Revealed! Secrets of the military's investigations into ESP
"Phenomena: The Secret History of the U.S. Government's Investigations Into Extrasensory Perception and Psychokinesis"By Annie Jacobsen Little, Brown. 527 pp. $28 There's been a story in my family for...
View ArticleThe most delightful heroine since Elizabeth Bennet
"The Essex Serpent" By Sarah Perry Custom House. 416 pp. $26.99 Standing at the shoreline on a calm, moonless night, you can hear a low-pitched roar. Some say it's just the waves; others claim it's a...
View ArticleCan you live a moral and creative life and still enjoy a bit of luxury?
"River Under the Road" By Scott Spencer Ecco. 366 pp. $27.99 In his 1983 book, "Class: A Guide Through the American Status System," Paul Fussell identified a new rung on the social ladder that he...
View ArticleKareem Abdul-Jabbar discusses his new memoir
“Coach Wooden and Me” by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; Grand Central 304 pages, $29 You will be hard-pressed to find photos on the front and back covers of a book that more vividly describe what is written...
View ArticleThe classic board game Clue is now officially a comic book
When Paul Allor began writing "Clue," a new comic book miniseries based on the popular board game from Hasbro, he had many versions of the game to look to for inspiration. Clue the game has also been...
View ArticleHallie Ephron weaves a captivating tale of suspense in ‘You’ll Never Know, Dear’
“You’ll Never Know, Dear” by Hallie Ephron; William Morrow (304 pages, $26.99) Hallie Ephron was the third of four daughters and that is where you find her books in the library. By alphabetical —...
View ArticleBookSmart: A trio of hot summer beach reads
When the beach chair beckons in the coming weeks, you don’t want to be caught unprepared. I am not talking about having enough sunscreen, but rather having the right books to fill your beach bag. This...
View ArticleA true tale of three brothers during WWII’s darkest days
“The Jersey Brothers: A Missing Naval Officer in the Pacific and His Family’s Quest To Bring Him Home” by Sally Mott Freeman; Simon & Schuster (608 pages, $28) Save the family — or save the world —...
View ArticleMichael Connelly's killer pace
"The Late Show" by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown. 448 pp. $28) Michael Connelly has two best-selling series in progress, one about Detective Harry Bosch of the Los Angeles Police Department and...
View ArticleAlan Alda's new book teaches people to communicate better
No wonder “M*A*S*H” was so brilliant.Instead of retreating to their dressing rooms between shots, the actors sat in a circle and made one another laugh. “When they called us to the set, we kept the...
View ArticleOffer these books to the young readers in your home
"Now" (Roaring Brook, Ages 2-6) Antoinette Portis' joyful picture book "Now" perfectly captures a child's lighthearted affection for the here and now.The book, by the author of the award-winning "Not a...
View ArticleThis nice Southern family has a body in the attic — literally
"The Almost Sisters" By Joshilyn Jackson William Morrow. 352 pp. $26.99 Joshilyn Jackson's "The Almost Sisters" is a plainly yet artfully written book that tumbles headlong into the gluey morass of...
View ArticleCharles Bronson gets his due in a reverent look at ’70s cinema
“Opening Wednesday at the Theater or Drive-In Near You: The Shadow Cinema of the American ’70s” by Charles Taylor; Bloomsbury USA (208 pages, $27) American cinema in the 1970s was an astonishment. “The...
View ArticleThe love story that literally set a community on fire
"American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land" By Monica Hesse Liveright. 255 pp. $26.95 The fires were big news, for a while. Accomack County, on Virginia's Eastern Shore, spent late 2012...
View ArticleLeo Durocher bio shows Lippy’s link to many of baseball’s most dramatic moments
The Chicago Cubs had only one winning season in the previous 19 years before Leo Durocher became the team’s manager in 1966. His hiring was a rebirth of his career and a spark for the Cubs’ immediate...
View Article'A Catalog of Birds' is a soaring new novel about love and loss
"A Catalog of Birds" by Laura Harrington (Europa. 224 pp. $16)It's 1970 in Laura Harrington's brilliant new novel, "A Catalog of Birds," and Nell Flynn is about to graduate from high school. A young...
View ArticleHow taking a shortcut left the Donner Party stranded — and starving
"The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny" by Michael Wallis (Liveright. 453 pp. $27.95) Sarah Murphy Foster sat by a campfire in the early winter of 1847, grieving...
View ArticleFor the love of Camilla: Prince Charles’ influential wife and … foodie?
"Prince Charles” by Sally Bedell Smith; Random House (624 pages, $32) The Prince of Wales has spent a lifetime waiting, which is what one does if Mummy is queen of England and the longest-reigning...
View ArticleOsage Nation visit sparks enthralling book on conspiracy, murders
“I’ve often thought of history as the horror we know,” said David Grann, “but researching this book made me realize that perhaps the deepest horror is what we don’t know.” Grann, a longtime writer for...
View ArticleSummer-reading: Books to keep kids learning
Summer reading programs in some libraries and bookstores encourage students to keep reading during the school break. If you’re looking for good reads, check out the books below: “If I Were A Kangaroo,”...
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