Other books that might interest you

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  The Partition

  Don Lee

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  Twenty-one years after the publication of his landmark debut collection Yellow, Don Lee returns to the short story form for his sixth book, The Partition. The Partition is an updated exploration of Asian American identity, this time with characters who are presumptive model minorities in the arts, academia, and media. Spanning decades, these nine novelistic stories traverse an array of cities, from Tokyo to Boston, Honolulu to El Paso, touching upon transient encounters in local bars, restaurants, and hotels. Culminating in a three-story cycle about a Hollywood actor, The Partition incisively examines heartbreak, identity, family, and relationships—the characters searching for answers to universal questions: Where do I belong? How can I find love? What defines an authentic self?

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  Nothing Special - (The Mostly...

  Dianne Bilyak

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  This account of two siblings, one with Down syndrome, growing up in 1970s Connecticut is “rich in character, humor, hard-earned insights, and love” (Rachel Simon, author of Riding the Bus with My Sister).Nothing Special is a disarmingly candid tale of two sisters growing up in the 1970s in rural Connecticut. Older sister Chris, who has Down syndrome, is an extrovert with a knack for getting what she wants, while the author, her younger, typically developing sister, shoulders the burdens and grief of her parents, especially their father’s alcoholism. Dianne Bilyak details wrestling with their mixed emotions in vignettes that range from heartrending to laugh-out-loud funny, including anecdotes about Chris’s habit of faux-smoking Popsicle sticks or partying through the night with her invisible friends. Poet and disability advocate Bilyak strikes a rare balance between poignant and hilarious as she paints a compassionate and critical real-world picture of their lives. They struggle, separately and together, with the tension between dependence and independence, the complexities of giving versus receiving, the pressure to live as others expect, and in the end, the wonderful liberation of self-acceptance.“With charming specificity and hilarity, Bilyak writes frankly about her own identity, and that of her sister’s, comparing her own self-consciousness with her sister’s striking lack thereof . . . Bilyak hits home something that we so badly need to hear right now: that people with disabilities are not a monolith, and that there is no perfect way to love or be loved by them.” —Bekah Brunstetter, writer and producer for NBC’s This is Us

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  Carmilla

  Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

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  Carmilla is a Gothic novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. First published in 1871 as a serial narrative in The Dark Blue, it tells the story of a young woman's susceptibility to the attentions of a female vampire named Carmilla. Carmilla predates Bram Stoker's Dracula by 26 years, and has been adapted many times for cinema.

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  Lost on Purpose - The Adventures...

  Patrick Taylor

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  Lost on Purpose is the nonfiction adventure narrative of a former technology executive who took leave of the real world to reinvent himself as a twenty-first century mountain man. In October-November 2013, Patrick Taylor crossed the Rocky Mountains alone on foot. He passed through one of the largest wilderness areas in the lower forty-eight to reach and retrace the route of Lewis and Clark in the winter. The sacrifices—vocationally, financially, emotionally—are measured against the benefits by the author in a refreshingly honest, humorous, and inspirational fashion.

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  I'm Walking as Straight as I Can...

  Geri Jewell

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  A candid memoir of building an acting career—and a happy life—with cerebral palsy: “It’s a joy to read this book” (Ian McShane).   Exposing real pain, unstoppable perseverance, and unquestionable faith in the human spirit, this autobiography offers a true glimpse beyond actress Geri Jewell’s public image as a one-dimensional hero. Born with cerebral palsy, Jewell made history when she became the first person with a disability cast in a recurring role on American television in The Facts of Life, and in the years that followed she experienced a string of other successes, including a performance at the White House and a role on HBO’s Deadwood. But along with such accomplishments, this personal story also depicts some of the less-than-rosy events that happened behind closed doors during her initial climb to fame—among them, her release from The Facts of Life; her manager’s embezzlement of the money she made on the show; and her struggle with chronic pain, despair, and a fear of revealing her true sexual identity.   Told with grace and humor, this inspirational narrative presents an honest portrayal of a woman who refused to give up when others kept knocking her down.

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  Raised By Wolves

  Jess Ho

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  Growing up Cantonese in the racist outer suburbs was hard enough for Jess Ho, but add in a dysfunctional family who only made peace over food, and it was clear that a normal life was never on the menu. Jess emerged from childhood with a major psychological complex and a kick-arse palate, traits that would help them fit right in to the messy world of Melbourne's food scene.In hospitality, Jess found a new family of outsiders who shared their lust for life and appetite for destruction. As the Australian food scene exploded, fuelled by the kinds of ‘exotic' foods Jess had grown up on, they became one of the most influential voices in Australia's bar and restaurant scene. But the industry Jess loved had its own dysfunctions: greed, ego, sexual harassment, exploitation and a never-ending fetishisation of Asian food culture. And Jess wasn't one to hold their tongue.Raised by Wolves is a fierce, funny and razor-sharp coming of age story from a savage new voice.‘Jess Ho's Raised by Wolves is a cutting memoir full of joy and tragedy. This is a life in the Melbourne hospitality industry that deserves a place on your shelf'. JASON STEGER, The Booklist

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