memoir

A rollicking, effusive, and candid memoir by the heavy metal musician and founding member of Black Sabbath, covering his years as the band?s bassist and main lyricist through his later-career projects, and detailing how one of rock?s most influential bands formed and prevailed.

The manager who shepherded Van Halen from obscurity to rock stardom goes behind the scenes to tell the complete, unadulterated story of David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, and the legendary band that changed rock music. Van Halen's rise in the 1980s was one of the most thrilling the music world had ever seen--their mythos an epic party, a sweaty, sexy, never-ending rock extravaganza. During this unparalleled run of success, debauchery, and drama, no one was closer to the band than Noel Monk. A man who'd worked with some of rock's biggest and most notorious names, Monk spent seven years with Van Halen, serving first as their tour manger then as their personal manager until 1985, when both he and David Lee Roth exited as controversy, backstabbing, and disappointment consumed the band. Throughout Van Halen's meteoric rise and abrupt halt, this confidant, fixer, friend, and promoter saw it all and lived to tell. Now, for the first time, he shares the most outrageous escapades--from their coming of age to their most shocking behavior on the road; from Eddie's courtship and high profile wedding to Valerie Bertinelli to the incredible drug use which would ultimately lead to everyone's demise. Sharing never-before-told stories, Monk paints a compelling portrait of Eddie Van Halen, bringing into focus the unique combination of talent, vision, hardship, and naivet#65533; that shaped one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time--and made him and his brother vulnerable to the trappings and failings of fame. Illustrated with dozens of rare photographs from Monk's vaults, Runnin' with the Devil is manna from rock heaven no Van Halen fan can miss.

In 2019, R.K. Russell broke the mold when he came out as bisexual in an essay for ESPN that ignited the sports world. Now, in his powerful memoir, THE YARDS BETWEEN US, he shares his story and explores his love of football, men and women, walking the devastating tightrope of keeping his sexuality secret, the tension between his private and public lives, and the importance of crashing through barriers. One part inspirational journey and one part coming of age as an athlete struggling to break a mold, THE YARDS BETWEEN US follows in the footsteps of moving, impactful sports memoirs like Agassi's OPEN, Misty Copeland's LIFE IN MOTION, and Megan Rapinoe's ONE LIFE. Told through the people and moments that have shaped him, Russell traces the highs and lows of his life in and out of football, from his early life as a shy kid struggling with the expectations on a Black boy and the pull between his quiet nature and his athletic ability, to being drafted by his hometown team the Dallas Cowboys, and then on to seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills. And as his time in the sport comes into full bloom, Russell realizes that keeping his secret in the NFL is easier than in college when life and football are so much more connected to social worlds. Through being cut, injured, and frustrating setbacks, Russell's confidence lags as the secret of his sexuality weighs heavier and heavier. And when that frustration is combined with the devastating loss of his best friend and sole confidant, the darkness that follows also brings a deep understanding that perhaps it's time to make a change. In Los Angeles, against the backdrop of the swaying palm trees and warm sands of Malibu, Russell falls in love and it's the final push he needs to stand up for every part of himself?a professional athlete, a writer, a son, a friend, a lover, a bisexual Black man. In THE YARDS BETWEEN US, R.K. Russell shows us the life-changing power of embracing who you are and fighting to make space so others can do the same.

In Chinese, the closest expression to oh my god is wo de ma ya. It?s an interjection, a polite expletive, something to say when you?re out of words. Translated literally, it means oh my mother?the instinctual first person you think of when you?re on the cusp of losing it, or putting it all together. In each essay of this hilarious, heartfelt, and pitch-perfectly honest memoir, journalist Connie Wang explores her complicated relationship to her stubborn and charismatic mother, Qing Li, through the ?oh my god? moments in their travels together. From attending a Magic Mike strip show in Vegas to experimenting with edibles in Amsterdam to flip-flopping through Versailles, this iconic mother-daughter duo venture into the world to find their place in it, and sometimes rail against it?as well as against each other. There are hijinks, capers, and adventures. There is also tenderness, growth, and discovery. In telling these stories about the places they?ve gone and the things they?ve done, Wang reveals another story: the true story of two women who finally learned that once we are comfortable with the feeling of not belonging?once we can reject the need to belong to any place, community, census, designation, or nation?we can experience something almost like freedom.

With his first foray into nonfiction, bestselling author of Big Fish Daniel Wallace tries to come to terms with the life and death of his multi-talented longtime friend and brother-in-law, who had been his biggest hero and inspiration, in a poignant, lyrical, and moving memoir.

From iconic queen Sasha Velour, a thought-provoking manifesto that explores the cultural influence of drag as activism, art, resistance, and identity, illustrated with her original artwork.

Activist, diplomat, and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt recounts her life story in this autobiography that combines elements from her original three-volume work.

The leader of the 1960s singing group The Ronettes describes the early days of rock 'n' roll, her affairs with such stars as John Lennon, and her nightmarish marriage to producer Phil Spector, which almost ended her career.

"Before he was one of Variety's "10 Comics to Watch" and a comedy sensation followed by millions, Kountry Wayne found few legit options for a poor Black man coming from a small-minded country town in Georgia. For many years he turned to running his own game, but thankfully friends and family (and one patient probation officer) convinced him that he had talent beyond hustling. Once he began posting short sketches based on his on-the-nose Southern Black truths, wildly funny observations, and inspirational guidance, he became an almost overnight hit. Now a proud father of ten, Kountry Wayne is on a mission to give back. By sharing his seemingly impossible story, he hopes to help others see that no matter where you started from or how marginalized you feel right now, the possibilities for living a rich, full life are limitless"--.

Award-winning actor, rapper, and producer Ice-T unveils a compelling and astonishing memoir of his early life robbing jewelry stores until he found fame and fortune -- while a handful of bad choices sent his former crime partner down an incredibly different path.