Books category, Page 8

The start of a new baseball season brings hope, beginning with the first pitch. The annual tradition of fans gathering at PNC Park for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ home opener inspired North Side resident Mark T. Fatla to think of the people over the years making their way to the ballpark,...

When do we know it’s “enough”? That was a question posed by Jessica Whipple. “With young children, you read a lot of picture books,” said Whipple, a Quaker Valley High School graduate. “As a parent, you try and teach moderation and contentment. I thought, ‘what if there was a universal...

“Choosing To Run,” by Des Linden (Dutton) Running a marathon is a remarkable achievement for any runner, no matter the skill level or pace. Preparing for running those 26.2 miles is also absolute torture for anyone who tries it. Des Linden captures that sentiment perfectly in her memoir, “Choosing To...

“The Long Reckoning: A Story of War, Peace and Redemption in Vietnam,” by George Black (Knopf) In the U.S., we’ve mostly moved on from our military engagements in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s the American way — not dwelling on our mistakes or engaging in a national discussion about what...

NEW YORK — Attempted book bans and restrictions at school and public libraries continue to surge, setting a record in 2022, according to a new report from the American Library Association being released Thursday. More than 1,200 challenges were compiled by the association in 2022, nearly double the then-record total...

NEW YORK — Questlove has his own book imprint and is launching it with a memoir by one of the world’s most influential and enigmatic musicians, Sly Stone, leader of Sly and the Family Stone. “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),” named for the Sly and the Family Stone...

DES MOINES, Iowa — Teri Patrick bristles at the idea she wants to ban books about LGBTQ issues in Iowa schools, arguing her only goal is ridding schools of sexually explicit material. Sara Hayden Parris says that whatever you want to call it, it’s wrong for some parents to think...

MILAN — An Italian scholar and novelist has provided fresh fodder for an old debate over the identity of Leonardo da Vinci’s mother, proffering a recently unearthed document as evidence that she arrived on the Italian peninsula as a slave from the Caucasus region of Central Asia. Carlo Vecce, an...

NEW YORK — A year after nearly being killed by Russian bombs while covering the war in Ukraine, Fox News’ Benjamin Hall credits a relentless optimism — and what he describes as an unexplained miracle — for getting him through. Truth is, it was probably several miracles that enabled Hall...

Dubbed the “OG Influencer,” club kid-turned-mogul Paris Hilton pioneered becoming “famous for being famous,” in the early 2000s, a playbook since adopted by everyone from the Kardashians to Housewives and countless social media influencers. Hilton became a staple on the New York City club circuit in her teens in the...

NEW YORK — For her 100th book club pick, Oprah Winfrey relied on the same instincts she has drawn upon from the start: Does the story move her? Does she think about it for days after? In a work of fiction, do the characters seem real to her? “When I...

“The Teachers,” by Alexandra Robbins (Dutton) The message of “The Teachers” comes into clear focus long before the final words of this 344-page dissection of what’s wrong with American public education, seen principally through the eyes, ears and experiences of three teachers in different areas of the nation. Author Alexandra...

When Nina Damato was searching for a way to raise money for local animal rescue efforts, she didn’t have to look much further than the two cats in her living room. The feline siblings are both blind. Damato, 71, of Murrysville, cheekily named them Louis Braille and Andrea Bocelli. Her...

NEW YORK — Christopher Paolini will have new adventures out this fall from Alagaësia and the world of Eragon, featuring the Dragon Rider Murtagh. Random House Children’s Books announced Wednesday that Paolini’s “Murtagh,” a standalone novel that takes place a year after the events of his blockbuster “Inheritance Cycle,” will...

“Old Babes in the Wood” by Margaret Atwood (Doubleday) Comprised of 15 “stories” (applying that term loosely), the heart of Margaret Atwood’s new collection features seven vignettes from the lives of characters named Tig and Nell. Canadians, like the author, these two seem to have had a great life together...

“What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez” by Claire Jimenez (Grand Central) If true crime is your guilty pleasure, you absolutely must find out what happened to Ruthy Ramirez. One cold November day in 1996, 13-year-old Ruthy doesn’t come home from track practice after school. Over a decade later, a woman who...

“The Ship Beneath the Ice: The Discovery of Shackleton’s Endurance” by Mensun Bound (Mariner Books) That old proverb your mother taught you — “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” — applies to marine archaeology just as it does to other aspects of life. That’s the lesson of...

The creator of the Dilbert comic strip faced a backlash of cancellations Saturday while defending remarks describing people who are Black as members of “a hate group” from which white people should “get away.” Various media publishers across the U.S. denounced the comments by Dilbert creator Scott Adams as racist,...

LONDON — Publisher Penguin Random House announced Friday it will publish “classic” unexpurgated versions of Roald Dahl’s children’s novels after it received criticism for cuts and rewrites that were intended to make the books suitable for modern readers. Along with the new editions, the company said 17 of Dahl’s books...

BOSTON — Dr. Seuss fans might find their hearts growing three sizes this coming holiday season with the release of a sequel to the 1957 classic children’s book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” The new book picks up one year after the original, and like the first, teaches a valuable...

LONDON — Critics are accusing the British publisher of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s books of censorship after it removed colorful language from works such as “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Matilda” to make them more acceptable to modern readers. A review of new editions of Dahl’s books now available...

“The Climate Book,” by Greta Thunberg (Penguin Press) Skipping school to sit outside the Swedish Parliament in 2018 with a sign reading “School Strike for Climate” at the age of 15, Greta Thunberg promised she would never stop calling out leaders and governments for refusing to take strong enough actions...

A large Florida school district has pulled an illustrated children’s biography of Pittsburgh Pirates legend Roberto Clemente off its shelves to determine whether it is “developmentally appropriate for student use.” Duval County Public Schools, which includes the city of Jacksonville, said in a news release it is “taking further steps...

“The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar” by Robin R. Means Coleman’s and Mark H. Harris; Gallery/Saga Press (327 pages, $27.99) If you want to survive a horror movie, there are a few things to remember. Always make sure your phone is charged. Avoid abandoned...