HARTFORD, Conn. — Whenever bestselling author Robin Cook releases a new medical thriller, the head of the public library in West Haven, Connecticut knows demand for digital copies will be high. So will the price. Like many libraries, West Haven has been grappling with the soaring costs of e-books and audiobooks. The digital titles often … Read more
NEW YORK — The U.S. poet laureate, Ada Limón, is launching her intended signature project in April, which is National Poetry Month. The project is called “You Are Here” and includes an anthology of nature poems and visits to seven national parks. “I wanted something that could both praise our sacred and natural wonders and … Read more
For her 10th novel, best-selling author Allison Winn Scotch was inspired by the idea of a popular female star whose career and image are threatened by a scandal and the lengths she’ll go to restore her reputation. “In the time of post-#MeToo, women still have it harder, they’re still put under a microscope in a … Read more
In a chance meeting in 1934, Nina hosts a dinner party. She’s 14, trying on womanhood for the first time, and even the drunken foolery of Guy Nicholson and his friend can’t outweigh the growing importance of his gaze. Before she knows it, she’s smitten. “The Woman in the Sable Coat” primarily takes place in … Read more
TOKYO — Only 1,100 lucky audience members were there to hear the yet-to-be published short story “Kaho,” read aloud by bestselling Japanese author Haruki Murakami himself. The reading took place at a Friday night book event called “The Owl Reads in Spring” — a fundraiser for the Waseda International House of Literature library at Murakami’s … Read more
CHENGDU, China — For a few days in October 2023, the capital of the science fiction world was Chengdu, China. Fans traveled from around the world as Worldcon, sci-fi’s biggest annual event, was held in the country for the first time. It was a rare moment when Chinese and international fans could get together without … Read more
SAN FRANCISCO — The most stolen books from San Francisco public libraries’ shelves are not the hottest new novels or juicy memoirs, they are books about recovering from addiction. Now, city officials want to provide universal access to free drug recovery books, including Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12-step recovery book. San Francisco City Supervisor Matt Dorsey on … Read more
NEW YORK — A new, inclusive stage production of âPeter Panâ flies out on a U.S. tour this month, telling the classic tale of a boy who refuses to grow up â but without references that, ironically, have aged poorly. Gone are elements harmful to Native people, in are a few new songs and the … Read more
Four people have disappeared in a single night, and Noraâs best friend, Becca, is one of them. If they weren’t three months into a huge fight, maybe Nora would be able to parse out the clues Becca left for her. Melissa Albertâs fifth young adult novel, âThe Bad Ones,â is both chilling and heart-warming â … Read more
Richard Roper, whose debut novel “Something to Live For” (2020) featured a character seeking the aspiration of the title, is back with “This Disaster Loves You,” about another man whose story is not quite what it seems. Brian owns a pub on the English coast, purchased with his wife more than a decade ago. He … Read more
