Tag: Hollywood

To the one I love the best: New biographies and memoirs

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It’s a new month and that means new books. In our biographies this month we have a selection of fascinating individuals, from stars of popular culture and film, to migrants and refugees, power brokers and photographers. Take a look at some of them here…

To the one I love the best / Bemelmans, Ludwig
“A witty and charming account of the wildly entertaining Elsie de Wolfe in 1950s Hollywood, recounted by her dear friend, the beloved creator of Madeline.  To the One I Love the Best (which refers to de Wolfe’s dog) is a touching tribute to a fabulously funny woman and an American icon. “Be pretty if you can, be witty if you must, but be gracious if it kills you.” –Elsie de Wolfe” — .” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

Still life at eighty : the next interesting thing / Thomas, Abigail
“In her new memoir, Abigail Thomas ruminates on aging during the confines of COVID-19 with her trademark mix of humor and wisdom, including valuable, contemplative writing tips along the way. As she approaches eighty, what she herself calls old age, Abigail Thomas accepts her new life, quieter than before, no driving, no dancing, mostly sitting in her chair in a sunny corner with three dogs for company–three dogs, vivid memories, bugs and birds and critters that she watches out her window. No one but this beloved, best-selling memoirist, could make so much over what might seem so little. Pull up a chair, have a cup of tea and enter Abigail Thomas’s funny, mesmerizing, generous world.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Kennan : a life between worlds / Costigliola, Frank
“A definitive biography of the U.S. diplomat and prize-winning historian George F. Kennan. The diplomat and historian George F. Kennan (1904-2005) ranks as one of the most important figures in American foreign policy-and one of its most complex. An absorbing portrait of an eloquent, insightful, and sometimes blinkered iconoclast whose ideas are still powerfully relevant, Kennan invites us to imagine a world that Kennan fought for but was unable to bring about-one not of confrontations and crises, but of dialogue and diplomacy.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Paris : the memoir / Hilton, Paris
“Recounting her perilous journey through pre-#MeToo sexual politics with grace, dignity, and just the right amount of sass, Paris: The Memoir tracks the evolution of celebrity culture through the story of the figure at its leading edge, full of defining moments and marquee names. Most important, Paris shows us her path to peace while she challenges us to question our role in her story and in our own. Welcome to Paris. In this deeply personal memoir, the ultimate It Girl shares, for the first time, the hidden history that traumatized and defined her and how she rose above a series of heart-wrenching challenges to find healing, lasting love, and a life of meaning and purpose.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

My what if year : a memoir / Miranda, Alisha Fernandez
“On the cusp of turning forty, Alisha Fernandez Miranda has climbed to the peak of personal and professional success, but at a price; she’s overworked and exhausted. Bravely, Alisha decides to give herself a break, temporarily pausing her stressful career as the CEO of high-powered consulting firm. With the tentative blessing of her husband and eight-year-old twins, she leaves her home in London to spend one year exploring the dream jobs of her youth, seeking answers to the question, What If?” (Catalogue)

A stone is most precious where it belongs : a memoir of Uyghur exile, hope, and survival / Hoja, Gulchehra
“In February 2018, twenty-four members of Gulchehra Hoja’s family disappeared overnight. Her crime – and thus that of her family – was her award-winning investigations on the plight of her people, the , whose existence and culture is being systematically destroyed by the Chinese government. A Stone is Most Precious Where it Belongs is Gulchehra’s stunning memoir, taking us into the everyday world of life under Chinese rule in East Turkestan (more formally as the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China), from her idyllic childhood to its modern nightmare.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Hereafter : the telling life of Ellen O’Hara / Groarke, Vona
“Hereafter tells the story of Ellen O’Hara, a young woman emigrant from Ireland at the end of the nineteenth century who, with courage and resilience, made a life for herself in New York, firstly as a domestic servant and later in her own boarding house-all the while financially supporting those at home.” (Catalogue)

 

Second chances : facing my demons and finding a better me / Holt, Hayley
“A raw and honest story of alcoholism, recovery and courage in the face of loss. Hayley Holt grew up in the public eye. Now it’s time to share her side of the story. Heartbreaking and inspiring, filled with Hayley’s wicked wit, Second Chances is about finding the courage to face up to your mistakes, and learning that even the deepest pain can be followed by the greatest joy.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Resilience : a story of persecution, escape, survival and triumph / Woolf, Inge
“Resilience is a Holocaust story and a New Zealand story. Born to a prosperous family, Inge Woolf witnessed the Nazis marching into Vienna in March 1938 and fled with her family to England, escaping certain death. Hiding their Jewish identity until after World War II, Inge and her family were impoverished refugees. A move to New Zealand signalled new beginnings. Inge met the love of her life, Ronald Woolf, and together they created the country’s pre-eminent photographic studio – before catastrophe struck. In her later years, Inge was pivotal in establishing the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand and was its founding director. She was dedicated to educating thousands on the Holocaust and the dangers of racism and prejudice, often observing that hate starts small. After experiencing so much loss, Inge’s life is testament to the power of resilience.” (Catalogue)

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

Stay True: More New Biographies and Memoirs

Kath

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)

New biographies and memoirs this August

Kath

From movie stars to political figures, queer icons to Hollywood royalty, we have some fantastic new biographies and memoirs in our collection this month.

Back to the prairie : a home remade, a life rediscovered / Gilbert, Melissa
“Known for her childhood role as Laura Ingalls Wilder on the classic NBC television show Little House on the Prairie, Melissa Gilbert has spent nearly her entire life in Hollywood. From Dancing with the Stars to a turn in politics, she has always been on the lookout for her next project. She just had no idea that her latest one would be completely life-changing. When her husband introduces her to the wilds of rural Michigan, Melissa begins to fall back in love with nature. And when work takes them to New York, they find a rustic cottage in the Catskills to call home. But ‘rustic’ is a generous description for the state of the house, which requires a lot of blood, sweat, and tears from the newlyweds to make it habitable. Then the coronavirus pandemic descends upon the world, further nudging Melissa out of the spotlight and into the woods.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Bookends : a memoir of love, loss, and literature / Owens, Zibby“Zibby Owens has become a well-known personality in the publishing world. Her infectious energy, tasteful authenticity, and smart, steadfast support of authors started in childhood, a precedent set by the profound effect books and libraries had on her own family. But after losing her closest friend on 9/11 and later becoming utterly stressed out and overwhelmed by motherhood, Zibby was forgetting what made her her. She turned to books and writing for help. Just when things seemed particularly bleak, Zibby unexpectedly fell in love with a tennis pro turned movie producer who showed her the path to happiness: away from type-A perfectionism and toward letting things unfold organically. What unfolded was a meaningful career, a great love, and finally, her voice, now heard by millions of listeners.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Both/and : a life in many worlds / Abedin, Huma“Hillary Clinton’s famously private top aide and longtime advisor emerges from the wings of American political history to take command of her own story. Here Abedin reveals a crystal clear portrait of Clinton as a brilliant and caring leader, a steadfast friend, generous, funny, hardworking, and dedicated. She chronicles her marriage to Anthony Weiner, the devastation wrought by his betrayals, and their shared love for their son. Abedin’s journey is a testament to her profound belief that in an increasingly either/or world, she can be both/and.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The Countess from Kirribilli : the mysterious and free-spirited literary sensation who beguiled the world / Morgan, Joyce“Elizabeth von Armin may have been born on the shores of Sydney Harbour, but it was in Victorian London that she discovered society and society discovered her. She made her Court debut before Queen Victoria at Buckingham Palace, was pursued by a Prussian count and married into the formal world of the European aristocracy. It was the novels she wrote about that life that turned her into a literary sensation on both sides of the Atlantic and had her likened to Jane Austen. Elizabeth von Armin was an extraordinary woman who lived during glamorous, exciting and changing times that spanned the innocence of Victorian Sydney and finished with the march of Hitler through Europe. Joyce Morgan brings her to vivid and spellbinding life.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Dinner for one : how cooking in Paris saved me / Dacres, Sutanya“Jamaican-born and Bronx-raised, she had never dreamed she herself could be one of those American women in Paris she admired from afar via their blogs, until she met the man of her dreams one night in Manhattan. A couple of years later, she married her Frenchman and moved to Paris, embarking on her own “happily-ever-after.” But when her marriage abruptly ended, the fairy tale came crashing down around her. Reeling from her sudden divorce and the cracked facade of that picture-perfect expat life, Sutanya grew determined to mend her broken heart and learn to love herself again. She began by cooking dinner for one in her Montmartre kitchen. Along the way, she builds Parisienne friendships, learns how to date in French, and examines what it means to be a Black American woman in Paris—all while adopting the French principle of pleasure, especially when it comes to good food, and exploring what the concept of self-care really means.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Don’t laugh, it’ll only encourage her / Cooper, Daisy May“The achingly funny, always entertaining and often heart-breaking memoir from the creator and star of BBC’s This Country. When things were really bad, Mum would always say to me- ‘Don’t worry, it will be a good read for your memoir one day.’ I suppose that’s a weird way of coping, isn’t it? Trying to turn the bleakest situation into a positive. Life hasn’t always been straightforward for Daisy May Cooper- growing up in rural poverty in Gloucestershire with her brother Chaz, she had to work a myriad of low-paid, unrewarding jobs just to make ends meet. Don’t Laugh, It’ll Only Encourage Her is the endearingly honest and hilarious memoir from the creator and star of award-winning BBC comedy This Country” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Love that story : observations from a gorgeously queer life / Van Ness, Jonathan“From experiencing heartbreaking grief to uncovering the hidden LGBTQ history of his hometown, Quincy, from overcoming body image issues and living with HIV to cultivating his personal style, Jonathan Van Ness speaks out a wide range of topics with heart, honesty and flair. He not only shares his personal experiences, but with the help of conversations with experts, he also offers captivating perspectives on the wide number of issues we are dealing with today: the current nature of race issues in the US, the rise of white supremacy, transphobia and imposter syndrome.” (Catalogue)

Out of the corner : a memoir / Grey, Jennifer“In this beautiful, close-to-the bone account, Jennifer Grey takes readers on a vivid tour of the experiences that have shaped her, from her childhood as the daughter of Broadway and film legend Joel Grey, to the surprise hit with Patrick Swayze that made her America’s sweetheart, to her inspiring season eleven win on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. With self-deprecating humor and frankness, she looks back on her unbridled, romantic adventures in Hollywood. Grey inspires with her hard-won battle back, reclaiming her sense of self from a culture and business that can impose a narrow and unforgiving definition of female worth. She finds, at last, her own true north and starts a family of her own, just in the nick of time” (Adapted from Catalogue)

So now you know : growing up gay in india / Tejuja, Vivek“The year was 1991. Vivek was eight. He realized he was gay. Only he didn’t: he just figured that he wanted to be different. And that he was in love — for want of a better word — with Deepak, his best friend. Then Mast Kalandar released, with Anupam Kher playing Pinku, a stereotypical gay character. And Vivek realized he didn’t want to be Pinku. So he tried to walk differently, gesticulate differently, and speak in as gruff a voice as he could — all to avoid being Pinku. Funny, poignant, heartwarming and heart-breaking all at once, this is a memoir of growing up gay in India in the 1990s, with Bollywood, books, and the Bombay sea for company.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

When Marilyn met the queen : Marilyn Monroe’s life in England / Morgan, Michelle“In July 1956, Marilyn Monroe arrived in London–on honeymoon with her husband Arthur Miller–to make The Prince and the Showgirl with Sir Laurence Olivier. It was meant to be a happy time . . .Marilyn would work during the day at Pinewood Studios, in Iver Heath, while Arthur would write. Then, in the evening, the couple would be able to relax together in their private English country cottage. But the cottage was a mansion, in Englefield Green, and Marilyn, used to living in tiny hotel rooms and apartments, felt herself being watched. She was, by several of owner Lord Drogheda’s servants, who were selling stories to the papers. And when filming began, all did not go as hoped. Over time, Marilyn grew to hate Olivier; the feeling was mutual. Marilyn found herself a curiosity for the frequently hostile British press. She took solace in bike rides in Windsor Great Park, in small acts of kindness from members of the public, and in a growing fascination with Queen Elizabeth, whom she longed to meet–and eventually did.” (Catalogue)

To see what else is new in our collection, go to:

What’s new & Popular (wcl.govt.nz)