Summer has been here for a while, and the sun is shining bright in our faces. It has been a great time to go on a hike, relax on the beach, and generally spend a lot more time outside the house. We’re halfway through it and planning all the things we want to do before it ends. We’re trying to slot in reading on our overflowing to-do list. Short books are here to our rescue. When my days feel too packed with activities, I’m less likely to commit to a book that will require a lot of hours. Short books take less time to get through while still satisfying our yearning of wanting to engage with someone’s mind. They’re less intimidating to begin and help us slow down just the same.

8 of The Best Short Books To Read For the Rest of Summer

The Guardian

A master of the short story explores mortality and beyond, through these funny, boundlessly intelligent visions of the angel of death

Concerning the Future of Souls: 99 Stories of Azrael by Joy Williams review – brilliantly deadpan

MARLEY WAS SWEATY, LIKE SO SWEATY, to begin with. The snow in the mountains was melting and Bunny had been dead for several weeks before we came to understand the gravity of our situation. The Bunny thing was bad, obviously, but the snow melting and the fact that it was so hot this time of year was keeping us all up at night with anxiety.

The first lines of 10 classic novels, updated for the hottest days of summer.

South Carolina State

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Colleton County, SC

Explore Beaufort SC

Some beachgoers were in for a surprise this week when a bizarre looking prehistoric fish washed ashore in Colleton County along Edisto Beach at Edisto Beach State Park. It turned out to be an atlantic sturgeon.

Rare Atlantic sturgeon washes ashore on South Carolina beach

What drew you to paranormal investigation? Do you feel that some. people have an innate ability to connect with spirits?. AB I grew up in a haunted house and was 8 years old when I saw my first full-bodied apparition. When I told my mom about it, she simply said – without interjecting any fear – oh that’s just a ghost. I’ve been fascinated since then. I believe that some people are more aware of and in tune with their surroundings – I notice everything around me. Other people are more quick to explain happenings as coincidences.

5 Questions with Amy Bruni

Point Pleasant, WV

It's a busy time to be Jeff Wamsley, the owner and creator of the world’s only Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Most recently, the mythic Mothman creature has received its very own “Unsolved Mysteries” episode on Netflix. Volume 4 of the beloved series revival premiered on the streaming service in August, and episode five is devoted to the shadowy monster.

Is the Mothman real? The legend behind the mythical monster

Maitland, FL

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Akeena

If you’re a fan of hearty Italian meals without the hassle of cooking, you might be feeling a bit nostalgic. Buca di Beppo, the Orlando-based chain known for its family-style Italian feasts, is closing its doors—not just one, but 14 locations!

A Much-Loved Italian Restaurant in Florida Has Closed, and the Company Will Also Close 13 More

InsideHook

August can be a bittersweet month, the point at which summer begins to wind down even as the weather turns ever more dank. With that in mind, our August book recommendations cover a lot of potential reactions to the month at hand. Looking for a gripping thriller to page through at the beach? We can help you there. In search of the perfect read for a new European soccer season? There’s something for that as well. Throw in memoir, cultural history and a retrospective of a beloved television show, and you have a reading list that should keep you busy this month.

The 10 Books You Should Be Reading This August

The Lens

This year’s area of low oxygen in the Gulf of Mexico is larger than average, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced on Thursday. The “dead zone” is approximately 6,705 square miles , as measured last week. Within NOAA’s 38 years of measuring the dead zone, this year’s assessment marks the 12th-largest area of low to no oxygen, which can kill fish and marine life.

Gulf ‘dead zone’ larger than average, larger than expected for 2024, scientists announce

Total Apex Sports & Entertainment

Do you know any self-righteous person who rarely apologizes? We all have different weaknesses and offend others once in a while. However, some zodiac signs’ pettiness and insecurity hinder them from seeking forgiveness when they cross someone’s path. Instead, they try to prove that they were right when they did something.

3 Zodiac Signs That Don’t Apologize

Saint Petersburg, FL

Hey foodies and diner lovers! It looks like the beloved Metro Diner in St. Petersburg, known for its hearty portions and Guy Fieri's endorsement, has hit a bump in the road. This popular spot, famous for its pancakes, fried chicken and waffles, and mouthwatering meatloaf, has had to temporarily shut its doors due to some serious issues flagged by a recent state inspection.

Green mold, live roaches and live flying insects - Popular diner closed down in Florida

Our lambs seem to be developing new ways of communicating with us. One morning Richard drove Mum to see the sheep. One of them, four-month-old Tilly, greeted them, then walked over to yesterday’s now chewed and leafless willow sticks, picked one up and shook it. Mum asked Rich to fetch some more.

Words of No Syllables: How Animals Bond With Their Human Caretakers

Quincy, MA

Dianna Carney

Get ready for an afternoon filled with live music, fun activities, and local vendors. The Friends of Ruth Gordon Amphitheater has invited the community to join them for the Friends Rock Music Festival on Sunday, August 11th from 2 PM until 8 PM. This free-to-attend festival promises a day filled with a diverse lineup of artists and bands, offering something for every music lover. Performances will include:

Live Music, Delicious Food & More: Don't Miss This Free Music Festival in Quincy

A dark, emotional tale about facing the harshness of grief while living through a brutal, sunless Arctic winter. Astrid thought she could do it. She thought she could accompany her husband, Tor, to his beluga whaling station for the hunting season. In some ways, she was right. In others, not quite.

Book Review: The Last Whaler

J. Souza

According to cruise industry reports, the world's largest cruise ship is sailing well above 100% capacity, thanks to more beds being filled on recent sailings. Royal Caribbean’s newest flagship, the Icon of the Seas, is proving to be an unprecedented success, with occupancy rates far exceeding expectations.

The Largest Cruise Ship in the World is Sailing at 132% Capacity: How This is Even Possible

Another week, another batch of books for your TBR pile. Happy reading, folks. “[A] palm-sweat-inducing psychological thriller.”. “[The Snap] buzzes with all-too-familiar frustration at injustices. In the doubts and thrills of her story, Staple echoes the moment in a game when a bone-crunching collision has a player carted off the field. Are we allowed to enjoy this? Should the game still go on? An endorphin-fueled, heart-hammering sprint.”

10 New Books Coming Out This Week

He glided into my office in patent leather shoes—shiny, brown, and freshly polished. His socks, a bright mustard, perfectly matched his tie as well as his handkerchief, neatly folded in his left breast pocket. Light blue pinstripes ran vertically up his gray blazer, drawing my gaze upward towards his healthy, tanned face. No surprise, his teeth were ivory and straight, almost as white as his pants. Not a hair was out of place.

The Moment When a Brain Surgeon Sees the Most Terrifying Diagnosis in Medicine

Cooking With Maryann

I grew up on these babies. This cookie is sweet nostalgia to me. There are so many variations to make it too, you really can't go wrong with it! For a super easy and fast cookie bar, these are a winner!

Magic Layer Bars aka Hello Dolly Bars

Denver, CO

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David Heitz

In addition to collecting more than 8,000 used needles in the past year from Denver drug users, the Harm Reduction Action Center passed out 10,000 meth pipes and “snort kits,” according to a newsletter sent to its supporters Thursday. They also connected about 1,700 people to medical, mental health and substance abuse treatment.

Denver group hands out 10K meth pipes, ‘snort kits,’ connects 1,700 to treatment annually

No, pallet shelters for people experiencing homelessness don’t fold into caskets. It’s a question a reader posed one of the first times I wrote about pallet shelters. I find the pallet shelters to be more palatable than ice fishing tents. The Colorado Village Collaborative operates both micro-communities and the so-called Safe Outdoor Spaces with the tents. We all learned the tents are not safe when a fire roared through a CVC Safe Outdoor Space, destroying the compound quickly. Officials never disclosed a cause of the fire.

Opinion: No, pallet shelters for homeless in Denver, Aurora don’t fold into caskets

NewsBreak

Suyi Davies Okungbowa & Brenda Peynado on Futures Bleak and Hopeful

Tor Books, in partnership with Literary Hub, presents Voyage Into Genre! Every other Wednesday, join host Drew Broussard for conversations with Tor authors discussing their new...

Suyi Davies Okungbowa & Brenda Peynado on Futures Bleak and Hopeful

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