Nonfiction Roundup: April 2020

Although you might not be able to go to the library to check out new books right now there are still a lot of great new nonfiction titles coming out in April. Below I’m highlighting just a few, they will be made available from the library’s Overdrive site on their publication dates.

Top Picks

“I’m Your Huckleberry: A Memoir” by Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer has played many iconic roles over his nearly four-decade film career. A table-dancing Cold War agent in “Top Secret!” A troublemaking science prodigy in “Real Genius.” A brash fighter pilot in “Top Gun.” A swashbuckling knight in “Willow.” A lovelorn bank robber in :Heat.” A charming master of disguise in “The Saint.” A wise-cracking detective in “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.” Of course, Batman, Jim Morrison and the sharp-shooting Doc Holliday. But who is the real Val Kilmer? With “I’m Your Huckleberry” the enigmatic actor at last steps out of character and reveals his true self. In this uniquely assembled memoir—featuring vivid prose, snippets of poetry and rarely-seen photos—Kilmer reflects on his acclaimed career, including becoming the youngest actor ever admitted to the Juilliard School’s famed drama department, determinedly campaigning to win the lead part in The Doors, and realizing a years-long dream of performing a one-man show as his hero Mark Twain. He shares candid stories of working with screen legends Marlon Brando, Tom Cruise, Robert Downey Jr. and Robert De Niro, and recounts high-profile romances with Cher, Cindy Crawford, Daryl Hannah, and former wife Joanne Whalley. He chronicles his spiritual journey and lifelong belief in Christian Science, and describes travels to far-flung locales such as a scarcely inhabited island in the Indian Ocean where he suffered from delirium and was cared for by the resident tribe. And he reveals details of his recent throat cancer diagnosis and recovery—about which he has disclosed little until now.
Publication Date: April 21

“Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life” by Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein
The workplace is a magnet for clutter and mess. Who hasn’t felt drained by wasteful meetings, disorganized papers, endless emails, and unnecessary tasks? These are the modern-day hazards of working, and they can slowly drain the joy from work, limit our chances of career progress, and undermine our well-being. There is another way. In “Joy at Work,” bestselling author and Netflix star Marie Kondo and Rice University business professor Scott Sonenshein offer stories, studies, and strategies to help you eliminate clutter and make space for work that really matters. Using the world-renowned KonMari Method and cutting-edge research, “Joy at Work” will help you overcome the challenges of workplace mess and enjoy the productivity, success, and happiness that comes with a tidy desk and mind.
Publication Date: April 7

“Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family” by Robert Kolker
Don and Mimi Galvin seemed to be living the American dream. After World War II, Don’s work with the Air Force brought them to Colorado, where their twelve children perfectly spanned the baby boom: the oldest born in 1945, the youngest in 1965. In those years, there was an established script for a family like the Galvins–aspiration, hard work, upward mobility, domestic harmony–and they worked hard to play their parts. But behind the scenes was a different story: psychological breakdown, sudden shocking violence, hidden abuse. By the mid-1970s, six of the ten Galvin boys, one after another, were diagnosed as schizophrenic. How could all this happen to one family?
What took place inside the house on Hidden Valley Road was so extraordinary that the Galvins became one of the first families to be studied by the National Institute of Mental Health. Their story offers a shadow history of the science of schizophrenia, from the era of institutionalization, lobotomy, and the schizophrenogenic mother to the search for genetic markers for the disease, always amid profound disagreements about the nature of the illness itself. And unbeknownst to the Galvins, samples of their DNA informed decades of genetic research that continues today, offering paths to treatment, prediction, and even eradication of the disease for future generations.
With clarity and compassion, bestselling and award-winning author Robert Kolker uncovers one family’s unforgettable legacy of suffering, love, and hope.
Publication Date: April 7