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Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
In memoir, former Cuomo aide says ‘nothing goes unaddressed’
ALBANY, N.Y. — A memoir from the top aide to former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo during the deadliest days of the covid-19 pandemic, and an investigation that concluded he sexually harassed 11 women, will come out in the fall. Union Square & Co. will release “What’s Left Unsaid: My...
Review: ‘Koresh’ drills down on dark chapter in U.S. history
“Koresh: The True story of David Koresh and the Tragedy at Waco,” by Stephan Talty (Mariner Books) Thirty years ago, on April 19, 1993, after a 51-day siege by federal agents, the Branch Davidian complex in Waco erupted in flames, leading to the deaths of 76 people. The murky circumstances...
Review: ‘LeBron’ examines the remarkable career of NBA star
“LeBron” by Jeff Benedict (Avid Reader Press) LeBron James has lived a very public life. Who can forget the 2002 Sports Illustrated cover anointing him “The Chosen One” when he was just 17? Now 38, he’s done thousands of interviews, spoken out on a variety of social justice issues, earned...
Review: ‘The Trackers’ tells a vivid, post-Depression tale
“The Trackers” by Charles Frazier (Ecco) The characters that populate Charles Frazier’s new novel “The Trackers” are all searching for something. The narrator, Val, has journeyed from Virginia to Wyoming in 1937 to paint a mural in a post office as part of the Works Progress Administration, one of FDR’s...
Review: A book for movie lovers with romance, mystery, drama
“Advika and the Hollywood Wives” by Kirthana Ramisetti (Grand Central) Evening. Interior. We open on an Oscars afterparty, where Advika Srinivasan is making drinks for half of Hollywood while barely holding on to a measured, service industry demeanor despite the belligerence and entitlement of the tipsy, trophy-toting guests. But the...
Illustrated Anne Frank book removed by Florida school
ORLANDO, Fla. — A high school along Florida’s Atlantic Coast has removed a graphic novel based on the diary of Anne Frank after a leader of a conservative advocacy group challenged it, claiming it minimized the Holocaust. “Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation” was removed from a library at Vero...
North Side author pens book about Pittsburgh’s baseball parks history
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,...
Sewickley’s Penguin Bookshop to host local author Jessica Whipple
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...
Review: ‘Choosing to Run’ highlights marathoner’s endurance
“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...
Review: Vietnam vets try to help nation they once attacked
“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...
Library association reports record book ban attempts in 2022
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...
Sly Stone book to be released through new Questlove imprint
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...
School library book bans are seen as targeting LGBTQ content
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...
Italian novelist: Leonardo’s da Vinci’s mother was a slave
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...
Fox’s Benjamin Hall talks survival after nearly dying in Ukraine
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...
Paris Hilton’s path from party girl to icon of ‘extra’
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...
Oprah Winfrey reflects on book club, announces 100th pick
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...
Review: ‘The Teachers’ shows crisis in America’s schools
“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...
Murrysville woman’s book sales will benefit cat rescue organization
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...
Christopher Paolini returns to Eragon’s world with ‘Murtagh’
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...
Review: Atwood explores grief in ‘Old Babes in the Wood’
“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...
Review: Novel ‘Ruthy Ramirez’ flips true crime on its head
“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...
Murrysville author will host Q&A at Penn Area Library 
When Klaudyna Grudowski was searching for inspiration to write a novel about a young woman’s struggle to escape from a dystopian society, she didn’t have to look far. Grudowski, 35, of Murrysville has been in the U.S. for only a couple of years. She grew up behind the Iron Curtain...
Review: The hunt for Shackleton’s ’Ship Beneath the Ice’
“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...
Media drop Dilbert after creator’s Black ‘hate group’ remark
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,...


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