.  Inspired by her first encounter with the artist’s work in 2008, Julia Voss set out to learn Swedish and research af Klint’s life-not only who the artist was but what drove and inspired her. .” (Adapted from Catalogue)

README.txt : a memoir / Manning, Chelsea
“While working as an intelligence analyst in Iraq for the United States Army in 2010, Chelsea Manning disclosed more than seven hundred thousand classified military and diplomatic records that she had smuggled out of the country on the memory card of her digital camera. In 2011 she was charged with twenty-two counts related to the unauthorized possession and distribution of classified military records, and in 2013 she was sentenced to thirty-five years in military prison. This powerful, observant memoir will stand as one of the definitive testaments of our digital, information-driven age.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The light we carry : overcoming in uncertain times / Obama, Michelle
“Mrs. Obama offers readers a series of fresh stories and insightful reflections on change, challenge, and power, including her belief that when we light up for others, we can illuminate the richness and potential of the world around us, discovering deeper truths and new pathways for progress. With trademark humor, candor, and compassion, she also explores issues connected to race, gender, and visibility, encouraging readers to work through fear, find strength in community, and live with boldness.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Elizabeth Taylor : the grit & glamour of an icon / Brower, Kate Andersen
“No celebrity rivals Elizabeth Taylor’s glamour and guts or her level of fame. She was the last major star to come out of the old Hollywood studio system and she is a legend known for her beauty and her magnetic screen presence in a career that spanned most of the twentieth century and nearly sixty films. Here is a fascinating and complete portrait worthy of the legendary star and her legacy.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Nuku : stories of 100 indigenous women / Matata-Sipu, Qiane
“The power of storytelling is evident in our earliest pūrākau. Stories can change the world. It is how our tūpuna passed on their knowledge, the blueprint for living well, for generations. Through telling their stories, the women in this book seek to influence the world around them. The youngest is 14 and the eldest is in her mid-70s. They are wāhine Māori, Moriori, Pasifika, Melanesian, Wijadjuri, Himalayan and Mexican.” (Catalogue)

Listen, world! : how the intrepid Elsie Robinson became America’s most-read woman / Scheeres, Julia
“At a time when it was thought that a woman’s highest calling was to become a wife and mother, Elsie hungered for a different kind of life. She dreamed of becoming a professional writer and sacrificed everything in pursuit of a career in letters, going so far as to work a California gold mine to pay the bills. Through it all, she wrote-everything from features to essays to fiction. Told with drama and cinematic detail by bestselling author Julia Scheeres and award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert, Listen, World! is the first biography of this indefatigable woman, capturing what it means to take a gamble on happiness, stumble a few times, and ultimately land on your feet.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Running up that hill : 50 visions of Kate Bush / Doyle, Tom
“Comprising fifty chapters or ‘visions’, Running Up That Hill is a multi-faceted biography of Kate Bush, viewing her life and work from fresh and illuminating angles. Featuring details from the author’s one-to-one conversations with Kate, as well as vignettes of her key songs, albums, videos and concerts, this portrait introduces the reader to the refreshingly real Kate Bush. Along the way, the narrative also includes vivid reconstructions of transformative moments in her career and insights from the friends and collaborators closest to Kate, including her photographer brother John Carder Bush and fellow artists David Gilmour, John Lydon and Youth.” (Catalogue)

Angela Davis : an autobiography / Davis, Angela Y
“Edited by Toni Morrison and first published in 1974, An Autobiography is a classic of the Black Power era which resonates just as powerfully today. Long hard to find, it is reissued now with a new introduction by Davis, for a new audience inspired and galvanised by her ongoing activism and her extraordinary example. In the book, she describes her journey from a childhood on Dynamite Hill in Birmingham, Alabama, to one of the most significant political trials of the century- from her political activity in a New York high school to her work with the U.S. Communist Party, the Black Panther Party, and the Soledad Brothers; and from the faculty of the Philosophy Department at UCLA to the FBI’s list of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. Told with warmth, brilliance, humour, and conviction, it is an unforgettable account of a life committed to radical change.” (Catalogue)

My dream time / Barty, Ash
“It’s a tennis story. It’s a family story. It’s a teamwork story. It’s the story of how I got to where and who I am today. We all have a professional and a personal self. How do you conquer nerves and anxiety? How do you deal with defeat, or pain? What drives you to succeed – and what happens when you do? The answers tell me so much, about bitter disappointments and also dreams realised – from injuries and obscurity and self-doubt to winning Wimbledon and ranking number 1 in the world.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

They called me a lioness : a Palestinian girl’s fight for freedom / Tamimi, Ahed
“What would you do if you grew up repeatedly seeing your home raided? Your parents arrested? Your mother shot? Your uncle killed? Try, if just for a moment, to imagine this was your life. How would you want the world to react?” It brings readers into the daily life of the young woman seen as a freedom-fighting hero by some and a naïve agitator by others. Beyond recounting her well-publicized interactions with Israeli soldiers, there is her unwavering commitment to family and her fearless command of her own voice, despite threats, intimidation, and even incarceration.” (Adapted Catalogue)

Ten steps to Nanette : a memoir situation / Gadsby, Hannah
“Hannah Gadsby’s unique standup special Nanette was a viral success–and to some, her worldwide fame may have seemed like an overnight sensation. But like everything else about Gadsby, there’s more to her success than meets the eye. In her first book, the queer Australian comedian, writer, and actress takes us through the key moments in her life that ultimately led to the creation of Nanette and her startling declaration that she was quitting comedy. She traces her growth as a gay woman from Tasmania–where homosexuality was illegal until 1997–to her ever-evolving relationship with comedy, to her struggle with late-in-life diagnoses of autism and ADHD, and finally to the backbone of Nanette–the renouncement of self-deprecation, the rejection of misogyny, and the moral power of telling the truth.” (Catalogue)

Rising to the Surface – New Biographies and Memoirs

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A fabulous selection of new biographies and memoirs have arrived in our collection.  Comedy and cooking, whistle blowers and writers, dynasties and dry wit are all covered in this month’s selection.

Rising to the surface / Henry, Lenny
“Rising to the Surface traces Lenny Henry’s career through the 80s and 90s. The 16-year-old who won a talent competition, now has to navigate his way through the seas of professional comedy, learning his craft through sheer graft and hard work. We follow Lenny through a period of great creativity – prize-winning tv programs, summer seasons across Britain, the starring role in a Hollywood film, and stand-up gigs in New York.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Departure stories : Betty Crocker made matzoh balls (and other lies) / Bernick, Elisa
“Elisa Bernick grew up “different” (i.e., Jewish) in the white, Christian suburb of New Hope, Minnesota during the 1960s and early 1970s. Poignant and provocative, Departure Stories peers through the broader lens of Minnesota’s recent history to reveal an intergenerational journey through trauma that unraveled the Bernick family and many others.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

README.txt : a memoir / Manning, Chelsea
“While working as an intelligence analyst in Iraq for the United States Army in 2010, Chelsea Manning disclosed more than seven hundred thousand classified military and diplomatic records that she had smuggled out of the country on the memory card of her digital camera. In 2011 she was charged with twenty-two counts related to the unauthorized possession and distribution of classified military records, and in 2013 she was sentenced to thirty-five years in military prison. This powerful, observant memoir will stand as one of the definitive testaments of our digital, information-driven age.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Bryce Courtenay : Storyteller / Courtenay, Christine
“Bryce Courtenay was a born storyteller. The success of his extraordinary debut The Power of One made publishing history, and in the years that followed Bryce continued to entertain and inspire thousands of devoted readers around the world with his sweeping epics and larger-than-life characters who embody the strength and triumph of the human condition. When Christine Courtenay began penning her own memoir during lockdown, she found herself increasingly drawn to the remarkable story of her late husband’s life and reflecting upon his astonishing literary legacy.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Managing expectations : a memoir in essays / Driver, Minnie
“A charming, poignant, unfiltered, laugh-out-loud memoir in essays from beloved actor and natural-born storyteller Minnie Driver, chronicling the way life works out even when it doesn’t.” (Catalogue)

 

 

Growing up Getty : the story of America’s most unconventional dynasty / Reginato, James
“Oil magnate J. Paul Getty, once the richest man in the world, is the patriarch of an extraordinary cast of sons, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Through extensive research, including access to J. Paul Getty’s diaries and love letters, and fresh interviews with family members and friends, Growing Up Getty offers an inside look into the benefits and burdens of being part of today’s world of the ultra-wealthy.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Do let’s have another drink! : the dry wit and fizzy life of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother / Russell, Gareth
“This collection of one hundred and one anecdotes about Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, features amusing and fascinating vignettes from her long life, including her coming of age during World War I and the 1936 abdication of her brother-in-law.” (Catalogue)

 

Until further notice : a year in pandemic time / Kaler, Amy
“Until Further Notice is a real-time personal account of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic through the prism of one woman’s consciousness. An internal seismograph of living through a global emergency, Amy Kaler’s book documents a series of jolts to her thoughts, perceptions, emotions, and habits. Reflexive and relatable, Until Further Notice captures fine-grained, everyday experiences from an extraordinary year.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Insulin : the crooked timber : a history from thick brown muck to Wall Street gold / Hall, Kersten T
“Before the discovery of insulin, a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes was a death sentence.  This book is the result of the author’s own shocking diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes and its story reminds us all of what technology can – and cannot do – for us.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

Local : a memoir / Machado, Jessica
“Born and raised in Hawai’i by a father whose ancestors are indigenous to the land and a mother from the American South, Jessica Machado wrestles with what it means to be “local.” Interwoven with a rich and nuanced exploration of Hawaiian history and traditions, Local is a personal and moving narrative about family, grief, and reconnecting to the land she tried to leave behind.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

Too much / Allen, Tom
“‘Happily settled in a new relationship and with a dream house of his own, comedian Tom Allen had finally moved on from the arrested development of millennial life and could at last call himself an adult. But when his father died suddenly in late 2021, Tom’s newfound independence was rocked by a fresh set of challenges, and he began to find solace in the past (and his new vegetable patch). With moving honesty and wit, Tom writes beautifully about those days, weeks and months following his family’s loss, and about how bewildering the practicalities of life can be in the wake of an upheaval – those moments, really, when everything can start to feel a bit too much… ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

It’s a shame about Ray / Seidler, Jonathan
“It’s a Shame About Ray is an extraordinary and powerful memoir about family, love and the power of music. What tracks combine to make a family album? What do we carry from one generation to a next? What is the difference between leaning on and letting go? Blackly funny and frequently devastating, this memoir traverses death, hope, love, family, survival, compassion, and the deep relationship we can develop with music throughout our lives when all else is simply not enough.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

For more new titles in the collection, go to: What’s new & Popular / February 2023 (wcl.govt.nz)

Getting Lost: New biographies and memoirs

KathLeave a comment

It’s a new year and we have new biographies hitting the collection, including: a female politician from Afghanistan, a much-loved novelist, an actor and of course some royals, among others. There’s a little something for everyone in this collection.

To see what else is new in our collection, go to what’s new & popular (wcl.govt.nz)

Zarifa : a woman’s battle in a man’s world / Ghafari, Zarifa
“Zarifa Ghafari was three years old when the Taliban banned girls from schools, and she began her education in secret. She was six when American airstrikes began. She was twenty-four when she became mayor–one of the first female mayors in the country–and first of Wardak, one of the most conservative provinces in Afghanistan. Written with honesty, pain, and ultimately, hope, Zarifa describes the work she did, the women she still tries to help as they live under Taliban rule, and her vision for how grassroots activism can change their lives and the lives of women everywhere.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Comrade : Bill Andersen: a communist, working-class life / Locke, Cybèle
“Bill Andersen was one of the most significant figures of the twentieth-century trade union movement in New Zealand. In this biography, Cybèle Locke reveals the relationship between communism and working-class trade unionism during the Second World War and the following decades. Writing with insight and empathy, Cybèle Locke provides a highly readable account of a communist union leader navigating the social and political turmoil of the twentieth century.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Getting lost / Ernaux, Annie
“Getting Lost is the diary Annie Ernaux kept during the year and a half she had a secret love affair with a younger, married man, a Russian diplomat. Getting Lost is as strong a book as any that she has written, a haunting, desperate view of strong and successful woman who seduces a man only to lose herself in love and desire.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

The secret heart : John Le Carré : an intimate memoir / Dawson, Suleika
“The astonishing portrait of the master of spy fiction, by the woman he kept secret for all of his life. The Secret Heart is the account of Suleika Dawson’s enduring love affair with John Le Carre. A thoughtful, artfully written and intimate biography, the book aims to shed a new light on one of the greatest British writers of the 20th Century and offer an alternative measure of the man over the literary legend.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Camilla : from outcast to Queen Consort / Levin, Angela
“A compelling new biography of Camilla, Queen Consort, that reveals how she transformed her role and established herself as one of the key members of the royal family. Angela Levin uncovers Camilla’s rocky journey to be accepted by the royal family and how she coped with her brutal portrayal in Netflix’s The Crown. Most of all, Levin tells the story of how Camilla has changed from a fun-loving young woman to one of the senior royals’ hardest workers. She has retained her mischievous sense of humor, becoming a role model for older women and an inspiration for younger ones.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Cover Image for Illustrated Black HistoryIllustrated Black history : honoring the iconic and the unseen / McCalman, George
“A gorgeous collection of 145 original portraits that celebrates Black pioneers–famous and little-known–in politics, science, literature, music, and more–with biographical reflections, all created and curated by an award-winning graphic designer.  Beautifully designed with over 300 unique four-color artworks and accessible to readers of all ages, this eye-opening, educational, dynamic, and timely compendium pays homage to Black Americans and their achievements, and showcases the depth and breadth of Black genius.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Cover image for All Veils Are OffAll veils are off / Heding, Marguerette
“Qatar? It sounds like a bad lung condition! was Marguerette Heding’s first reaction to her husband about moving there.  ‘All Veils Are Off: The True Housewives of Qatar’ is Marguerette’s extraordinary, hilarious, though at times devastating account of her 8 years living in Qatar. Not only did she have to navigate the tricky expat community, but also the secret and fiercely protected world of the Qatari women – a world very few outsiders, particularly a wine-loving, dog owning Australian infidel are ever privy to.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Playing under the piano : from Downton to darkest Peru / Bonneville, Hugh
“A moving, laugh-out-loud memoir from one of today’s best-loved British actors, whose credits include Downton Abbey, Notting Hill, and Paddington.  Whether telling stories of his B&H-smoking, G&T-drinking, horse-race-addicted grandmother, or working with an invisible bear with a penchant for marmalade, this is a richly entertaining memoir.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

Revenge : Meghan, Harry and the war between the Windsors / Bower, Tom
“Meghan Markle’s trajectory from unknown actress to world icon is remarkable. After a childhood spent on Hollywood film sets, she fought hard for stardom. But even when she landed her breakthrough role, her lifelong dream of celebrity remained elusive. In 2016 she created the ultimate fairy-tale ending: she captivated her very own prince. Yet, within one tumultuous year, the dream became a nightmare. In the aftermath of the infamous Megxit split and the Oprah Winfrey interview, the Royal Family’s fate seems persistently threatened.” (Catalogue)

Stay True: More New Biographies and Memoirs

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We have even more new biographies for you this December, including: a poet, a stockman, more beloved actors, writers and women of substance. You’ll surely find inspiration from this next batch of biographies.

To see what else is new in our collection, go to what’s new & popular (wcl.govt.nz)

Beyond the wand : the magic and mayhem of growing up a wizard / Felton, Tom
“From the magical moments on set as Draco Malfoy to the challenges of growing up in the spotlight, get a backstage pass into Tom Felton’s life on and off the big screen. His early rise to fame in beloved films like The Borrowers catapulted him into the limelight, but nothing could prepare him for what was to come after he landed the iconic role of the Draco Malfoy, the bleached blonde villain of the Harry Potter movies. Speaking with great candor and his signature humor, Tom shares his experience growing up as part of the wizarding world while also trying to navigate the muggle world.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The new ringer / Breckwoldt, Roland
“A shy young man from the suburban outskirts takes himself to Gulf Country on a 1960s boys own adventure that changes his life forever. He was not yet sixteen, and the unworldly Roland was leaving his home on the semi-agricultural fringes of Sydney to work as a stockman on the vast cattle stations of the Gulf Country of North Queensland. Full of youthful stumbles and told with great freshness and gentle humour, this beautifully written coming of age story is a nostalgic and evocative reminder of a disappearing way of life.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Dying of politeness / Davis, Geena
“From two-time Academy Award winner and screen icon Geena Davis, Dying of Politeness is the candid, surprising tale of her journey from her epically polite childhood to the roles that put her in the spotlight and gave her the strength to become a powerhouse in Hollywood. Dying of Politeness is a touching account of one woman’s journey to fight for herself, and ultimately fighting for women all around the globe.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Stay true : a memoir / Hsu, Hua
“From the New Yorker staff writer Hua Hsu, a gripping memoir on friendship, grief, the search for self, and the solace that can be found through art. A coming-of-age story that details both the ordinary and extraordinary, Stay True is a bracing memoir about growing up, and about moving through the world in search of meaning and belonging.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Boy friends / Pedersen, Michael
“An intimate and original memoir of love, grief and male friendship by one of Scotland’s brightest young talents. Ever feel like you were fated to be friends with someone? An alchemy in your meeting, instant fondness — part chemical, part kismet. Written to glitter, with intoxicating energy, Boy Friends is a powerful depiction of friendship and loss, a homage to the beauty of moments shared.”–Amazon.com.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Waxing on : the karate kid and me / Macchio, Ralph
“A fun-filled memoir by the Karate Kid and Cobra Kai actor that’s equal parts nostalgia and contemporary relevance, based on both the classic movies and his current show, which is Netflix’s #1 hit and gaining legions of new fans from every generation.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Raiment : a memoir / Kemp, Jan
“Pioneering New Zealand poet Jan Kemp’s memoir of her first 25 years is a vivid and frank account of growing up in the 1950s, and of university life in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It tracks from an innocent Waikato childhood to the seedy flats of Auckland, where anarchic student life, drugs, sexual experimentation and a failing marriage could not keep her away from poetry. Weaving its own patterns and colours, Raiment shines a clear-eyed light on the heady, hedonistic hothouse of our literary community in the 1970s and reveals what it took, back then, to be an independent woman.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Three times a countess : the extraordinary life and times of Raine Spencer / Gaudoin, Tina
“Debutante of the year. Able politician. Femme fatale. Evil stepmother. Astute businesswomen. Just a smattering of the many labels attached to the irrepressible Raine Spencer: Countess, socialite and stepmother to Diana, Princess of Wales. But who was the real Raine? What was hidden behind the immaculately manicured and coiffed public facade?” (Catalogue)

Paul Newman : the extraordinary life of an ordinary man : a memoir / Newman, Paul
“In 2008, Paul Newman tasked his best friend with interviewing the people who had shaped his life, in order to create an oral history of it. After hearing and reading what they had to say, Newman dictated his own version. Now, this long-lost memoir will be published. Full of wonderful stories and recollections by his family, friends, and such luminaries as Elia Kazan, Tom Cruise, George Roy Hill and Martin Ritt, this book will surprise and shock readers as it reveals Newman’s previously unknown sides.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Waypoints : my Scottish journey / Heughan, Sam
“Journey deep into the Scottish Highlands in the first memoir by #1 New York Times bestselling author and star of Outlander, Sam Heughan–exploring his life and reflecting on the waypoints that define him. In this intimate journey of self-discovery, Sam sets out along Scotland’s rugged ninety-six-mile West Highland Way to map out the moments that shaped his views on dreams and ambition, family, friendship, love, and life. The result is a love letter to the wild landscape that means so much to him, full of charming, funny, wise, and searching insights into the world through his eyes.” (Catalogue)

Lives less ordinary: New biographies and memoirs

Kath

It’s December and we’ve got another bumper crop of biographies hitting the shelves for you all to enjoy, including: a Black Fern,  a beloved actor (or two),  trekking across Britain, tasty recipes, survivors, storytellers – there’s something for everyone!

To see what else is new in our collection, go to what’s new & popular (wcl.govt.nz)

Straight up / Tui, Ruby
“After a childhood filled with neglect Ruby yearned for another path. Determined not to let her upbringing limit her, she survived abuse, drugs and tragedy to become one of the most successful women’s rugby players in the world. The explosion of women’s rugby on the global stage has matched the rise of Ruby’s stellar career, as she has grown with the game from amateur to professional. In Straight Up Ruby looks herself in the eye, understanding that she can turn pain into purpose. It’s time to be straight up.” (Catalogue)

Landlines / Winn, Raynor
“Raynor Winn returns with her third and most ambitious memoir, a chronicle of her journey across Great Britain. As the fracture lines between nations grow wider, how do we relate to each other, and to the land? Are we united enough to see protection of the environment as a priority? These are the questions Raynor asks herself as she embarks on her most ambitious walk to date with her husband Moth, from the dramatic beauty of north-west Scotland to the familiar territory of the South-west Coast Path.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The ninth life of a diamond miner : a memoir / Tame, Grace
“Grace Tame has never walked on middle ground. From a young age, her life was defined by uncertainty – by trauma and strength, sadness and hope, terrible lows and wondrous highs.  The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner is Grace’s story, in Grace’s words, on Grace’s terms. Here she returns, again and again, to the things that have driven and saved her: love, connection and radical, unwavering honesty. Like Grace, this book is sharply intelligent, deeply felt, wildly unexpected and often blisteringly funny.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

A pocketful of happiness / Grant, Richard E.
“Richard has faithfully kept a diary since childhood, and in these entries he shares in raw detail everything he has experienced: both the pain of losing his beloved wife, and the excitement of their life together, from the role that transformed his life overnight in Withnail & I to his thrilling Oscar nomination thirty years later for Can You Ever Forgive Me? Told with candour in Richard’s utterly unique style, A Pocketful of Happiness is a powerful, funny and moving celebration of life’s unexpected joys.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Afternoons with Harper Lee / Flynt, Wayne
“Imagine sitting with an esteemed writer on his or her front porch somewhere in the world and swapping life stories. Dr. Wayne Flynt got the opportunity to do just this with Nelle Harper Lee. Part memoir, part biography, this book offers a unique window into the life and mind and preoccupations of one of America’s best-loved writers. Flynt and Harper Lee and her sisters learned a great deal from each other, and though this is not a history book, their shared interest in Alabama and its history made this extraordinary work possible.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Here for a good time : organised thoughts from a disorganised mind / Parker, Chris
“Chris has made a name for himself as an outspoken, witty and charming personality who is consistently exceeding his own and others’ expectations. Be it his lockdown felting journey, which saw him creating a felt hat that was bought by Auckland Museum for their permanent collection, or winning Celebrity Treasure Island thanks to his knowledge of his garden’s exotic weeds, or just living the dream as a larger than life openly gay unapologetically camp man in Aotearoa.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Token Black girl : a memoir / Prescod, Danielle
“Token Black Girl unpacks the adverse effects of insidious white supremacy in the media–both unconscious and strategic–to tell a personal story about recovery from damaging concepts of perfection, celebrating identity, and demolishing social conditioning” (Catalogue)

 

Lives less ordinary : obituaries of the eccentric, unique and undefinable
“The Times obituaries have given readers throughout the world an instant picture of a life for more than 150 years. This is a selection of those who saw the world in different colours. Some were eccentrics, some mavericks, all marched to the beat of their own drum. Each obituary has been updated and reproduced in its entirety.” (Catalogue)

 

Everything is under control : a memoir with recipes / Grant, Phyllis
“Grant’s story follows the sometimes smooth, sometimes jagged, always revealing contours of her life: from her days as a dancer struggling to find her place at Julliard, to her experiences in and out of four-star kitchens in New York City, to falling in love with her future husband and leaving the city after 9/11 for California, where her children are born. Written with the transparency of a diarist, Everything Is Under Control is an unputdownable series of vignettes followed by tried-and-true recipes from Grant’s table.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Madly, deeply : the diaries of Alan Rickman / Rickman, Alan
“Told through his diaries–a twenty-five-year passion project–the beloved actor, political activist, and more grants us access to his thoughts and insights on theatre performances, the craft of acting, politics, friendships, work projects, and his general musings on life.” (Catalogue)