Tag: Memoirs

Play Like a Girl: a Graphic Memoir

marybethLeave a comment

Misty is a middle school girl who wants to play football. She convinces her best friend, Bree to join with her, but it’s not really Bree’s thing, and she soon drops out. At first, the boys on the team are not happy with Misty playing, one in particular, Cole, makes sure to tackle her hard every chance he gets. But several of the others offer to help her become a better player. Misty Wilson and her husband are the co-authors, and it is her story to tell. She is now an elementary school teacher, and she thanks her students for inspiring her to write this book, as well as her 7th grade coaches for never treating her differently from the male players on the team. Play Like a Girl is an inspiring story of a girl trying to stay true to herself and fit into the middle school culture at the same time.

Fargo Rock City

Emily NevillLeave a comment

I want to like this guy. We like the same things. But he desperately needs an editor. So much of this book reads like a high school kid trying to pad his prose to fit a required word count. It’s a mix of heavy metal book report with a dash of memoir, but the memoir stuff is so few and far between that when it does arrive it feels jarring. 3/5 stars. –An anonymous Winter Reading 2023 participant.

Have Dog, Will Travel

Emily NevillLeave a comment

This memoir by poet Stephen Kuusisto details his experience of getting a guide dog in his late 30s, after stumbling through life pretty much pretending not to be blind. (Really.) It’s so beautifully written and it offers perspective from a very different way of life from most of us. Kuusisto also enlightens the reader on many details of the history of Guide Dogs and the process of training them and matching them with the right people. It was a delightful, humbling, and inspiring read. 5/5 stars. –Laura Zaino for Winter Reading 2023.

Skinny House: A Memoir of Family by Julie L. Seely

Emily NevillLeave a comment

Despite having limited details and most of the book’s featured people being dead, Julie Seely paints a vivid picture of her family’s experience during the Depression. Now instead of seeing an architectural anomaly, I see a man who tried his hardest to hold his family together. 3/5 stars.

–An anonymous summer reading participant

Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic

marybethLeave a comment

funnyMichael McCreary is a 20 year old stand-up comedian who is autistic and an instantly likable young man. He has written the book Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic: A Comedian’s Guide to Life on the Spectrum, which provides an authentic view into the life of someone with autism. Michael chronicles his struggles from an early age up to the present, but he does so in an endearing and honest manner. This title was chosen by Overdrive, our library supplier of digital content, for its Big Read, a worldwide digital book club. Today also happens to be World Autism Awareness Day, so please download this title today from Overdrive to promote understanding and foster inclusion. It is available through April 13 with no waitlist or holds. Please contact the library with any questions and we will be happy to help!