Books

05/09/2008

Creatures of the night captivate young readers of Stephenie Meyer's 'Twilight' series

Little,Brown and Company

Author Stephenie Meyer

Which do you prefer: the vampire or the werewolf? If the question sounds strange to you, you're probably not a teenage girl, or the parent of one. Those in the know understand there's a rivalry between vampire Edward Cullen and werewolf Jacob Black for the affection of the all-too-human Bella Swan. Still lost? We're talking about the protagonists of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series of young adult novels, which include Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse. These steamy books by a Phoenix mother of three have sold 5.5 million copies across 28 countries.
Video: The Bella Cullen Project sings "Sexy Vampire"
Blog: Texas Pages

05/08/2008

Star Jones lashes out at Barbara Walters about memoir
Nearly two years after Star Jones left "The View" on rocky terms, the 46-year-old TV personality has criticized former boss Barbara Walters for writing about her.

05/07/2008

Memoir has a few surprises about Barbara Walters' public life
Audition , the memoir of the most celebrated female television journalist in history, hit bookstands Tuesday (Knopf, $29.95). But those in search of singular shocks or rocking revelations will be disappointed.

05/04/2008

Books turn famous Texans into paper dolls

Leila Hill

Famous Texas Men and Famous Texas Women

Texas is a big, colorful state with a big, colorful history full of big, colorful characters. The state has been a productive generator of celebrities since long before the celebrity-industrial complex came to dominate American public life. But two new books pose an interesting challenge: How many famous Texas men and women are so instantly and iconically recognizable that you can identify them based on their paper-doll representations? Based on the content of Famous Texas Men and Famous Texas Women, two new collections from "paper doll artist" Tom Tierney, the answer is not nearly as many as you might think.

'Slavery by Another Name' looks at post-Civil War racism; 'Negro With a Hat' follows the life of Marcus Garvey
Imagine you're a black person living in the South during the first half of the 20th century, several decades after the end of slavery. You are supposedly free.

Kevin Brockmeier imagines glimpses of God in 'The View From the Seventh Layer'
Kevin Brockmeier writes fairy tales for adults. His last book, 2006's The Brief History of the Dead , fancifully imagined a city where people go after death, a way station of sorts where they go until the last person on Earth who remembers them has died. Then ... who knows?

Nonfiction roundup
A Wolf at the Table

Capturing a culture in 'Tomás Rivera: The Complete Works'
The rerelease of Tomás Rivera's work could not come at a better time. With the growth of the Mexican-American and Mexican population in the United States, reintroducing Rivera's work in an affordable version makes not only good educational sense but good sociological sense.

Paranoia is skin-deep in Scott Sigler's 'Infected'
A growing fear is infecting Middle Americans. In the form of micro-organisms it floats down from the sky, penetrating their pores. A constant itch drives them to hyperactivity and self-abuse. Eerie voices emanate from their nervous systems. They soon become enslaved to paranoia, alienation and murderous intentions.

'In Pursuit of the Gene' goes behind science in action, discoveries in progress
Scientists took 13 years and $3 billion to decode the human genome – the complete genetic blueprint, published in 2003, on how to build a human being. Today, with ever more powerful technologies at hand, researchers are on the brink of sequencing the genome of any individual, with all his or her genetic quirks, in the space of weeks for hundreds of thousands of dollars. None of this would have been possible without the Fly Room.

Local and national best-sellers
This week's list of local best-sellers is from Jokae's African American Bookstore, 3223 Camp Wisdom Road. National best-sellers are from The New York Times. Parentheses indicate book's position last week; indicates first week on list.

Authors touring the area this week
Howard Fineman will discuss The Thirteen American Arguments: Enduring Debates That Define and Inspire Our Country at 11:45 a.m. Monday at the Dallas Bar Association, Belo Mansion, 2101 Ross Ave. A buffet lunch is available for $12.76.

05/03/2008

Books turn famous Texans into paper dolls
Texas is a big, colorful state with a big, colorful history full of big, colorful characters. The state has been a productive generator of celebrities since long before the celebrity- industrial complex came to dominate American public life.

BOOKS HOME: A MEMOIR OF MY EARLY YEARS

05/02/2008

Actress Julie Andrews writes autobiography of early life
When Julie Andrews was 14, her mother took her to a party at the home of a man in a nearby town. At her mother's bidding, the girl sang a song for the guests and sat down for a talk with the host, who was "tall and fleshly handsome."

04/30/2008

Laura, Jenna Bush sign copies of 'Read All About It!' tonight
Teachers often say they do their job so they can make a difference in a student's life. It's a feeling shared by first lady Laura Bush and daughter Jenna, who have both served as teachers – and who both know Tyrone.

04/27/2008

'Armageddon in Retrospect' features early works by Kurt Vonnegut
Armageddon in Retrospect

Books about Texas and the Southwest
Big Thicket People

A 20th-century author exposes the secrets of the oil king in 'Taking on the Trust'
Three times in American history has a book been powerful enough to change public opinion and shape events: Tom Paine's Common Sense , Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin and Ida M. Tarbell's History of the Standard Oil Company .

'Silver' by Edward Chupack: Pirate's tale is no 'Treasure Island'
One of the delicious memories of happy childhood is of sitting on the porch swing or under the tree and on a lazy sunny day reading Treasure Island , the greatest adventure story ever written. What boy (or even girl?) growing up during the 120 years before our present electronics-addled century has not yearned to be the lad Jim Hawkins on a tall ship on the high seas in search of treasure beyond imagination on uncharted isles of the Caribbean?

'The Age of Shiva' by Manil Suri: Woman's story mirrors that of a new India
The Age of Shiva is both the story of a young woman and a young country as each navigates the path from hopeful adolescence to bittersweet adulthood.

'The Girl With No Shadow' by Joanne Harris: 'Chocolat' heroine matches wits with a witch
Anouk, the delightful child in the 1997 novel Chocolat , and her mother, Vianne, return in this new, darker confection. It's a contemporary fairy tale that includes identity theft, preadolescent angst, a special-needs child, and a proposed marriage of convenience, as well as chocolate truffles. Author Joanne Harris calls this book "a continuation," rather than a sequel to the one that was a popular movie starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp.

Author describes White House deceptions and distortions in 'Going to War'
Russ Hoyle states his case clearly: "President Bush and the White House knew they were lying to the American people about weapons of mass destruction to further their war aims ... On the road to war, the White House knowingly distorted intelligence, seduced a compliant media, and deceived Congress to steamroll the nation."

Local and national best-sellers
This week's list of local best-sellers is from Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 2201 Preston Road, Plano. National best-sellers are from The New York Times. Parentheses indicate book's position last week; indicates first week on list.

Authors touring the area this week
Shanna Swendson will discuss and sign Don't Hex With Texas at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Barnes & Noble, 2950 W. Berry St., Fort Worth.

04/24/2008

Mike Huckabee writing book on his failed presidential bid
Two weeks after the next president is elected, Mike Huckabee will publish a book sharing details on his failed bid for the White House and offering his vision for remodeling the conservative movement.

Nebula Awards puts Austin and Texas writers at center of science fiction world
People always judge science- fiction writing by its worst examples," says author Joe R. Lansdale. "Sci-fi is more respected than when I was a kid – when it was considered that old hokey stuff. People are beginning to appreciate what a unique genre it is and what an interesting pocket universe we have here in Texas."

Film director Paul Verhoeven's book disputes birth of Jesus
Film director Paul Verhoeven has written a book that contradicts the Bible by suggesting that Jesus might have been fathered by a Roman soldier who raped Mary.

04/23/2008

First lady and Jenna Bush share their thoughts on teaching
So, my Wednesday began pretty much like every other day for me, with a call from the White House. This time, it was actually a conference call, from first lady Laura Bush and her daughter, Jenna Bush.

04/22/2008

Miley Cyrus to write her memoirs
Miley Cyrus, author. The multi-hyphenate teen star has signed a book deal to tell the story of her young life, it was announced Tuesday.

04/21/2008

Robb Kendrick shows cowboys in tintype

Robb Kendrick

Teen ranch hands in Nevada

The longtime National Geographic contributor's new collection of tintype portraits is Still: Cowboys at the Start of the Twenty-First Century.

04/20/2008

Jeanette Winterson's 'Stone Gods' gives sci-fi fans a wild ride
The stone gods of prize-winning British novelist Jeanette Winterson's title are the tall monoliths of Easter Island, but there is nothing monolithic in this dynamic and brilliant work of experimental fiction.

Novelist Keith Gessen looks at late-20s angst in 'All the Sad Young Literary Men'
In a time when guys are flooded with images – from Viagra commercials to Oprah shows – that say it's never too late to get the girl and make a difference in this world, All the Sad Young Literary Men offers smart and socially astute characters who feel, as they reach 30, that it's too late to find a woman or a politics to embrace.

Jennifer 8. Lee looks at Chinese restaurants in 'The Fortune Cookie Chronicles'
For folks addicted to reading and to Chinese restaurants, it is difficult to imagine a more satisfying book than The Fortune Cookie Chronicles by Jennifer 8. Lee. (Hold on for an explanation of that name.)

Jhumpa Lahiri writes of longings for home in 'Unaccustomed Earth'
I've read lately that Jhumpa Lahiri gets tired of interviewers asking if she ever plans to write about people other than the Bengali-Americans who have populated her three books: the Pulitzer Prize-winning story collection Interpreter of Maladies , the novel The Namesake and her glorious new story collection, Unaccustomed Earth .

Andrei Cherny revisits the Berlin Airlift in 'The Candy Bombers'
America's memories of the Berlin Airlift have been reduced to something like this: The Soviet Union blockaded West Berlin. The United States flew in a bunch of food and won the world's admiration. The Soviets gave up.

Local and national best-sellers
This week's list of local best-sellers is from Barnes & Noble, 7700 W. Northwest Highway. National best-sellers are from The New York Times. Parentheses indicate book's position last week; indicates first week on list.

Authors touring the area this week
Robert Greer will sign The Mongoose Deception at 5 p.m. today at Brooklyn, 1701 S. Lamar St.

04/19/2008

New Willie Nelson biography offers intimate details but light on revelations

Lost Highway Records

Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson: An Epic Life by Joe Nick Patoski comes aptly titled. Willie Nelson is arguably the most respected and beloved Texas musician. His name, face, voice and personality are known and appreciated around the world. He's tried just about every style of music except, oh, rap and heavy metal.
More: Read an exclusive excerpt

04/14/2008

J.K. Rowling to testify in "Harry Potter lexicon" lawsuit
A lawyer for J.K. Rowling said Monday a U.S. publisher wants to scoop the author's plans to publish her own "Harry Potter" encyclopedia.

04/17/2008

Eco-books help readers put green intentions into action
With Earth Day fast approaching, books on "living green" are covering bookstore shelves like kudzu – everything from the encyclopedic Green Living for Dummies to tips on doing the right environmental thing from actor Ed Begley Jr.

04/13/2008

'The Story of Forgetting': Stefan Merrill Block's first novel is a convincing portrait of Alzheimer's disease
You've got to be ambitious to write a novel at 24, especially if the topic is a little understood neurological disorder that affects people who are so much older.

A. David Moody's 'Ezra Pound: Poet' explores early years of an influential talent
Ezra Pound was born in Hailey, Idaho, on Oct. 30, 1885, and died in Venice on Nov. 1, 1972. He entered the University of Pennsylvania at 15, left for Europe in 1908, and eventually moved to Rapallo, on the Italian Riviera, in 1924.

'Old Friend From Far Away': Natalie Goldberg invites us to join the memoir craze
What drives our country's ongoing fascination with memoir? In her 11th book, Old Friend From Far Away: The Practice of Writing Memoir , author-teacher Natalie Goldberg posits one clear answer:

Meg Wolitzer's 'The Ten-Year Nap' is a wake-up call for women
In the beginning of Meg Wolitzer's latest novel, The Ten-Year Nap , alarm clocks awaken young mothers all across the nation.

Local and national best-sellers
This week's list of local best-sellers is from Borders, 10720 Preston Road (at Royal). National best-sellers are from The New York Times. Parentheses indicate book's position last week; indicates first week on list.

Dallas women: You could write a book about them, and somebody should
Fort Worth is sweeping Grace & Gumption: Stories of Fort Worth Women off the bookshelves, seeming to indicate a longing for women's history. Katie Sherrod, editor of that volume (TCU Press, $32.50), says that it is by no means a definitive history but rather a gathering of stories that will serve as a starting point. Many women in the book, she points out, deserve their own books.

04/11/2008

Memorial for Norman Mailer is loud and literary
NEW YORK – You need a big block of time, and space, to say goodbye to Norman Mailer.