We're Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union

Sit down, grab a glass of wine, and get ready to dish with Gabrielle Union, best known for rolls in movies like Bring it On or TVs Being Mary Jane (or if you are a parent of young kids, the voice of Nala on the Disney Junior series The Lion Guard, but I digress).

We're Going to Need More Wine is part memoir, as Gabrielle tells the story of growing up in a very white neighborhood, with summers spent with her Grandmother in a very black neighborhood, and how she found her way into Hollywood, almost by surprise. Her book is part essays, as she reflects on growing up black, her passion for things like reproductive rights, social justice, cancer research, and being black and famous. Like conversation over wine with a good friend, she never gets preachy, just tells it like it is, and give you facts.

We're Going to Need More Wine is for anyone looking for a book that fills the heart and soul..

Check out We're Going to Need More Wine @ the library.

Anatomy of a Song by Marc Myers

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of a great song? What does it take to write, record and produce a song that defines a year or genera of music? Then check out Marc Myers Anatomy of A Song, where he has collected 45 songs and interviewed the writers, performers and producers responsible for them. From 1952's Lawdy Miss Clawdy to 1991's Losing My Religion, Anatomy of a Song is not so much a direct pop music history, but a back track to how a song gets made, the people who could have made the music, and the songs that are surprise successes.

Personal drama, musicians trying new things, and surprising facts about musician's will keep you reading. Skip a head to your favorite songs, or read straight through to follow a line of music history. These essays first appeared in the Wall Street Journal, but make a great collection for fans of popular music and how it gets made.

Check out Anatomy of a Song by Marc Myers @ the library!

Shrill by Lindy West

Quick, name a few role models you had growing up that you could both relate to, and see your self growing into their role. Now think about those role models, are they people you want to emulate? Are they people you can emulate? Are they reasonable? If not, can you (again quickly) think of more people closer to your self that look and have lives similar to yours? If not, welcome to Lindy West's world.

Shrill, Notes From a Loud Woman is a collection of essays that tell the story of journalist Lindy West's upbringing as a "big boned" kid who chose the worlds of fantasy over the real. Who did a presentation about her love for TV, specifically comedy, to the disappointment of a favorite teacher, who stood up for herself by claiming who she was, and who starting speaking up for those who might not be ready to stand up for themselves.

Funny and powerful, reading Shrill will both make you laugh and think. West is a writer and without knowing it you may have read her work for other sites. Recommended for readers who miss The Toast, check out Jezebel on occasion, and just want to read about someone who has stopped apologizing for who she is. 

Check out Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman @ the library!

I Hate Everyone, Except You by Clinton Kelly

Clinton Kelly perhaps best known for all things fashion on What Not to Wear and co-host of the The Chew, is back with an all new book filled with candid, hilarious, and often snarky essays on nearly everything under the sun. From his somewhat awkward childhood to his feud with Paula Deen over whether or not it's acceptable to eat a chicken wing with a fork on TV to what was supposed to a relaxing spa day with his best friend that turned into a muddy fiasco, Kelly isn't afraid to tell it like it is. While known for his TV persona, I Hate Everyone, Except You is an unapologetic, honest, humorous look at Kelly's life; one that we don't always see on TV.

The 40s: The Story of a Decade by The New Yorker

            When current events seem overwhelming, it can be instructive, even comforting, to read about the courage and resilience of previous generations. In The 40s: The Story of A Decade, The New Yorker has collected many articles from that dire decade when The Great Depression persisted and the entire world went to war. Begun in 1925 as a magazine of humor and local interest, The New Yorker became, during the decade of the 1940’s, a national powerhouse of reporting and opinion, employing the greatest writers of the time. These writers lived in London during the blitz, landed on Iwo Jima with the Marines and crossed the Channel on D-Day. Other well-researched articles cover subjects familiar to all Americans today: John F. Kennedy and his PT boat; the Monuments Men; and the Berlin airlift. John Hersey’s famous work, Hiroshima, about six survivors of the atomic bomb, was first published on August 31, 1946, and occupied nearly the entire issue.  

            But The New Yorker articles were not devoted solely to matters of historical and political importance. The best of the movie, book, music, fashion and theater reviews have been reprinted in this book. Alas, no cartoons! Here also are the best poetry and short stories of the 1940’s. Shirley Jackson’s famous The Lottery was first published in The New Yorker. As in many modern magazines, there were articles about celebrities of the day. Such diverse personalities as Walt Disney, Eleanor Roosevelt and Walter Winchell were featured in various issues.  Human interest articles have not been omitted. Of particular interest to all readers might be the report on the 1949 Miss America contest. The simplicity of the contest and contestants stands in stark contrast to the sophistication of the current event. Three of the forty-eight states did not send contestants. All contestants were required to compete in donated Catalina swimming suits, Catalina being a pageant sponsor. In a parade rolling down the boardwalk, each contestant, wearing an evening gown, sat on a float pushed by a couple of men.  As for talent, there was the usual singing, acting and musical instrument playing. However, Miss Nevada’s talent was raising purebred Herefords. She had wanted to bring one of her cows, but pageant officials would not allow it. And the lackadaisical Miss New York State, the contestant featured in the article, gave little thought to her talent. “Her act, as she planned it, was going to consist of getting up in her nurse’s uniform and making a little speech about her nursing experience…All I know how to do is give a good back rub.” Who would not root for this young woman!

Check out The 40s: The Story of a Decade by The New Yorker @ the library!

I Can't Complain by Elinor Lipman

Author Elinor Lipman indeed seems to have little to complain about. She draws on her life experiences for this collection of essays and has barely a cross word to say about anyone in her personal or professional life. A baby boomer, she was raised in 1950’s Lowell, Massachusetts, by a happy homemaker mother (who lied about her age) and a doting father who was able to make each daughter feel she was his favorite. She grew up in an Irish Catholic neighborhood that fully embraced the only Jewish family on the block. All her friends, relatives, in-laws, in-laws’ friends, friends’ in-laws and co-workers (and their friends, relatives and in-laws) are friendly, successful, interesting and funny. She and her husband and son may have some faults, but those faults are charming and merely add a little spice to their lives. These experiences lead her to some common-sense opinions on how to choose a mate, how to maintain a relationship, how to share cooking chores and a bed and taste in fashion, and how to survive the inevitable death of loved ones. In short, I CAN’T COMPLAIN paints a picture of an American life we’d all like to live. 

Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan

Just in time for Father's Day, comedian Jim Gaffigan has given readers Dad is Fat. This collection of essays and reflections on being a parent is hysterical. Fans of Gaffigan, as well as those not familiar with his stand-up, will find themselves laughing at his observations, quips and one liners on the strange world that children and parents inhabit.

Share a special storytime with your family and read his essays out loud. Read "The Pharaoh and the Slave" to your friend who is months (or days) from being a first time father. For the more literary types, there is a pretty accurate analysis of children's literature in "A Critical Analysis of Children's Literature". For those who value personal space and alone time, enjoy "How to Put Five Kids to Bed in a Two-Bedroom Apartment".


It's hard to find a comic who appeals to everyone, and Gaffigan comes close. Anyone who was a child, is a parent or had a child or a parent will enjoy Dad is Fat.

Note: Jim Gaffigan is doing a book talk and signing on Saturday June 15th at Boswell Book Company. Check out Boswell's event page for more information!