"I Have Some Questions for You" by Rebecca Makkai; Viking (448 pages, $28) ——— At 40, Bodie Kane isn’t especially nostalgic about her high school years. The narrator of Rebecca Makkai’s smart, gripping new novel, “I Have Some Questions for You,” Bodie was an outsider at the Granby School, a …
NONFICTION: Lynne Olson's ninth book of history profiles a fiery Egyptologist who led an international campaign. "Empress of the Nile" by Lynne Olson; Random House (406 pages, $32) ——— As "Empress of the Nile" begins, Christiane Desroches is pulled from a train in 1940 by a Nazi SS officer, …
The Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr. lives just outside Justice. This has been true his whole life. In the geographic sense, he has lived in Summit, Illinois (or the subdivision of Argo, annexed long ago into Summit), for most of his 83 years. Summit ambles alongside the Des Plaines River, a bit nort…
The Plot Thickens Announced earlier this winter, the Edgars — named, natch, for Edgar Allan Poe — are presented annually by the Mystery Writers of America and are now in their 77th year. For those who love crime fiction (and nonfiction), the Edgars are a great way to discover new authors or …
FICTION: A Jewish grandmother revisits her youth among Hollywood émigrés — including an interlude with Greta Garbo — during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Künstlers in Paradise" by Cathleen Schine; Holt (272 pages, $27.99) ——— Time is a funny thing. The year 2020 — those months of …
ATLANTA — Jamar Perry sold thousands of copies of his first children’s book, “Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms.” So when Perry launched a nationwide tour to promote the latest installment in the Cameron Battle series, the Decatur, Georgia, bookstore Little Shop of Stories eagerly invit…
When I contact Mona Simpson about setting up an interview timed to the publication of her new novel, "Commitment," she replies in what can only be described as an extraordinary way. She suggests we meet in Glendale, not far from where I live and very far from her Westside home. Simpson, whos…
When I contact Mona Simpson about setting up an interview timed to the publication of her new novel, "Commitment," she replies in what can only be described as an extraordinary way. She suggests we meet in Glendale, not far from where I live and very far from her Westside home. Simpson, whose 1986 debut novel, "Anywhere but Here," launched both a notable career and a refreshingly clear-eyed ...
NONFICTION: A harrowing exposé of child abuse and torture in Catholic orphanages of the 20th century. "Ghosts of the Orphanage" by Christine Kenneally; PublicAffairs (367 pages, $30) ——— Even after Spotlight, even after Tuam, this book was a shock. Christine Kenneally's exposé of the abuse and torture of children in 20th-century orphanages fits neatly alongside those earlier stories of ...
Books in brief "Johanna Porter Is Not Sorry" by Sara Read; Graydon House (320 pages, $17.99) ——— I don't mind telling you, protagonists who do risky things always make me uneasy, although without their foolish behavior there'd probably be no story. In her debut novel, Sara Read takes her title character — Johanna Porter, divorced mom — and turns her into an art thief. At a party at a gallery, ...
Mid-March might not be the best time to go Up North, but it's a great time to read about being Up North. MINNEAPOLIS — Of course you could go Up North now and find all kinds of things to do. But as a hiker I prefer to wait until the snow is off the trails — which, honestly, could be a while. So for now, I'll make do with reading about being there. Here are 10 books set along the North Shore ...
NONFICTION: The Pulitzer Prize winner has a bold way of looking at — and solving — poverty. "Poverty, By America" by Matthew Desmond; Crown Publishing, (304 pages, $28) ——— Matthew Desmond wants all of us to become "poverty abolitionists." It's a brilliant term because of the associations it carries throughout Desmond's lively "Poverty, By America": There's the connection to slavery, another ...
FICTION: A potent, unusual crime novel about an ex-cop whose misfortunes mirror those of his homeland. "Old God's Time" by Sebastian Barry; Viking (272 pages, $27) ——— Tom Kettle, the main character of Sebastian Barry's heartbreaking new novel, joined the Gardaí — Ireland's national police force — in the 1960s. His uniform was meant to withstand the elements, but it absorbed water like a ...
Longstanding disagreements about content in school libraries often focus this year on books with LGBTQ themes.
Content by Salem Tourism. For pickers and antiques aficionados, everything old is new again, and there’s certainly plenty of charming territory to explore in the welcoming town of Salem on the northwest outskirts of Roanoke, Virginia.
6 gift ideas for the outdoorsy person in your life
Content by Jennette’s Pier, North Carolina Aquariums. If you’ve never been or if you want to return for a jaunt, here are the top five reasons why you should check out Jennette’s Pier.
Here are 10 great gift ideas that are sure to please everyone on your list.
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