How to Get Started with Summer Book Bingo
May 19 2021
How to Get Started with Summer Book Bingo

For the seventh consecutive year, the Seattle Public Library and Seattle Arts & Lectures have teamed up to help readers spice up their TBR lists with Summer Book Bingo, a 25-square downloadable bingo card (this year’s woodland creature-adorned design comes courtesy of local illustrator Tessa Hulls) representing different categories of books, like “climate fiction,” “Black joy,” “made you laugh,” and “activism or social justice.” Those who fill out a full line (a “bingo”) or the whole sheet (a “blackout”) through September 7 can submit their card (either in person at a local library branch, via email, or via social media with the hashtag #BookBingoNW2021) for the chance to win prizes. To help you get started, we’ve listed some suggestions for the fourth row of the card (which, if completed, could score you a gift certificate to a local indie bookstore). If the book you’re eyeing has a long hold line at your local branch, try your luck at your nearest bookseller. 

BIPOC FOOD WRITING

From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home by Tembi Locke
While studying abroad in Italy, actress Tembi Locke fell for a Sicilian chef named Saro, who introduced her to a new world of food. Their romance came with no shortage of challenges: Saro’s family did not approve of their son marrying a Black American woman, and once they reconciled, he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that led to his death in 2016, leaving Tembi to raise their adopted daughter Zoella on her own. Locke recounts these and other major life events in her debut memoir, which is being adapted into a Netflix series starring Zoe Saldana.

SPECULATIVE FICTION

Terminal Boredom by Izumi Suzuki
This collection of short stories by the late Japanese sci-fi writer Izumi Suzuki (which gets its first English translation from Polly Barton, Sam Bett, David Boyd, Daniel Joseph, Aiko Masubuchi, and Helen O’Horan) takes on a decidedly punk bent, jumping from drinks among friends on a distant planet to a world in which men escape from isolation and violently disrupt a queer matriarchal utopia.  

SAL SPEAKER

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Vietnamese American poet Ocean Vuong’s widely acclaimed fiction debut is part epistolary novel, part autofiction, written in the form of a letter from a son to his illiterate mother. The author will join Seattle Arts & Lectures for an online talk on June 9. 

ASIAN AMERICAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDER AUTHOR

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
In her recently released, searingly poignant debut memoir, Michelle Zauner—known for making dreamy indie-pop under the name Japanese Breakfast—details her Korean American upbringing in Eugene, Oregon, losing her mother to terminal pancreatic cancer, and finding connection through food. 

POETRY OR ESSAYS

Popular Longing by Natalie Shapiro
“A poem you thought was just going to be kind of fun and chatty turns you into a miserable little tear puddle at the end. But a wiser one,” wrote The Stranger‘s Rich Smith about the work of Natalie Shapiro, whose newest collection is lauded by Electric Lit as “cutting, clever, and a criticism of modern culture.”

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‘The History Makers’ book dropped in US for ignoring key black figures: report
May 17 2021
‘The History Makers’ book dropped in US for ignoring key black figures: report

A new book called “The History Makers” has reportedly been scrapped from publication in the US after it was accused of not highlighting enough black figures.

New York-based writer Richard Cohen told the Guardian how he tried to address the criticism by agreeing to a major rewrite of the book that already took him 10 years to pen.

“It was to do with the publisher’s sensitivities,” Cohen, who moved to the Big Apple from London 20 years ago, told the UK paper.

“I was then asked to write more, and have done about another 18,000 words,” he said, with new sections focusing on pivotal figures like Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois and Toni Morrison.

But the rewrite was not enough for Random House, which last Wednesday suddenly dropped out of the estimated $350,000 deal, sources told The Guardian.

Cohen’s wife, leading US literary agent Kathy Robbins, is now urgently seeking a new publisher in the US, the outlet said.

The book, subtitled “2,500 years of shaping the past,” is still scheduled to be published in the UK by Weidenfeld & Nicolson on June 25, the report said.

Random House did not immediately respond Sunday to requests for comment on the report.

Richard Cohen responded to initial criticism by adding sections on black historical figures like Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois.
Richard Cohen responded to initial criticism by adding sections on black historical figures like Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois.
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The company still features advanced publicity for the book, including praise from Hilary Mantel of Cohen’s “brilliant achievement” with his “scholarly, lively, quotable, up-to-date, and fun” book.

The Random House listing calls it “an unusually authoritative and supremely entertaining volume.”

“Rich in character, complex truths, and surprising anecdotes, the result is a unique exploration of both the aims and craft of history-making that will lead us to think anew about our past and the stories we tell ourselves about it,” the site says.

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Magic of Storytelling campaign brings books to Douglas County
May 12 2021
Magic of Storytelling campaign brings books to Douglas County

Thanks to the campaign called Magic of Storytelling, Bryant Elementary in Superior and Northwestern Elementary in Poplar received hundreds of new books on Wednesday.

Disney Publishing Worldwide provides book donations to the non-profit First Book, which is where the staff ordered from.

Brad Larrabee, principal at Northwestern, said, “The kids being surrounded by books and being excited about reading, going into the summer, it’s a principal and teacher’s dream. We are very excited to have this program for our kids.”

The books at Northwestern will stay in the library, and give whole classes the chance to read the same story.

And over at Bryant Elementary, principal Matt Amerson said they have enough books to send one home with each student over summer break.

“We’d rather they have access to books all of the time. The hope is they read it once or twice, or three times. And talk to their friends about them, maybe even trade books,” he said.

Both principals are grateful for the opportunity to share more love of reading with the students.

WDIO and Superior Choice Credit Union worked together to make a difference in our communities, by opening up a world of reading for the students at Bryant Elementary and Northwestern Elementary.

For nine years, the Magic of Storytelling campaign has harnessed the power of The Walt Disney Company’s talent and networks to inspire the next generation of storytellers by providing books to educators serving kids in need through First Book, a nonprofit organization that Disney has collaborated with for decades.  If you would like to learn more about First Book, or view videos that can help your children learn to love reading, visit ABC Magic of Storytelling.


 

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Facts Matter: Harris's book not part of welcoming package for migrants
May 10 2021
Facts Matter: Harris’s book not part of welcoming package for migrants

A recent story falsely claimed a children’s book written by Vice President Kamala Harris was included in a packet given to unaccompanied migrant children at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The New York Post made the claim on April 23 in a story saying children being taken to a new shelter in Long Beach, California, would be given welcome kits that would include Harris’s 2019 book, “Superheroes are Everywhere.”

Fox News picked it up the next day, attributing the information to a photo of a single copy of the book, according to The Washington Post. The story was shared on Twitter by Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, who said, “they’re forcing taxpayers to buy Kamala Harris’s book to give to those illegal immigrants?”

The photo showed a copy of Harris’ book propped up next to a backpack at the shelter set up at a convention center. Taken by a photographer for the Southern California News Group, the photo was referenced by Fox News and on the front page of the New York Post, both of which are controlled by Rupert Murdoch.

But that photo shows one copy of Harris’ book that had been donated to the shelter during a book-and-toy drive organized in Long Beach, The Washington Post said. It was not a book given to each child.

“The book you reference is one of hundreds of books that have already been donated. The book was not purchased by (the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) or the city,” Long Beach spokesman Kevin Lee told The Washington Post.

Harris spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told the Post that Harris’ office “was not aware that her children’s book was donated.”

The New York Post on April 27 changed the story on its website and added an editor’s note acknowledging that “only one known copy of the book was given to a child.” The reporter resigned and said she had been “ordered” to write the story.

Post is fact-checking Biden

The Washington Post, in a fact-checking database maintained during Donald Trump’s 4-year term, charted 30,573 false and misleading claims made by the president.

Some recent social media posts said the newspaper won’t be fact checking the current president, including one that was shared more than 700 times.

The Post will continue to publish fact checks of statements made by Biden, according to USA Today. But it will not maintain a database.

“Here’s the Biden database — which we do not plan to extend beyond 100 days. I have learned my lesson,” the Post’s Fact Checker editor and chief writer Glenn Kessler wrote on Twitter on April 26.

Shani George, vice president of communications for The Washington Post, told USA Today, “We are continuing our practice of rigorous, routine fact-checking, which has already identified dozens of false and misleading statements by Biden, and will continue to hold the president accountable for his words.”

Kessler said his team counted 67 false or misleading claims from Biden in with first 100 days compared to 511 false or misleading claims from former President Donald Trump in his first 100 days, according to The Associated Press.

He said his team counted 8,859 claims by Trump in the last 100 days of his presidency, an amount that was not manageable for his team to maintain in database format.

“Trump at 500 claims/100 days was manageable; 8,000+ was not,” Kessler said on Twitter.

Claims of audit results false

Arizona Republican senators recently ordered a recount of 2020 presidential election votes cast in the state’s Maricopa County and social media posts are falsely claiming to have results.

“A QUARTER OF A MILLION ILLEGAL VOTES FOUND IN ARIZONA AUDIT … SO FAR!” read a post that was shared 1,500 times.

Results of the audit, which began April 23, have not been released, <URL destination=”https://apnews.com/article/fact-checking-058708357435″>according to The Associated Press.

</URL>When the AP asked former Arizona secretary of state Ken Bennett, acting as the Senate’s liaison to the recount, if 250,000 illegal votes were found, he replied, “No.”

The audit cannot overturn the election, the AP said, and previously multiple lawsuits and audits found no widespread irregularities with the Arizona results.

Fake board had no power

Recent social media posts falsely claimed a group of parents ousted an entire school board.

“Parents in Vail, Arizona, just took over the school board — all according to the rules. Voted in a whole new board, and immediately removed the mask mandate. Democracy in action! Just amazing!,” read a Twitter post that was shared on Facebook.

That’s not what happened, according to PolitiFact.com.

More than 100 parents showed up at the April 27 board of education meeting in Vail to protest a rule requiring students to wear face masks. But board members decided to not hold the meeting.

The parents then decided to hold an unofficial election in the hallway and nominated five of the parents as their governing body which voted to remove the mask mandate.

The process didn’t follow laws dictating how a school board is elected and it didn’t change anything.

School board member Chris King called it a “stunt” and said it was “essentially the same as electing who’s going to be the banker in a game of Monopoly. That’s the same authority,” he told PolitiFact.

• Bob Oswald is a veteran Chicago-area journalist and former news editor of the Elgin Courier-News. Contact him at boboswald33@gmail.com

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Europe Day is also Dianetics Day
May 9 2021
Europe Day is also Dianetics Day

Updated 9 May 2021

On May 9, 1950, there was the call for a “European community” to repair the devastation after World War II and what is known as the Schuman Declaration. He proposed the pooling of French and West German coal and steel industries, and which later led to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, the first European Community, established on 18 April 1951. This evolved into the European Union.

However, in addition to all these economic, political, and one could even say… geographic, this very May 9th 1950, on the other side of the world, occurred an unexpected event. The launching spanned beyond any type of politics or ideologies, and according to Scientologists “its final purpose has always been peace”. This event was the publication of a book which technique has influenced the life of millions and millions of people not just in Europe but around the world.

The Book

Its title is DIANETICS, which philosopher and World Guinness Record writer L. Ron Hubbard, piblished on May 9th 1950. And while it started covering how could one become in control of his/her own mind to achieve personal and social peace, it developed into a practical religion, Scientology, and the members of this recognized religion celebrate worldwide its publication [watch a short introduction in Scientology Network].

May 9th, most commonly known as “Europe Day”, is also known as “Dianetics Day”, and currently is also recognized by the Spanish government Foundation Pluralismo y Convivencia, as one of the religious festivities of the Scientologists. And this is why many European Scientologists say “Europe Day is also Dianetics Day”.

Dianetics introduction AD

This book launched by L Ron Hubbard on the power of thought and the human being began helping each person to spread a smile. Dianetics immediately became a bestseller at the New York Times. It contained unforeseen discoveries, and has remained a bestseller for more than 60 years. There are more than 22 million copies in the hands of the public, and has generated a movement that spans over 100 nations. It’s indisputably the most widely read and influential book ever written about the human mind. It covers the “anatomy and full description” of the reactive mind, the source of nightmares, unreasonable fears, upsets and insecurities which enslave citizens from all nations. Reportedly, this book shows you how to get rid of it, and so achieve something men and women have previously only dreamed of: the State of Clear. If you like reading, and want to explore your own boundaries, this is book Scientologists would recommend you more than any other.

In celebration of this 71st anniversary of Dianetics, the Fundacion para la Mejora de la Vida, and the European Office of the Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights, located in Brussels, are organizing showings of introductory videos for people who want to either help themselves, their families, friends or society at large.

Find more about Europe Day at the official EU WEBSITE.

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'Elephant in the Womb' Kalki Koechlin turns writer with ebook on motherhood
May 8 2021
‘Elephant within the Womb’ Kalki Koechlin converts author with ebook on motherhood

By PTI
brand new DELHI: Actor Kalki Koechlin is making the woman first as an author with an illustrated non-fiction guide on motherhood, writer Penguin Random House Asia (PRHI) revealed on Saturday.

Called “Elephant into the Womb”, the book illustrated by Valeriya Polyanychko, will soon be posted under ‘Penguin’s’ imprint this year.

A variety of individual essays and think-pieces, the graphic book is a “candid, funny and relatable” account talking about maternity and parenting for mothers, pregnant ladies, and “anyone even contemplating motherhood”.

“While I happened to be suffering my maternity and my brand-new part as a mother, it was my friends which aided me.

“They shared their particular rough times and dark levels and exactly how they got through it with laughter and contemplation, and that aided me personally above those that talked just of the wonderful, blessed babe in arms that brought light into their life,” stated the 37-year-old actor, whom gave delivery to an infant woman in February this past year.

According to the author, Koechlin’s nuanced prose helps make the readers privy to the physiological disquiet and manic expectations that make motherhood a bittersweet knowledge.

“Kalki Koechlin’s guide relates to the caretaker of most issues – the fact that parenting can be exhausting because it’s rewarding, as draining as it’s inspiring, and as irritating as it is joyous.

“We romanticize motherhood in popular culture, and I’m so glad Kalki features taken straight back the curtain on what is basically the actual and mental labour of most of the female populace,” stated Maasi Subramaniam, government editor at PRHI.

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Kate Middleton is simply too relatable in candid photo after e-book launch
May 8 2021
Kate Middleton is just too relatable in candid photo after e-book launch




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        <span>May  08, 2021 - 09:30 BST</span>
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<a href="/tags/fiona-ward/" class="author fiona-ward" itemprop="author creator" itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Person" title="Fiona Ward" rel="nofollow">
    <span itemprop="name">Fiona Ward</span>
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<span itemprop="description" course="hidden">Kate Middleton had been pictured checking the woman phone at the time of the woman Hold Still book launch on Friday - and it is too relatable! See just what fans said</span>


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                               The<strong> <a href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/tags/kate-middleton/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Duchess of Cambridge</a></strong> marked the launch of her <em>Hold However </em>photography book <a href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/gallery/20210507112634/kate-middleton-visits-national-portrait-gallery-hold-still-launch/1/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>with some surprise engagements</strong></a> and a sweet hidden guide look on Friday, and it appears like she had been nervous to see if it absolutely was a success!</p>    <p>Kate ended up being pictured examining her phone as she left The Royal London Hospital on Friday, and could actually seen holding her face inside her hands as the lady associate in addition seemed on her phone.</p>    <p><strong>MORE: <a href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/20210506112535/kate-middleton-touching-promise-little-girl-hold-still-book/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kate Middleton makes coming in contact with vow to young girl in front of book launch</a></strong></p>    <p>Royal lover <a href="https://twitter.com/LadyParky79/status/1390650850461298693" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>@LadyParky79</strong></a> tweeted the picture and sweetly captioned it: "Kate is perhaps all of us checking the #hsbookfairies hashtag now..."</p>    <fieldset class="video video-en" data-autoplay="false" data-idplayer="" data-idvideo="BmPyQxCJ" data-isplayercodeneeded="true" data-provider="jwplayer" data-videoads="false"><div id="MC40NDY5MzYwMCAxNjIwNDYyMDg1NTkxOQ==">Loading the player...</div>  </fieldset><p><br/><strong>WATCH: </strong><strong>Kate visits The Royal London Hospital to see how art is employed to aid patients</strong></p>    <p>The Duchess is rarely seen with her phone, so we won't be surprised if she had been keen to check on the a reaction to the guide's launch, and view just how many have been reaching the search around great britain. Obviously, she could also happen checking in on the children or responding to emails.</p>    <p><strong>MORE: <a href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/20210506112579/prince-william-talks-kate-middleton-gardening-north-wales-visit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prince William shows wife Kate Middleton is motivating him to get into farming for sweet reason</a></strong></p>    <p>Kate along with her spouse Prince William recently changed the handle of these formal Instagram account to 'Duke and Duchess of Cambridge', and also have apparently taken much more of a contemporary and private way of  revealing their work online.</p>    <p>        <span course="photo">            <img alt="kate-middleton-phone" itemprop="image" src="/imagenes/royalty/20210508112694/kate-middleton-relatable-picture-checking-her-phone/0-544-431/kate-middleton-phone-z.jpg"/><span class="copyright" data-copy=""/>            <meta itemprop="width" content=""/><meta itemprop="height" material=""/></span>     </p>    <p><strong>Kate had been pictured checking her phone through the car</strong></p>    <p>On Friday early morning, the Duchess teased royal followers with videos clip shared on the Instagram account, which showed the lady leaving a duplicate associated with the guide outside Kensington Palace for you to definitely discover.</p>    <p><strong>MORE: <a href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/20210505112410/kate-middleton-prince-william-launch-youtube-channel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prince William and Kate Middleton introduce unique YouTube channel</a></strong></p>    <p>Kate features teamed with The Book Fairies<em>,</em> a literary motion which urges readers to fairly share publications which they have actually look over and enjoyed by leaving them in public areas rooms for other people to locate. Overall, 150 copies regarding the book being hidden in secret areas over the UK because of the <em>Hold Still</em> judging panel.</p>    <p>      <span course="photo">            <img alt="kate-middleton-car" itemprop="image" src="/imagenes/royalty/20210508112694/kate-middleton-relatable-picture-checking-her-phone/0-544-430/kate-middleton-car-z.jpg"/><span course="copyright" data-copy=""/>            <meta itemprop="width" content=""/><meta itemprop="height" material=""/></span>     </p>    <p><strong>She did actually clasp her fingers to the woman face, too</strong></p>    <p>As more copies were discovered, the royal couple excitedly shared the articles to their Instagram tale - we wonder if Kate had been looking through all of the changes!</p>    <p>The original post read: "allow the search begin! We've accompanied @bookfairies_uk during the day to fairly share copies of Hold However round the UK to you.</p>    <p>        <span course="photo">            <img alt="hold-still-front-cover" itemprop="image" src="https://www.hellomagazine.com/imagenes/royalty/20210506112535/kate-middleton-touching-promise-little-girl-hold-still-book/0-543-490/hold-still-front-cover-z.jpg"/><span class="copyright" data-copy=""/>             <meta itemprop="width" content=""/><meta itemprop="height" material=""/></span>     </p>    <p><strong>Hold Still: A Portrait of your country in 2020, £17.55, <a course="aff_text" href="https://geni.us/hold-still" rel="nofollow sponsored noopener" target="_blank" title="hold nonetheless book">Amazon</a></strong></p>    <h6><a class="product__button" data-gtm-vis-first-on-screen-395993_81="2352" data-gtm-vis-has-fired-395993_81="1" data-gtm-vis-recent-on-screen-395993_81="2352" data-gtm-vis-total-visible-time-395993_81="100" href="https://geni.us/hold-still" rel="nofollow sponsored noopener" target="_blank" title="hold however book">SHOP NOW</a></h6>    <p>"Each content is adorned with a gold book fairy sticker, gold ribbon, and has a letter through the Duchess tucked around. To make this activity even more special, book fairies, the Hold Nevertheless judges and individuals for the last 100 photos tend to be making copies at locations where gave all of them hope through the lockdown.</p>    <p>"This unique book documenting the unique number of pictures continues on sale these days in UNITED KINGDOM bookshops and online."</p>    <p><em>HELLO!'s choice is editorial and independently selected – we only feature products our editors love and approve of. HI! may collect a share of product sales or any other payment through the backlinks about this web page. To find out more visit our </em><a href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/news/2019061174038/reader-information-on-affiliate-links/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FAQ page</a>.
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Kerry Parnell: Who cares if Meghan Markle writes a publication? Time to stop the sniping
May 8 2021
Kerry Parnell: which cares if Meghan Markle writes a publication? Time to stop the sniping

What’s the top cope with Meghan composing a children’s guide? Of all the what to get frustrated about, “celebrity pens a kids’ book”, is not one of these.

You could consider it cheesy; you may move your eyes and think, “there goes another window of opportunity for typical authors to ever before get a novel deal”, as editors continue steadily to default to printing the great, bad and downright rubbish attempts of anyone with a family group title, once you understand they might shift a gazillion copies regardless of if every web page had been blank.

Meghan Markle and Piers Morgan.
Camera IconMeghan Markle and Piers Morgan. Credit: Supplied

She’s certainly not 1st royal, or celebrity, to turn kids’ author. Fergie was pumping aside children’s publications for decades including the woman Budgie the small Helicopter and Little Red show.

She’s written self-help and diet publications and now a Mills and Boon love. No person is screaming about this. Also Prince Charles had written The Ladybird Book on Climate Change.

In terms of a-listers, it’s a lot more of a concern of that hasn’t written one. Alongside the tsar associated with style David Walliams, is everyone from Tori Spelling, Natalie Portman, Barack Obama, Whoopi Goldberg, Jamie Lee Curtis, Madonna, Russell Brand, Bruce Springsteen, Ricky Gervais, Paul McCartney, Pharrell Williams, Simon Cowell, Zoe Foster Blake, Peter Helliar, Isla Fisher and Kate Ritchie to name just a few.

kids book The Bench by Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex.
Camera IconChildren’s guide The Bench by Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex. Credit: Random House/supplied

We appreciate Harry and Meghan stop the Royal Family mentioning they wished privacy, then broadcast so much dirty washing on Oprah that even the talk-show queen had been lost for words, but my real question is, do we really need to be outraged by each and every thing Meghan does?

We usually do not.

If she would like to compose a novel, whoopee-do on her. In the event that you don’t enjoy it, fine.

It may be heartfelt, it could be cynical, it might be disingenuous, or a work of wizard — i must say i don’t care.

The thing I do value could be the relentless sniping over each thing she does, for the reason that it’s getting exceedingly boring. It’s possible to not be an admirer of somebody and never having to bang on about this all the time.

The greater the anti-Meghan brigade shout and shout, the greater publicity each endeavor gets anyway — her book is currently a premier 10 bestseller on Amazon also it’s not even out until next month.

Eventually, even when it’s twaddle, if it gets numerous of parents reading for their young ones, we are able to all agree totally that is an excellent thing.

In terms of Roald Dahl, who all of these famous people so desperately wish to be: “Matilda’s powerful younger brain carried on to grow, nurtured by the voices of most those writers who had delivered their particular books out to the globe like ships on the sea.”

Therefore reverse your gunships, keyboard warriors, and hold fire. You’ll never ever sink the girl anyhow.

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Idaho Officer Who Made Viral Lebron Video Returns From Administrative Leave, Gets Book Deal
May 7 2021
Idaho Officer Who Made Viral Lebron Video Returns From Administrative Leave, Gets Book Deal

The deputy in Idaho who was placed on leave after making a TikTok video responding to a controversial missive from NBA star LeBron James is back at work after inking a book deal.

Bellevue Marshal deputy Nate Silvester told KTVB earlier this week that he was returning to work on May 6. He also wrote on Facebook that the suspension ended up being for one week.

Silvester was reportedly placed on leave last month because of the video he made, which criticized how James targeted a white police officer who fatally shot a black girl in Ohio when she was attacking another female with a knife.

The Bellevue Marshal’s Office said previously it was aware of the “extreme controversy” over the video. “This is NOT how we expect our Deputies to act on duty or use city time. This is a personnel issue that is being dealt with internally,” it added.

Silvester said he will donate some of the money he received through a fundraiser to the First Responders Children’s Foundation. Another portion will go to create a scholarship fund for police officers who are displaced.

The GoFundMe fundraiser has drawn in more than $500,000 as of May 7.

Silvester has refused to apologize and gone on several different programs to talk about what happened. He has also signed a book deal with Di Angelo Publications.

“The whole point of my TikTok account is to humanize the badge and help shed a positive light on law enforcement that some people don’t get to see,” Silvester said in a social media video this week.

“This book is going to further that cause and help educate people like LeBron James and others who have a very limited understanding of police officers and the work that they do.”

Di Angelo Publications confirmed to The Epoch Times that it signed Silvester.

“Di Angelo Publications is a modern publishing firm that offers a platform for a range of stories and perspectives. As an independent publisher we are passionate supporters of the first amendment and thus, encourage all of our authors to speak out on the platform in which they believe. Nate Silvester has an important and compelling story to tell, and we welcome the opportunity to help him share his viewpoint,” Sequoia Schmidt, the firm’s founder and president said in an email.

James deleted his tweet that told the Ohio officer “you’re next” and later said he “fueled the wrong conversation” about Ma’Khia Bryant, the girl who was shot.

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Tucson’s Friday Pilots soar in new book chronicling remarkable history
May 5 2021
Tucson’s Friday Pilots soar in new book chronicling remarkable history

That is where The Friday Pilots come in.

The group of retired pilots capture the Spirit of Southern Arizona.

They meet for lunch every Friday at Hacienda Del Sol.

Recently, instead of trading old flying stories, the group spent the day signing 600 copies of their new book filled with those old flying stories.

“First of all, none of them are true,” joked former astronaut and fighter pilot Jim McDivitt.

The Friday Pilots now number around 30.

Bob Barnett is the only founding member left from the handful of pilots who started having lunch together in the 1980s.

Barnett was an F-105 pilot shot down in Vietnam in 1967.

“Spent 1,989 days as a POW, five and a half years,” recalled Barnett.

At 92, Barnett admits that had a profound impact on his life. It is also how he ended up in Tucson after his release, and how he ended up a member of The Friday Pilots.

“Everybody has a story,” Barnett said. “You have a story, everybody has a story. It’s interesting what people do and what they’ve accomplished. Especially this group. They’ve all accomplished a lot.”

The Friday Pilots books chronicle those accomplishments.

The first book was simply called The Friday Pilots. Each chapter was a story from a different pilot.

Now, they have released a sequel.

“On the Wings of Geezers – life lessons from old pilots,” said Don Shepperd, who compliled the stories of his fellow Friday Pilots. “We told about our lives in the first book. Now we’re telling about what we learned from living those lives in early aviation.”

These are all highly decorated Air Force, Navy, and Marine pilots who flew everything from B-29 bombers to the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane.

“All these guys lived through some really, really interesting events,” explained Shepperd. “We capture them in the books.”

That includes perhaps The Friday Pilots most recognized member, Jim McDivitt.

He flew in space twice, commanding both the Gemini 4 mission and later the Apollo 9 mission.

    <div class="Figure-container">
        <img src="https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7fb5178/2147483647/strip/true/crop/339x425 0 0/resize/339x425!/quality/90/?url=http://ewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com/4c/55/ab3aed0c495783564e2e22c8022e/jim-mcdivitt-gemini.jpg" alt="Jim McDivitt commanded the Gemini 4 mission" width="339" height="425"/></div>

But the 91-year-old is quick to point out that is not all he did.

“I didn’t just start out being an astronaut,” said McDivitt. ” I’d been an Air Force pilot, I’d flown a lot in combat in the Korean War. I was a test pilot. So, it wasn’t a big step for me.”

It hasn’t been a big step for Don Sheppard either.

The driving force behind the books, Sheppered is a retired fighter pilot, former Director of the Air National Guard and a CNN analyst.

Now, he has found a way to transform his Friday Pilots group into an organization that gives back.

“All of our royalties and any profits on this book go to the Fisher House,” Shepperd said. “The Fisher House basically is the Ronald McDonald House of the military.”

Roughly five dollars of every book sold goes to the Fisher House. Both of The Friday Pilots books are available online.

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Piers Morgan reacts to Meghan Markle's new book 'The Bench'
May 4 2021
Piers Morgan reacts to Meghan Markle’s new book ‘The Bench’

What would make the current shortlist for the title of World’s Most Ludicrously Inappropriate Book?

Donald Trump‘s Guide to Diplomacy?

The Art of Protecting One’s Privacy by the Kardashian Sisters?

Why Marriage is for Keeps by Bill and Melinda Gates?

These would all be good contenders were it not for the announcement this afternoon that Meghan Markle has written a book called ‘The Bench’ about the very special bond between father and child.

Sorry, WHAT?

Notwithstanding Ms Markle’s seemingly unlimited thirst for committing attention-seeking acts of gargantuan hypocrisy, this seemed beyond parody.

But it was real.

I laughed out loud when the news broke via her ecstatic publishers, and even louder when I read the accompanying gush-laden statements.

Ms Markle proudly informed us that her debut literary tome captures ‘the warmth, joy and comfort of the relationship between fathers and sons from all walks of life.’

She added: ‘This representation was particularly important to me … and I worked closely to depict this special bond through an inclusive lens. My hope is that The Bench resonates with every family, no matter the make-up, as much as it does with mine.’

Hmmmm.

Meghan Markle has written a book called 'The Bench' about the very special bond between father and child. Sorry, WHAT? I laughed out loud when the news broke via her ecstatic publishers, and even louder when I read the accompanying gush-laden statements

Meghan Markle has written a book called ‘The Bench’ about the very special bond between father and child. Sorry, WHAT? I laughed out loud when the news broke via her ecstatic publishers, and even louder when I read the accompanying gush-laden statements

Ms Markle proudly informed us that her debut literary tome captures 'the warmth, joy and comfort of the relationship between fathers and sons from all walks of life'

Ms Markle proudly informed us that her debut literary tome captures ‘the warmth, joy and comfort of the relationship between fathers and sons from all walks of life’

She added: 'This representation was particularly important to me ... and I worked closely to depict this special bond through an inclusive lens. My hope is that The Bench resonates with every family, no matter the make-up, as much as it does with mine'

She added: ‘This representation was particularly important to me … and I worked closely to depict this special bond through an inclusive lens. My hope is that The Bench resonates with every family, no matter the make-up, as much as it does with mine’

I wonder how much these touching sentiments will resonate with her own family, or her husband’s?

Lest we forget, Ms Markle has ruthlessly disowned her father Thomas and refuses to have anything to do with him despite the fact they now live just 70 miles from each other.

She is also reported to have disowned every other Markle, none of whom were invited to her wedding.

This doesn’t seem like someone overly keen to operate ‘an inclusive lens’ to me.

In fact, it seems a singularly EX-clusive lens.

She also spray-gunned Thomas in her lie-packed Oprah whine-a-thon in a manner that was more ‘ice, rage and irritation’ than ‘warmth, joy and comfort’.

As for Harry, he trashed his father Prince Charles in the same interview, moaning about how Daddy had stopped taking his calls or giving him cash, sounding like some needy spoiled brat teenager rather than a 36-year-old multi-millionaire doormat who ditched his family, country and duty because his chillingly controlling and ambitious wife wanted him to.

And unforgivably, he did this as Charles was desperately worried about HIS father, Prince Philip, who was lying seriously ill in hospital and later died.

Ms Markle has ruthlessly disowned her father Thomas and refuses to have anything to do with him despite the fact they now live just 70 miles from each other

Ms Markle has ruthlessly disowned her father Thomas and refuses to have anything to do with him despite the fact they now live just 70 miles from each other

As for Harry, he trashed his father Prince Charles in the same interview, moaning about how Daddy had stopped taking his calls or giving him cash, sounding like some needy spoiled brat teenager rather than a 36-year-old multi-millionaire doormat who ditched his family, country and duty because his chillingly controlling and ambitious wife wanted him to

As for Harry, he trashed his father Prince Charles in the same interview, moaning about how Daddy had stopped taking his calls or giving him cash, sounding like some needy spoiled brat teenager rather than a 36-year-old multi-millionaire doormat who ditched his family, country and duty because his chillingly controlling and ambitious wife wanted him to

How does any of this sit with Meghan’s misty-eyed tribute to ‘the warmth, joy and comfort of the relationship between fathers and sons’?

Very, very uneasily, I would suggest.

The pair of them also branded Harry’s royal family a bunch of heartless racists, though no evidence has yet emerged to support any of their outrageously hurtful and damaging claims.

And they repeatedly attacked the institution of the Monarchy and everything it stands for.

Yet when it comes to flogging her book, what author name does Meghan Markle use?

Ah, of course: ‘Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex.’

Yes, she continues to cynically exploit her royal titles because she knows that’s the only reason anyone is paying her vast sums of money to spew her uniquely unctuous brand of pious hectoring gibberish in Netflix documentaries, Spotify podcasts or children’s books.

Of course, her equally cynical publishers don’t give a damn about any of this shocking double standard.

‘Meghan’s touching text explores the relationship between fathers and sons and undeniably tugs at the heartstrings that parents and caregivers feel,’ said Mallory Loehr, publisher of the Random House Books for Young Readers Group.

She cooed that the illustrator’s art ‘beautifully matches the tender emotion of Meghan’s words, and every spread is infused with a vibrant sense of joy and love. The Bench is timeless—it feels destined to become one of those books that people will be reading for generations to come.’

And unforgivably, Harry gave the Oprah interview as Charles was desperately worried about HIS father, Prince Philip, who was lying seriously ill in hospital and later died

And unforgivably, Harry gave the Oprah interview as Charles was desperately worried about HIS father, Prince Philip, who was lying seriously ill in hospital and later died

The pair of them also branded Harry's royal family a bunch of heartless racists, though no evidence has yet emerged to support any of their outrageously hurtful and damaging claims. And they repeatedly attacked the institution of the Monarchy and everything it stands for. Pictured: Prince Charles leads the procession of male royals, including Harry, at his father's funeral

The pair of them also branded Harry’s royal family a bunch of heartless racists, though no evidence has yet emerged to support any of their outrageously hurtful and damaging claims. And they repeatedly attacked the institution of the Monarchy and everything it stands for. Pictured: Prince Charles leads the procession of male royals, including Harry, at his father’s funeral

Hmmm, I don’t wish to rain on the comically sycophantic parade – but I suspect this book will become an instant historical classic for all the wrong reasons.

The whole notion of Meghan Markle dishing out advice to anyone about the relationship between fathers and children is absolutely ridiculous given the appalling relationships she and her husband have with their own fathers.

Yet her brazen decision to do it anyway is so sadly typical of a woman whose tendency for staggering hypocrisy is only matched by her extraordinary tone-deafness.

I’d honestly rather hear parenting tips from Britney Spears’s god-awful father because at least they still talk to each other.

In the press release, Ms Markle is described as ‘a mother, wife, feminist, and activist’ who ‘currently resides in her home state of California with her family, two dogs, and a growing flock of rescue chickens.’

What it didn’t clarify is that she resides with a lot more animals than family members.

In fact, the only three members of her entire family she seems to have any relationship with at all now are Harry, Archie and her mother.

The rest have been discarded along with her ex-husband, and almost every old friend and colleague.

‘What Meghan wants, Meghan gets,’ was Harry’s famous refrain in the build-up to their wedding.

And so far, she’s got exactly what she wanted: the handsome British Prince, the Californian mansion, the millionaire celebrity lifestyle she always craved, and since Oprah’s unquestioning softball PR stunt, the coveted and ferociously-contested status of America’s No1 oppressed victim – a poor innocent waif cruelly mistreated by the beastly racist British royals until she managed to grab her confiscated passport and escape back home.

So far, Ms Markle's got exactly what she wanted: the handsome British Prince, the Californian mansion, the millionaire celebrity lifestyle she always craved, and since Oprah's unquestioning softball PR stunt, the coveted and ferociously-contested status of America's No1 oppressed victim – a poor innocent waif cruelly mistreated by the beastly racist British royals until she managed to grab her confiscated passport and escape back home

So far, Ms Markle’s got exactly what she wanted: the handsome British Prince, the Californian mansion, the millionaire celebrity lifestyle she always craved, and since Oprah’s unquestioning softball PR stunt, the coveted and ferociously-contested status of America’s No1 oppressed victim – a poor innocent waif cruelly mistreated by the beastly racist British royals until she managed to grab her confiscated passport and escape back home

The fact none of this ugly incendiary narrative is true is irrelevant to the people who matter to her – the Hollywood woke brigade for whom a personal version of the truth is far more important than the actual truth.

But what Ms Markle really needs now is some old-fashioned home truth.

THE truth, that is, not HER truth that usually turns out to be of the Princess Pinocchio veracity.

And THE truth is that she’s a cynical disingenuous manipulator intent on wrecking the Royal Family’s image around the world with her shameless, shameful, money-grabbing victim-playing antics, and dragging her hapless husband along for the ride.

This new book about father-children relationships is just another example of Meghan Markle’s never-ending penchant for preaching what she never practices.

If she really cared about father-child relationships, she’d take a chauffeur-driven limousine on the hour-long trip to see her own father who’s never even met either Harry or Archie.

And if she really cared about father-child relationships, she would never have trashed Harry’s family on global TV in the horrible way that she did, causing yet more damage, possibly irreparably, to Harry’s relationship with his father.

But then as we’ve seen from her gruesomely self-interested behavior during a pandemic that’s caused so much devastation and pain to billions around the world, Meghan Markle doesn’t really care about anyone but herself.

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Local book release: 'Beneath the Seams'
May 4 2021
Local book release: ‘Beneath the Seams’

Palo Alto resident Peyton H. Roberts, who is a sustainable fashion ambassador with the Bay Area nonprofit Remake, takes a look at the dark side of the fashion industry in her debut novel “Beneath the Seams” (Scrivenings Press), which comes out on May 11.

In her book, Texas-based fashion designer Shelby Lawrence is preparing to launch her mother-daughter dresses into retail stores nationwide when she becomes aware of her role in the unethical fashion industry.

Roberts, who grew up making sundresses and formal gowns on her mom’s sewing machine, said traveling and blogging across Asia opened her eyes to her clothes’ complicated journey from cotton fields to closet.

“Beneath the Seams” is available for presale on Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and through local bookstores Kepler’s and Books, Inc.

More information is available at peyton-roberts.com.

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(Paid Content) Wauseon Teenager Publishes Her First Book
May 2 2021
(Paid Content) Wauseon Teenager Publishes Her First Book
By: Jennifer Ellison

For teenagers, the world is a daunting, and often intimidating place to be forced into. Some handle the transition from carefree childhood to responsible adulthood better than others.

But there’s no denying that all teenagers feel the strain and burden in the fight…

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A bear book with both personal and historical perspective
May 2 2021
A bear book with both personal and historical perspective

A Shape in the Dark: Living and Dying with Brown Bears

’A Shape in the Dark: Living and Dying with Brown Bears, ’ By Bjorn Dihle

By Bjorn Dihle. Mountaineers Books, 2021. $17.95. 208 pages.

Our Alaska shelves are filled with books about bears, those iconic animals that fascinate us with their beauty, power and resemblance in so many ways to ourselves. Do we need yet another book devoted to them?

In the case of Bjorn Dihle’s “A Shape in the Dark,” the answer may be yes. Despite a subtitle that suggests dramatic accounts of bear encounters and maulings in the overworked tradition, Dihle has delivered something else. Brown bears, in this case, are the means to present an inquiry into his own life of adventure, American environmental history, Alaska’s bear people and places, bear mythology and facts, and more. While the book generally addresses the relationship between humans and brown bears, it comes at the topic from a variety of angles chiefly informed by the author’s own experience and knowledge.

Dihle grew up in Juneau, still lives in Southeast Alaska and has spent a great deal of time exploring, often by himself, the wilder parts of the state. He has also worked as a guide for bear viewing and filmmaking. From childhood he’s had numerous bear encounters of his own and writes of his respect for the animals and his strategy of talking softly to them as a way of avoiding harm to either himself or the bears.

After a prologue and introduction that establish his own place in the world — his reactions to a close bear encounter in the Brooks Range and then to news of a fatal bear mauling on Admiralty Island in 2018 — Dihle goes on in part one to weave his life into the larger story of North American brown bears. He tells of the Lewis and Clark expedition across the continent, quoting from Lewis’ diary about the ferocity of the bears they met and killed. After he describes stumbling into a hole made by the passage of many bears on Admiralty Island, he reflects how Lewis and his stories set the foundation for America’s relationship with brown bears (in which eradication was the goal) and “how everything leaves a trail, whether it’s imprinted in the land, in the narratives we tell, or even in our blood.”

The author follows with more about the history of the American West and its “mountain men,” then the elimination of brown bears from California, then the stories of Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, Aldo Leopold, Bob Marshall and others, and the evolution of knowledge and attitudes about brown bears. Each chapter shares this history in a context of his own experiences, his own interpretations of the past and present, making for a lively narrative. He ends this section with an Alaska-specific focus, including the “bear wars” early in the last century and, finally, the conservation efforts that resulted in protections for bears and their habitat.

In part two of the book, Dihle tells more stories about his personal fascination with bears and his wilderness adventures. Always, he seemed to be in the company of bears. On one Arctic trek, “It was a rare day I did not see a bear, and sometimes I saw as many as five. The bears became my world — everything else, the caribou and other wildlife, the river crossings and the pulsations (he was hearing a throbbing, like a heartbeat but coming from the land itself), thoughts of loved ones, became secondary.”

He tells of the fears he felt for a woman he found camping alone among bears and then of the Tlingit story of “The Woman Who Married a Bear” and the meaning he takes from it — that there’s a line between human and bear worlds and it’s best not to cross it. “I know that bears do not want me in their world. Sometimes when I forget my fear and common sense, though, I question the line that separates me from the bear world.”

The last several chapters, largely rooted in his experience as a guide for bear viewers, focus much of their attention on the stories of individuals who’ve been mauled or killed by brown bears. This include interviews by the author; in each case he takes care to note what might have been done differently to avoid a dangerous situation. He also profiles with admiration Ken Leghorn, “considered the father of ecotourism in Southeast Alaska,” and a particular bear Dihle watched for years, with what seems equal admiration.

Near the end Dihle gives voice to his doubts about guiding. “Each season it seemed clients became increasingly obsessed with wanting to be close to a bear, often even expressing their disappointment if they didn’t have an encounter close enough to fill the screen of their smart phone.” He wonders, if the superficial goals seem to be to get a photo or bragging rights, if there’s not something more. “I wonder if it’s an attempt to remember something vital about ourselves we don’t even know we forgot.”

He wonders, too, about the effects of Alaska’s planned and proposed developments on bears and their homes, and he wonders what kind of world his young son will live in. His son, when he made his first cries, “sounded the same as a bear cub bawling.” His son is named Shiras, after a dark color-phase of bear found on Admiralty Island and once thought to be a separate species.

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Story about migrant kids getting copies of Veep's book borders...
Apr 27 2021
Story about migrant kids getting copies of Veep’s book borders…

The conservative mediascape has been in an uproar for days over a New York Post report alleging that undocumented minors are being welcomed to the United States with copies of a children’s book authored by Vice President Kamala Harris.

A slew of prominent Republicans shared their outrage over the supposed giveaway of “Superheroes Are Everywhere” at migrant shelters after the story appeared on the New York tabloid’s front page Saturday. Even the White House press secretary was grilled about it.

And then on Tuesday, in a one-sentence note at the bottom of the original online article, the Post acknowledged that almost none of it was true.



“Editor’s note: The original version of this article said migrant kids were getting Harris’ book in a welcome kit, but has been updated to note that only one known copy of the book was given to a child,” it read in full.

In fact, it’s not even clear whether a child actually received that single copy of the book, which was photographed by Reuters on a vacant bed at a shelter in Long Beach, Calif., last week. It was one of many items, including toys and clothing, donated by residents in a citywide drive, Long Beach officials said. No government funds were used to purchase the items, according to city spokeswoman.

The Post originally reported on Friday that “unaccompanied migrant kids brought from the U.S.-Mexico border to a new shelter in Long Beach, Calif.,” would be given a copy of the book “in their welcome kits.” It attributed this claim to the Reuters photo, and spun it into an all-caps pun for the front page of its print edition: “KAM ON IN.”

A follow-up story by the tabloid on Monday reported that “thousands” of copies were being given to the children, and that White House press secretary Jen Psaki had “no answers” when asked whether Harris was profiting from the purported giveaways.

The Post’s flawed reporting appeared to set off a scramble at the paper to correct the record. Two articles about the books were deleted without explanation Tuesday morning, before reappearing a couple hours later with correction notes.

The headline on the original digital story – “Kamala isn’t at the southern border – but migrant kids are getting Veep’s book” – was rewritten as: “Kamala isn’t at the southern border – but at least one migrant kid got Veep’s book.”

But a follow-up story that falsely claimed “migrant children have been given copies” of the book retained that line as of Tuesday afternoon, even after the correction note was added.

The New York Post’s representatives, including digital editor Michelle Gotthelf and reporter Laura Italiano, who wrote the first story, did not respond to requests for comment.

The Washington Post’s Fact Checker debunked the stories early Tuesday morning, a few hours before the New York Post corrected them. But the false reports nevertheless set off a chain of misinformation on news outlets and social media over the weekend.

An online Fox News story was corrected Tuesday to note that only one donated book was known to exist. But it still alleged that “the inclusion of the book raises questions over who is providing funding for the welcome packs.” (It was the second high-profile correction for Fox News in about 24 hours. On Monday, the network walked back a false report that President Biden intended to restrict consumption of red meat.)

A Fox spokeswoman did not provide an initial comment about the children’s book story. The network is controlled by Rupert Murdoch, who also controls the New York Post.

Conservative lawmakers and GOP party officials also made hay out of the children’s book story in the four days it remained online and uncorrected. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio both blasted it (Cotton later deleted his tweet). And Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel tweeted: “After learning officials are handing out Kamala Harris’ book to migrants in facilities at the border, it’s worth asking . . . Was Harris paid for these books? Is she profiting from Biden’s border crisis?”

McDaniel’s tweet is somewhat ironic. The Washington Post reported this month that the RNC used more than $400,000 in donated funds last year to buy copies of books written by Republican authors, potentially generating royalty payments.

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Elizabeth Knox's novel is sprinkled with references to famous books including The Da Vinci Code and The Mabinogion
Apr 27 2021
Elizabeth Knox’s novel is sprinkled with references to famous books including The Da Vinci Code and The Mabinogion

Michael Joseph, £14.99

Review by Fiona Rintoul

Books are so oversold these days that it is difficult not to see “mesmerising” on a cover and think, “mediocre”, not to learn that this is the one book you should read this year and resolve to pass. A blizzard of hard-to-live-up-to superlatives along the “luminous” and “tour de force” lines heralded the publication of The Absolute Book by New Zealand author Elizabeth Knox, and so it was with trepidation that I opened its pages.

Therein lies a complex tale that veers between real-life concerns and the world of the Sidhe, Celtic fairy people re-envisioned by Knox. Replete with gods both Christian and pagan, “Taken” people, visits to Hell’s Gate, talking ravens and plenty more besides, The Absolute Book certainly has its moments – the Sidhe and their world are richly imagined.

This is, in many ways, a book about books themselves and their power. Each section begins with a literary quotation, and the text is sprinkled with references to works as various as The Da Vinci Code and The Mabinogion. The protagonist, Taryn Cornick, is a writer whose book about threats to libraries from infernos and economic austerity becomes an unexpected bestseller. Taryn tumbles into the world of the Sidhe through a library door, and their world is linked to this one by the mystery that surrounds a scroll box named the Firestarter.

This bookish focus allows Knox to make a lot of doubtless valid points about the destruction and preservation of books and the ideas they contain. “It’s always better to keep books,” Taryn tells the audience at a literary event in Auckland. “In the same way that it’s better not to pollute waterways and cover arable land with asphalt.”

This wider political posturing can sound preachy. Of Brexit, a “very erudite lawyer” tells DI Jacob Berger, a policeman on Taryn’s trail, “It’s an almost mythical yearning”, having apparently been shoehorned into the narrative to deliver this message. Elsewhere, however, Knox hits the mark. Looking back on past triumphs, Taryn sums up the social-media age when she asks: “Why is happiness so self-congratulatory?”

Berger represents another strand to the intricate plot. The book opens with the murder of Taryn’s sister and Taryn’s subsequent decision to allow “the Muleskinner” to murder the murderer. This revenge killing is the root of both Berger’s and the Sidhe’s interest in Taryn – but not the sum of her troubles. MI5 is on her case too, because of a perceived connection to dodgy server farms in Pakistan.

Crikey, it’s dense. Taryn also has family links to the Firestarter. Despite this, we are fully 400 pages in before she asks the obvious question: “What the bloody hell is in the box?”

This is one of several plot problems. Another is that everybody’s phone is bugged, but Berger and Taryn nonetheless persist in making important, secret arrangements by phone. Then there is the saltwater crocodile that saves the day in Norfolk. Even allowing for the intervention of Valravn and fairy folk wearing bejewelled toe-rings, this is hard to swallow.

Neither does Norfolk, with its dispiriting flatness, ever really come off the page, partly because Knox deploys Americanisms seldom heard in that county: emergency room instead of A&E; realtor instead of estate agent. The characters are similarly nebulous. It’s hard to visualise Taryn or Berger or to understand what motivates them.

The biggest problem, however, is the action scenes. Most are as opaque as this crucial moment:  “He darted towards Taryn, scooped her up, and stretched forward. He pointed his free hand at the doors.” Free hand?

If character, plot and action were clearer, the great dollops of fairy weirdness that The Absolute Book dishes up might be easier to digest. As it is, Knox’s 12th novel for adults, while enchanting in places, falls short of the hype.

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Edinburg School Administrator Caught Stealing Comic Books
Apr 21 2021
Edinburg School Administrator Caught Stealing Comic Books

An Edinburg High School assistant principal, and apparent comic book fanatic, has been charged with stealing several high-value superhero comic books.

Juan Martinez Junior was arrested last Friday and charged with property theft after being seen on security camera video stuffing several comic books into his jacket and walking out of the store.

The McAllen Monitor reports the store, Kaboom Comics in McAllen, posted surveillance footage of the theft on Facebook, someone who recognized the thief called police, an officer met with Martinez, and he turned over the stolen goods. The comic books were valued at more than $400.

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Rotary celebrates Pike history with books
Apr 19 2021
Rotary celebrates Pike history with books

PITTSFIELD — Nursing home and assisted living facility residents in Pike County now have access to local history materials through the efforts of the Rotary Club of Pike County.

Club President Sheila Davidsmeyer helped with a committee that created “mini-libraries” designed to connect seniors with local history accounts familiar to their own family stories.

“We wanted to participate in the celebration of our county’s 200th anniversary this year,” Davidsmeyer said. “We wanted to assist our local long-term care facilities in providing engaging materials for residents who have been socially isolated due to COVID-19 restrictions.”



The club supplemented a $2,500 grant received from Rotary District 6460 and began assembling a variety of history materials related to Pike County.

In addition to traditional books published by the Pike County Historical Society, Looking for Lincoln in Pike County, Nancy Ross Chapter DAR and the New Philadelphia Association, the club wanted to include personal slices of history and commentary as recounted by local authors.

One of those books was “Your Food — My Adventure” by club member Philip Bradshaw. Other authors in the collection include Linda Pearson, Kham Kurfman, Ken Bradbury, Bill Beard, Carol McCartney and Kenneth Higgins.

Project chairman Julia Boren said the grant allowed the club to move beyond local works and include items related to Pike County’s Abraham Lincoln heritage.

“We were able to purchase many activity-oriented books related to Lincoln and his presidency,” Boren said. “Crossword puzzles and word search books have been requested by our long-term care facilities to help keep residents engaged.”

Facilities receiving the history collections from Rotary Club of Pike County are Liberty Village, Hawthorne Inn, Eastside Health and Rehabilitation, Barry Community Care Center and Griggsville Estates. Each collection is valued at $550.

Billye Titus, Liberty Village administrator, said residents of her facility will enjoy the new reading material.

“I think they will be excited to see things related to where they grew up,” she said.

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