TIME

From Anna Marie Tendler's memoir to T.J. Newman's thriller

The Best New Books to Read in August 2024

Halfway through the year is a good time to take stock of our reading. The spare elegies of winter have left their mark; the elegant literary novels of spring have come and gone; the big juicy beach reads of summer are just beginning. Let’s pause here and take a look at what good things the year has already brought to us before we look ahead to the riches of the fall. Here are the 10 best books from the first half of 2024.

The best books of the year (so far)

New Jersey State

Call me old fashioned, but I love nothing more than curling up with a good book and getting lost in the story created by someone else. This experience is only improved when the drama within the pages is actually true, and the literary adventure becomes a history lesson as well.

10 Greatest Books Based on True Stories for Your Reading List

Real Simple

Some of these books were foundational in inspiring other writers to share their stories.

10 Banned Books Everyone Should Read, According to These Published Authors

The New Republic

Kevin Roberts styles himself as a modern Prometheus, and thinks he’s here to bring the fire. The president of the Heritage Foundation’s forthcoming book, Dawn’s Early Light: Taking Back Washington to Save America, opens with metaphors about fires, claiming that in 2020 “our country went up in flames” and now it’s time to “fight fire with fire.” Using the massive California forest fires of 2020 as a stark, vivid metaphor, Roberts argues that America’s institutions have become “deadwood in a forest,” and that conservatives “can’t merely continue putting out fires”; they must be “brave enough to go on the offense,...

Voters Have a Right to Know What Kevin Roberts’s Disturbing Book Says

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Total Apex Sports & Entertainment

Scott Smith’s The Ruins gained high praise from one of the masters in the horror genre, Stephen King. When it comes to horror novels, it can be hard to convey terror through words in a way that sends chills down the reader’s spine. It can be eerie, but not terrifying, as this is a craft itself. King does that meticulously, and this helps him recognize a good horror book when he reads one. This book happens to be among his favorite horror novels, but why exactly? Let’s find out.

What Makes ‘The Ruins’ One Of Stephen King’s Favorite Books?

Each month in our FYI Digital Magazine, I write a column focusing on local authors and recent releases. Here is a look at some books with a local flavour coming your way. Leonard Cohen: The Man Who Saw the Angels Fall, by author Christophe Lebold from ECW Press, follows the singer’s cosmopolitan life from Montreal and New York to the Greek island of Hydra and examines his perpetual dialogues with himself, God, and avalanches. We see how six decades of radiant pessimism and a few thousand nights in hotel rooms transformed a young Jewish poet who longed to be a saint into an existentialist troubadour in love with women and a gravelly voiced crooner who taught a thousand ways of dissolving into love. After more than two decades of research and travels, Lebold, who befriended the poet and spent time with him in Los Angeles, is said to be delivering a stimulating analysis of Cohen’s life and art. Gracefully blending biography and essay, he interrogates the mission Cohen set out for himself: to show us that darkness is just the flip side of light. It will be out on Sept. 3.

Summertime reading: New books set to hit the shelves

South Carolina State

Los Angeles County, CA

Herbie J Pilato

In 1981, pop-music sensation Andy Gibb was at the top of the charts. The younger brother of Barry, Robin, and Maurice, a.k.a. The Bee Gees, commenced a tumultuous romance with actress Victoria Principle, who played Pam Ewing on Dallas, TV's then-Number 1 prime-time series. But after the relationship ended, Andy's life, already challenged by substance abuse, did as well. This is their tragic story.

The Tragic Death of Pop Star Andy Gibb & His Traumatic Romance with 'Dallas' Star Victoria Principle

Chicago, IL

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Foodie in Chicago

Shortly before 3 AM, people in the Chicago area may have felt their houses shake as a 3.4-magnitude earthquake occurred about 60 miles west of the city. (CHICAGO) The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported a 3.4-magnitude earthquake around Somonauk, IL. Somonauk is in DeKalb and LaSalle Counties, 64 miles west of Chicago.

Did You Feel the Earthquake?

There are no new titles on the bestseller lists this week, but there are still some things worth noting. Let’s start with the most fun to the least. First off, Gravity Falls was a cartoon that ended in 2016, but a new Gravity Falls book (The Book of Bill by Alex Hirsch) just came out, and it made the Publishers Weekly and USA Today overall top ten bestseller lists. I love this show, so it makes me happy to see it’s still got a strong contingent of fans.

The Bestselling Books of the Week, According to All the Lists

Have you ever found yourself in a reading slump? I certainly have. There’s just something so frustrating to be in that head space where nothing I read seems to work for me. To help myself out whenever this happens, I keep a stash of books I think I’m all but guaranteed to like. In today’s newsletter, we’re talking about two books that helped pull me out of a slump and return me to my usual reading groove. But first, let’s jump into bookish goods!

Nonfiction Books to Pick You Up After a Reading Slump

Vision Pet Care

Ever wonder if your feline friend is head over paws in love with you? Cats, those mysterious creatures, have their own special ways of showing affection. If you’ve ever questioned your kitty’s feelings, let’s unravel the unmistakable signs your cat is madly in love with you.

Unmistakable Signs Your Cat is Madly in Love with You

Washington State

Kentucky Vibes.net

Disclaimer: This article was written with the help of A.I. software. Incident Summary: On Wednesday, August 7, 2024, during the 3m springboard preliminaries at the Olympic Games in Paris, American diver Alison Gibson faced an unfortunate incident that led to a score of 0.0. Competing to secure a place in the semi-finals, the 25-year-old Texas-born athlete experienced a collision with the diving board that significantly impacted her performance.

Heart-Stopping Moment: Alison Gibson’s Dive Ends in Disaster at the 2024 Olympics

Mental_Floss

There’s no tradition more satisfying than cracking open a good book on a sandy beach. Here’s how it all started.

Making Waves: A Page-Turning History of the Beach Read

When it comes to both science fiction and fantasy, authors have a habit of writing multi-book epics rather than single, one-time books. So, if you’re looking for a standalone sci-fi tale to enjoy and don’t want to have to invest in multiple books, these are some of the best to pick up.

The best standalone sci-fi books

With the almost limitless possibilities available to sci-fi, it’s easy to create some seriously evil villains. Rounding up the biggest and best bad guys of science fiction is no easy task. The most evil villains of sci-fi When everything from world-destroying space weapons to undetectable flesh-eating machines is available,...

The 10 biggest villains in Sci-Fi literature

The Guardian

An irreverent heroine brings late medieval England to life in this raucous tale based on a real-life hoax

A Little Trickerie by Rosanna Pike review – loveable historical fiction

From Covid misinformation to the JFK assassination, these compelling reads explore how conspiracies seduce believers

Five of the best books about conspiracy theories

Emily Standley Allard

The issue of trust is a complex topic with many factors behind it. Some zodiac signs are simply known for innately being more cautious or guarded, which can sometimes manifest as difficulty trusting others. Here are 6 signs that tend to be more reserved in their trust:

Opinion - 6 Zodiac Signs that Find it Impossible to Trust Anyone

Do ghosts exist? This question has puzzled humans for centuries. Some swear by their eerie encounters, while others dismiss them as mere figments of imagination. Ghost stories span cultures, from ancient Egyptian spirits to modern-day hauntings. Believers argue that ghosts are the souls of the departed, lingering due to unfinished business or strong emotional ties. Skeptics counter with scientific explanations, attributing ghostly experiences to psychological phenomena or environmental factors. Whether you’re a firm believer or a curious skeptic, the mystery of ghosts continues to captivate our minds. Let’s explore 13 intriguing facts about these elusive entities.

13 Facts About Do Ghosts Exist

NewsBreak

10 Books Like 1984 To Read In 2024

It’s Internet commonplace to see social media posts accusing anything that causes the poster mild inconvenience of being “just like 1984!”. Don’t let the Internet fool...

10 Books Like 1984 To Read In 2024

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