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I'm Glad My Mom Died
by Jennette McCurdy* #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER * MORE THAN 2 MILLION COPIES SOLD! A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how she retook control of her life. Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother&’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called &“calorie restriction,&” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, &“Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn&’t tint hers?&” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income. In I&’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail—just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (&“Hi Gale!&”), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants. Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, I&’m Glad My Mom Died is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.
I'm Gonna Bury You
by Gene NeillMost people look for God in churches; temples, synagogues or in schools of religion. Gene Neill found God in a lonely prison cell! Many people seek for truth in books, in philosophies, and in schools of learning. But Gene discovered the ultimate truth of all life on the floor of a prison cell. Truth incarnate in the person of the risen Lord Jesus Christ! If Gene Neill -- the successful "Perry Mason of South Florida" -- had been a student of the Bible, he could have discovered from the writings of Solomon that happiness does not come by wealth, power, eating, drinking, or permissiveness in conduct. But Gene was an atheist. Not a Bible scholar. And though his adventure into crime was of short duration -- only a few short years -- the penalty was a long prison sentence! Fifty years!
I'm Gonna Paint: Ralph Fasanella, Artist of the People
by Anne BroylesThe life of visionary folk artist and labor organizer Ralph Fasanella stunningly illustrated for picture book readers.When dared to jump, Ralph always took the dare. So begins this loving tribute to a singular artist and his tireless efforts to honor and celebrate immigrant and working-class communities through his paintings.Born in 1914 New York City to Italian immigrants, Ralph&’s youth was one of dress factories, ice deliveries, union meetings, and Momma&’s stories of the Bread & Roses Strike around the dinner table. By teaching himself how to paint, Ralph discovered a new way to reach working people: he would depict their lives, their work, and American history with electric color at a grand scale.Focusing on themes of social justice, immigrant rights, labor rights, and the dignity of working people, I&’m Gonna Paint inspires to give a new generation the confidence to continue the fight for better working conditions.Anne Broyles taps into Ralph's indomitable spirit to show his evolution as an artist, while Victoria Tentler-Krylov&’s energetic art leaps off the page with wonder and homages to Ralph&’s style. Meticulously researched with quotes from Ralph to underline his philosophy and approach to artmaking, the robust back matter includes reproductions of his paintings, historical photos, a timeline, a bibliography, a source notes, and much more.
I'm Here to Win: A World Champion's Advice for Peak Performance
by Tim Vandehey Chris MccormackNow Chris McCormack shares the story of his triumphs and the never-say-die dedication that has made him the world's most successful triathlete. In 2010, at the age of 37, Macca beat the odds and won the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii for a second time in what many called the most dramatic finish in the race's history. Macca's journey to athletic greatness is more than just one of physical perseverance. After coming in fourth in Hawaii in 2009, Macca returned to the island on a mission: He was there to win. A game plan containing a new strategic approach to winning brought him first across the finish line.Chris McCormack has dedicated his life to training for-and winning-the Ironman Hawaii, one of the most grueling tests of mental and physical endurance in the world. The race challenges athletes to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run a full marathon, 26.2 miles, using all their strength and willpower to overcome the incredibly harsh conditions.In I'm Here To Win Macca provides concrete training advice for everyone- from weekend warriors who casually compete to seasoned veterans who race every week to armchair athletes looking for an extra push-and provides insight into the mind of a great champion with excitement and inspiration on every page.
I'm Highly Percent Sure
by Caroline A. WangaIn this rich, transparent, and witty memoir, the Co-Founder of WangaWoman LLC, current President & CEO of Essence Ventures, and ambassador of authenticity navigates the lifelong battle between her intuition and inner saboteur delivering “instigational” inspiration with a passion to help every person discover the purpose they were born to deliver to the world. Published by Amistad in collaboration with Lavette Books.It Ain’t Math, it’s MISSION powered by INTUITION.Intuition is like the “endocrine system” of authenticity and purpose. Most of us don’t know its full function until it malfunctions, and every part of your existence that depends on it goes into dysfunction. At that point, every part of your anatomy (humanity) becomes compromised until the system can move into repair and recovery, which is a complex and intrusive restoration journey that will scare you just enough to never “not mind” your intuition ever again. At its apex, you move forward in ways that are generally accepted as good, bad, and most importantly, less-worse.“I’m Highly Percent Sure,” invites your curiosity to my co-existence with intuition, sometimes with foresight but oftentimes, without.You don’t have to agree to engage, but if you aren’t engaging, please only occupy the periphery as seating is reserved for those who intend to #TakeNotesDoItBetter. There is limited space for those who only intend to spectate.#IYKYKOnward!
I'm Hosting as Fast as I Can!: Zen and the Art of Staying Sane in Hollywood
by Tom BergeronIn this memoir, the charming TV host shares funny yet poignant stories from his life and career, plus his secrets to staying calm on & off camera.Tom Bergeron, Emmy Award–winning former host of Dancing with the Stars and America’s Funniest Home Videos, has always been ambitious, driven, and charming. However, as a young man, he had an enemy that posed a serious threat to what otherwise would have been guaranteed success—a bad temper. His family and friends didn’t keep their concerns to themselves, but Tom’s petulance remained a problem until his first date with a woman who threatened to end their relationship when, in a fit of anger, he put a dent in his car door. “If you want us to go any further, you’d better do something about that,” Lois said, unabashed and unafraid. Tom, embarrassed, then and there committed himself to controlling that temper. (That woman later became his wife, by the way.)This humorous memoir will be filled with anecdotes of how Tom, who never breaks character, stutters or so much as breaks a sweat (even when an Osmond faints at his feet on live TV), uses meditation and other regimented, relaxation techniques to stay focused, energetic, and happy on and off the camera.Praise for I’m Hosting as Fast as I Can!“The charm and wit that have made Tom Bergeron one of television’s most popular hosts is reflected beautifully in I’m Hosting as Fast as I Can! Readers will love Tom’s book.” —Bob Barker“You are a good man, Charlie Brown! Also an honest man, an entertaining man, a life-instructing man, and one hell of an autobiographer. Congratulations, Tom!” —Carl Reiner
I'm Just Dead, I'm Not Gone (American Made Music Series)
by Jim DickinsonI'm Just Dead, I'm Not Gone chronicles Jim Dickinson's extraordinary life in the Memphis music scene of the fifties and sixties and how he went on to play with and produce a rich array of artists, including Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, Ry Cooder, Duane Allman, Arlo Guthrie, and Albert King. With verve and wit, Dickinson (1941–2009) describes his trip to Blind Lemon's grave on the Texas flatlands as a college student and how that encounter inspired his return to Memphis. Back home, he looked up Gus Cannon and Furry Lewis, began staging plays, cofounded what would become the annual Memphis Blues Festival, and started recording. The blues, Elvis, and early rock 'n' roll compelled Dickinson to reject racial barriers and spurred his contributions to the Memphis music and experimental art scene. He explains how the family yardman, WDIA, Dewey Phillips, Furry Lewis, Will Shade, and Howlin' Wolf shaped him and recounts how he went on to learn his craft at Sun, Ardent, American, Muscle Shoals, and Criteria studios from master producers Sam Phillips, John Fry, Chips Moman, and Jerry Wexler. Dickinson is a member of the Mississippi Music Hall of Fame and an inaugural inductee of the Memphis Music Hall of Fame. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Engineering and Production from the Americana Music Association, a Brass Note on the Beale Street Walk of Fame in Memphis, and a Heritage Marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail. This memoir recounts a love affair with Memphis, the blues, and rock 'n' roll through Dickinson's captivating blend of intelligence, humor, and candor.
I'm Just Happy to Be Here: A Memoir of Renegade Mothering
by Janelle HanchettFrom the creator of the blog "Renegade Mothering," Janelle Hanchett's forthright, wickedly funny, and ultimately empowering memoir chronicling her tumultuous journey from young motherhood to abysmal addiction and a recovery she never imagined possible. At 21, Janelle Hanchett embraced motherhood with the reckless self-confidence of those who have no idea what they're getting into. Having known her child's father for only three months, she found herself rather suddenly getting to know a newborn, husband, and wholly transformed identity. She was in love, but she was bored, directionless, and seeking too much relief in too much wine. Over time, as she searched for home in suburbia and settled life, a precarious drinking habit turned into treacherous dependence, until life became car seats and splitting hangovers, cubicles and multi-day drug binges--and finally, an inconceivable separation from her children. For ten years, Hanchett grappled with the relentless progression of addiction, bouncing from rehabs to therapists to the occasional hippie cleansing ritual on her quest for sobriety, before finding it in a way she never expected. This is a story we rarely hear--of the addict mother not redeemed by her children; who longs for normalcy but cannot maintain it; and who, having traveled to the bottom of addiction, all the way to "society's hated mother," makes it back, only to discover she will always remain an outsider. Like her irreverent, hilarious, and unflinchingly honest blog, "Renegade Mothering," Hanchett's memoir speaks with warmth and wit to those who feel like outsiders in parenthood and life--calling out the rhetoric surrounding "the sanctity of motherhood" as tired and empty, boldly recounting instead how one grows to accept an imperfect self within an imperfect life--thinking, with great and final relief, "Well, I'll be damned, I'm just happy to be here."
I'm Just Sayin'!
by Kim ZimmerAs the notorious Reva Shayne on the daytime television drama Guiding Light, Kim Zimmer portrayed a vixen, a manic-depressive, an Amish woman, a time traveler, a Civil War belle, a talk show host, a cancer survivor, a loving mother, and a devoted wife. In her more than two decades on the show, she earned eleven Daytime Emmy nominations and four wins, not to mention a legion of loving fans. Now, in this heartfelt memoir, Zimmer delves into her experiences as a daytime diva. Packed with on- and off-set photographs and behind-the-scenes information, blatantly honest and wildly indiscreet, I’m Just Sayin’ tells all in an insightful journey through the parallel lives of Reva Shayne and Kim Zimmer—and the true stories behind the longest-running drama in television and radio history. .
I'm Just a DJ But... It Makes Sense to Me
by Tom Joyner Mary Flowers BoyceA memoir of Tom Joyner's life in radio.
I'm Just a Person
by Tig NotaroOne of America’s most original comedians delivers a darkly funny, wryly observed, and emotionally raw account of her year of death, cancer, and epiphany.In the span of four months in 2012, Tig Notaro was hospitalized for a debilitating intestinal disease called C. diff, her mother unexpectedly died, she went through a breakup, and then she was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer. Hit with this devastating barrage, Tig took her grief onstage. Days after receiving her cancer diagnosis, she broke new comedic ground, opening an unvarnished set with the words: “Good evening. Hello. I have cancer. How are you? Hi, how are you? Is everybody having a good time? I have cancer.” The set went viral instantly and was ultimately released as Tig’s sophomore album, Live, which sold one hundred thousand units in just six weeks and was later nominated for a Grammy.Now, the wildly popular star takes stock of that no good, very bad year—a difficult yet astonishing period in which tragedy turned into absurdity and despair transformed into joy. An inspired combination of the deadpan silliness of her comedy and the open-hearted vulnerability that has emerged in the wake of that dire time, I’m Just a Person is a moving and often hilarious look at this very brave, very funny woman’s journey into the darkness and her thrilling return from it.“Notaro’s story is funny not because it’s true (although it is), but because it’s told by the world-class stand-up with wit and vulnerability.” —O, The Oprah Magazine
I'm Keith Hernandez: A Memoir
by Keith HernandezLegendary first baseman Keith Hernandez tells all in this gripping and literary memoir. Keith Hernandez revolutionized the role of first baseman. During his illustrious career with the World Series-winning St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets, he was a perennial fan favorite, earning eleven consecutive Gold Gloves, a National League co-MVP Award, and a batting title. But it was his unique blend of intelligence, humor, and talent--not to mention his unflappable leadership, playful antics, and competitive temperament--that transcended the sport and propelled him to a level of renown that few other athletes have achieved, including his memorable appearances on the television show Seinfeld. Now, with a striking mix of candor and self-reflection, Hernandez takes us along on his journey to baseball immortality. There are the hellacious bus rides and south-of-the-border escapades of his minor league years. His major league benchings, unending plate adjustments, and role in one of the most exciting batting races in history against Pete Rose. Indeed, from the Little League fields of Northern California to the dusty proving grounds of triple-A ball to the grand stages of Busch Stadium and beyond, I'm Keith Hernandez reveals as much about America's favorite pastime as it does about the man himself. What emerges is an honest and compelling assessment of the game's past, present, and future--a memoir that showcases one of baseball's most unique and experienced minds at his very best.
I'm Kind of a Big Deal
by Stefanie Wilder-TaylorWARNING TO READERS: The Author of This Book is Kind of Crazy, Kind of Delusional, and All Kinds of Hilarious. Whether she's driving a limo for former Family Ties star Justine Bateman, dancing in the dark for a rarely seen Bob Dylan music video, or stalking a bachelor reject from TV's Love Connection, Stefanie Wilder-Taylor is kind of a big deal--at least in her own mind. Smart, screwy, and scathingly funny, her tell-all essays capture every cringe-worthy moment of her kind-of famous life. From bombing as a stand-up comic for born-again Christians, to winging it as a singing waitress in an Italian restaurant, to posting open letters to Angelina Jolie and David Hasselhoff, this unstoppable L.A. transplant refuses to give up on her dreams--no matter how ill-advised--and shows us a side of Hollywood better kept hidden. When it comes to funny women--unplugged and unleashed--they don't get any wilder than Stefanie Wilder-Taylor. . . .
I'm Kind of a Big Deal: And Other Delusions of Adequacy
by Stefanie Wilder-TaylorWARNING TO READERS: The Author of This Book is Kind of Crazy, Kind of Delusional, and All Kinds of Hilarious Whether she's driving a limo for former Family Ties star Justine Bateman, dancing in the dark for a rarely seen Bob Dylan music video, or stalking a bachelor reject from TV's Love Connection, Stefanie Wilder-Taylor is kind of a big deal--at least in her own mind. Smart, screwy, and scathingly funny, her tell-all essays capture every cringe-worthy moment of her kind-of famous life. From bombing as a stand-up comic for born-again Christians, to winging it as a singing waitress in an Italian restaurant, to posting open letters to Angelina Jolie and David Hasselhoff, this unstoppable L.A. transplant refuses to give up on her dreams--no matter how ill-advised--and shows us a side of Hollywood better kept hidden. When it comes to funny women--unplugged and unleashed--they don't get any wilder than Stefanie Wilder-Taylor. . . .
I'm Laughing Because I'm Crying: A Memoir
by Youngmi MayerSan Francisco Chronicle's Best New Books of Fall 2024 From standup comedian Youngmi Mayer, an unforgettable memoir written with &“raw, enviable freedom that simply floors you,&” interrogating whiteness, gender, and sexuality in America, navigating a tumultuous childhood in Korea and Saipan, and coming to terms with her parents&’ shortcomings (Michelle Zauner).&“Do you know what happens if you laugh while crying? Hair grows out of your butthole.&” It was a constant truism Youngmi Mayer&’s mother would say threateningly after she would make her daughter laugh while crying. Her mother used it to cheer her up in moments when she could tell Youngmi was overtaken with grief. The humorous saying would never fail to lighten the mood, causing both daughter and mother to laugh and cry at the same time. Her mother had learned this trick from her mother, and her mother had learned this from her mother before her: it had also helped an endless string of her family laugh through suffering. In I&’m Laughing Because I&’m Crying, Youngmi jokes through the retelling of her childhood as an offbeat biracial kid in Saipan, a place next to a place that Americans might know. She jokes through her difficult adolescence where she must parent her own parents: a mother who married her husband because he looked like white Jesus (and the singer of The Bee Gees). And with humor and irreverence and full-throated openness, she jokes even while sharing the story of what her family went through during the last century of colonialism and war in Korea, while reflecting how years later, their wounds affect her in New York City as a single mom, all the while interrogating whiteness, gender, and sexuality. Youngmi jokes through these stories in hopes of passing onto the reader what her family passed down to her: The gift of laughing while crying. The gift of a hairy butthole. Because throughout it all, the one thing she learned was one cannot exist without the other. And like a yin and yang, this duality is reflected in this whip-smart, heart-wrenching, and disarmingly funny memoir told by a bright new voice with so much heart and wisdom.
I'm Listening With A Broken Ear
by Vicky KaseorgI'm Listening With a Broken Ear is a true story about a dying dog, Honeybun, the author found on a roadside and grudgingly rescued. A concomitant story of faith, persistence, and love unfolds as both she and her young daughter struggled to help Honeybun overcome severe issues of compromised health, aggression and fear. Untrained to deal with the overwhelming behavior, Vicky then tried to give her up. . . . unsuccessfully. Refusing to relinquish her to Animal Control who would undoubtedly euthanize Honeybun,Vicky tripped upon a small rescue organization who offered to help rehabilitate Honeybun for free. During the many months of heartache and struggle, and multiple near deadly attacks on Vicky's other dog, she discovered a modern day parable of the truth that nothing is truly irredeemable. Each victory with the little rescue dog taught personal lessons in redemption and grace, patience and perseverance, and the power of transforming love to spread through a community in most unexpected and unlikely ways. There were multiple failures, and repeated surrenders to hopelessness. Each time, her weakness was thwarted and overcome by unexpected help and miracles. In the process, Vicky came face to snout with the harsh reality that real compassion involved action and responsibility. If she wanted to save the dog, ultimately it was up to her. It is a story of redemption, physically and spiritually in a very small corner of the world, told through the story of a discarded dog that no one wanted and no one thought could be saved.
I'm Looking Through You: Growing Up Haunted: A Memoir
by Jennifer Finney BoylanFrom the famous gender rights activist and bestselling author of She&’s Not There comes another buoyant, unforgettable memoir—about growing up in a haunted house...and making peace with the ghosts that dwell in our hearts. For Jennifer Boylan, creaking stairs, fleeting images in the mirror, and the remote whisper of human voices were everyday events in the Pennsylvania house in which she grew up in the 1970s. But these weren&’t the only specters beneath the roof of the mansion known as the &“Coffin House.&” Jenny herself—born James—lived in a haunted body, and both her mysterious, diffident father and her wild, unpredictable sister would soon become ghosts to Jenny as well. I&’m Looking Through You is an engagingly candid investigation of what it means to be &“haunted.&” Looking back on the spirits who invaded her family home, Boylan launches a full investigation with the help of a group of earnest, if questionable, ghostbusters. Boylan also examines the ways we find connections between the people we once were and the people we become. With wit and eloquence, Boylan shows us how love, forgiveness, and humor help us find peace—with our ghosts, with our loved ones, and with the uncanny boundaries, real and imagined, between men and women.
I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself: One Woman's Pursuit of Pleasure in Paris
by Glynnis MacNicolWhen you&’re a woman of a certain age, you are only promised that everything will get worse. But what if everything you&’ve been told is a lie?Come to Paris, August 2021, when the City of Lights was still empty of tourists and a thirst for long-overdue pleasure gripped those who wandered its streets.After New York City emptied out in March 2020, Glynnis MacNicol, aged forty-six, unmarried with no children, spent sixteen months alone in her tiny Manhattan apartment. The isolation was punishing. A year without touch. Women are warned of invisibility as they age, but this was an extreme loneliness no one can prepare you for. When the opportunity to sublet a friend&’s apartment in Paris arose, MacNicol jumped on it. Leaving felt less like a risk than a necessity.What follows is a decadent, joyful, unexpected journey into one woman&’s pursuit of radical enjoyment.The weeks in Paris are filled with friendship and food and sex. There is dancing on the Seine; a plethora of gooey cheese; midnight bike rides through empty Paris; handsome men; afternoons wandering through the empty Louvre; nighttime swimming in the ocean off a French island. And yes, plenty of nudity.In the spirit of Nora Ephron and Deborah Levy (think Colette . . . if she&’d had access to dating apps), I&’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself is an intimate, insightful, powerful, and endlessly pleasurable memoir of an intensely lived experience whose meaning and insight expand far beyond the personal narrative. MacNicol is determined to document the beauty, excess, and triumph of a life that does not require permission.The pursuit of enjoyment is a political act, both a right and a responsibility. Enjoying yourself—as you are—is not something the world tells you is possible, but it is.Here&’s the proof.
I'm Movin' On: The Life and Legacy of Hank Snow
by Vernon OickleA biography on the Canadian country musician, from his poor childhood in Nova Scotia to international celebrity on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.Born in tiny Brooklyn, Nova Scotia, Hank Snow enjoyed a musical career that spanned five decades and sales of more than 80 million albums. In I’m Movin’ On, journalist Vernon Oickle chronicles Snow’s hardscrabble life, from his destitute childhood in Queens County to international fame. Leaving no stone unturned in his richly detailed profile of the Singing Ranger, Oickle exposes the highs and lows of Snow’s career, and his journey (“Everywhere, man,”) from small East Coast radio stations to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Includes a foreword from Hank’s son, Jimmie Rodgers Snow, a timeline, discography, and 75 photographs.
I'm Movin' On: The Life and Legacy of Hank Snow
by Vernon OickleA biography on the Canadian country musician, from his poor childhood in Nova Scotia to international celebrity on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. Born in tiny Brooklyn, Nova Scotia, Hank Snow enjoyed a musical career that spanned five decades and sales of more than 80 million albums. In I&’m Movin&’ On, journalist Vernon Oickle chronicles Snow&’s hardscrabble life, from his destitute childhood in Queens County to international fame. Leaving no stone unturned in his richly detailed profile of the Singing Ranger, Oickle exposes the highs and lows of Snow&’s career, and his journey (&“Everywhere, man,&”) from small East Coast radio stations to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Includes a foreword from Hank&’s son, Jimmie Rodgers Snow, a timeline, discography, and 75 photographs.
I'm No Philosopher, But I Got Thoughts: Mini-Meditations for Saints, Sinners, and the Rest of Us
by Kristin ChenowethAristotle. Socrates. Descartes. And now, Chenoweth. (How about some women, am I right?)From television actress, Broadway star, and New York Times bestselling author Kristin Chenoweth comes I'm No Philosopher, But I Got Thoughts, an inspiring high-design, colorful book featuring philosophical-ish musings on connection, creativity, loss, love, faith, and closure. Just like Kristin&’s grandmother inspired her to trust her heart and develop her own belief system, you'll be inspired to develop your own life philosophies, as you journey through some of Kristin's most vulnerable and humorous personal stories, in her constant pursuit to make the most out of life.In each chapter, you'll find:Behind-the-scenes stories from Kristin's personal lifeHigh-design, colorful pages of inspirational quotesEngaging prompts, prayers, and inspiring quotesOh, and a warning: There will be Bible verses. There will be f-bombs. Read responsibly.I'm No Philosopher, But I Got Thoughts is the perfect book to pick up on days when you need an extra shot of encouragement, a little laughter, and a gentle reminder that kindness can take you a long way. This is a great gift to give for birthdays, holidays, graduations, Mother's Day, or for fans of Kristin Chenoweth, known for her Emmy Award–winning role in the ABC hit series Pushing Daisies and Broadway's Wicked.
I'm No Saint: A Nasty Little Memoir of Love and Leaving
by Elizabeth HaytA memoir from a woman who married young and her subsequent struggles to regain her own identity.
I'm Not Broken: A Memoir
by Jesse LeonIn this unflinching and inspiring memoir, Jesse Leon tells an extraordinary story of resilience and survival, shining a light on a childhood spent devastated by sex trafficking, street life, and substance abuse."A book for survivors and those who know someone they hope survives, bodhisattvas all." —Sandra Cisneros, bestselling author of The House on Mango Street Born to indigenous working-class Mexican immigrants in San Diego in the 1970s, Jesse Leon&’s childhood was violently ruptured. A dangerous and harrowing encounter at a local gift shop when he was eleven years old left Jesse with a deadly secret. Hurt, alone, and scared for his life, Jesse numbed his pain by losing himself in the hyper-masculine culture of the streets and wherever else he could find it—in alcohol, drugs, and prostitution. Overlooked by state-sanctioned institutions and systems intended to help victims of abuse, neglected like many other low-income Latinos, Jesse spiraled into cycles of suicide and substance abuse. I&’m Not Broken is the heartbreaking and remarkable story of the journey Jesse takes to win back his life, leading him to the steps of Harvard University. From being the lone young person of color in Narcotics Anonymous meetings to coming to terms with his own sexual identity, to becoming an engaged mentor for incarcerated youth, Jesse finds the will to live with the love and support of his family, friends, and mentors. Recounting the extraordinary circumstances of his life, Jesse offers a powerful, raw testament to the possibilities of self-transformation and self-acceptance. Unforgettable, I&’m Not Broken is an inspirational portrait of one young man&’s indomitable strength and spirit to survive—against all possible odds.
I'm Not High
by Jim BreuerA hilarious memoir from comedian Jim Breuer, with inside stories from his career in comedy as well as deeply personal moments from his life. With his goofy smile, sleepy eyes, and stoner's laugh, Jim Breuer might not appear to be the most introspective comedian out there. The fact that he made his mark playing Goat Boy on Saturday Night Live and a recalcitrant toker in the stoner classic Half Baked likely doesn't help his reputation at all. But in I'm Not High, we meet a whole new Jim Breuer. Jim dishes on everything from the SNL years to his early adventures in film. The cast of characters includes Chris Farley, Dave Chappelle, and Tracy Morgan-who all taught Jim lasting lessons about the high-stakes game of fame. He also chronicles the role family has played in keeping him honest. Whether he's arguing with his wife about religion, taking care of his kids, or helping his ailing father get through the day with his dignity intact, it's clear that some of Jim's best material comes from his best moments as a son and a dad and a husband. .
I'm Not Making This Up, You Know: The Autobiography of the Queen of Musical Parody
by Anna RussellThe author describes her unhappy childhood, boarding school education, and career in musical comedy.