BOOKS
Missouri's first poet laureate, Walter Bargen, pub
Bargen's poetry reveals unexpected beauty while recalling the desolation after World War II. Even his happy memories are punctuated by the sharp edge of grief.
May 17, 2012
Missouri's first poet laureate, Walter Bargen, publishes new poetry book
Endearing Ruins captures sad memories of postwar Germany and Missouri
Bargen's poetry reveals unexpected beauty while recalling the desolation after World War II. Even his happy memories are punctuated by the sharp edge of grief.
May 10, 2012
Vox breaks down the most popular options for reading devices
As summer approaches, so too does leisure reading season, and e-readers have become one of the go-to gadgets for modern bibliophiles. Whether you’re planning a transcontinental romp or just want to read by a backyard fire pit, today’s technological offerings should be able to satisfy your literary needs.
May 03, 2012
Augusten Burroughs is back with a new book after four years of soul searching
The author of Running with Scissors is releasing his next book on May 8. It is blunt, relatable, heartbreaking and hilarious. Burroughs gives audiences a tongue-in-cheek self-help book. Learn how to overcome lushery!
Toni Morrison releases her tenth book, a historical fiction novel
Toni Morrison, a Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winner, is releasing her tenth book, Home . She takes from her experiences with racial prejudice growing up to create detailed characters. This novel's protagonist struggles after he returns home from the Vietnam War.
April 26, 2012
Justin Wolff's new biography depicts Missouri's own Thomas Hart Benton
In his recently released biography, Thomas Hart Benton: A Life, Justin Wolff shares a look at the ideology behind Benton's work. Benton paved a new way in art during the early 20th century, and Missouri is lucky enough to call him its own.
I Am An Executioner: Love Stories
Rajesh Parameswaran's first book collects stories that depict the heart's dark side
Rajesh Parameswaran's first book, I Am An Executioner, is a collection of short stories that delve into the not-so-pretty side of love. Readers gain the perspective of people as well as tigers in these engaging, well-written stories.
April 19, 2012
Celebrity chefs release new cookbooks
Spice up mealtime with recipes from Martha, Giada and Gordon Ramsay
You’ve seen these celebrity chefs on TV, now bring their expertise into your kitchen with these recently released cookbooks. Whether crafting a meal for two or designing a holiday dinner, these chefs have your back.
On the Nightstand with Doug Hunt
Hunt suggests books that take the reader on a journey
Doug Hunt, associate professor emeritus in MU’s English Department, enjoys books that take the reader on a journey. To Hunt, authors such as Alice Hunter do a tremendous job revealing the human element he so desperately craves in literature.
April 12, 2012
Life during the Civil war, off the battlefield
(Web Exclusive) Steve Wiegenstein reimagines life during the Civil War in his novel Slant of Light. Life in the Missouri Ozarks is what author Steve Wiegenstein knows best. As a fifth-generation eastern Missouri Ozarks native, Wiegenstein draws inspiration from the region’s history and geography to write this novel.
In the first of a series, Steve Wiegenstein puts utopia at the center of the Civil War
Steve Wiegenstein is releasing the first novel in a series on April 19th. Slant of Light is historical fiction centered on a utopian settlement during the Civil War, inspired by his upbringing.
Essayist Michele Morano comes to MU
She brings her writing expertise to MU to discuss the art of telling stories from personal experience
Award-winning author Michele Morano is coming to MU to share her experiences that have made her a better writer. She will be reading from a collection called Like Love.
April 05, 2012
Unconventional self-help books
Whether you're dealing with a business, love or family problem, one of 2012's most popular self-help books has your back
Some problems just can’t be solved by a phone call to mom or drinks with a friend. That’s where these books step in. This year the self-help trend has spawned a handful of books that are changing the genre. With the use of pop culture, literary references and scientific discussion, these books are revolutionizing the self-help realm with new approaches to advice. According to Bookmarkradio.com, self-help is projected to be the most popular genre of 2012, and these four reads accept that challenge with fresh takes on old problems.
March 23, 2012
What starts as an idealist utopian society becomes a confusing dystopian memory
Arcadia is the second novel by Lauren Groff, 35, and has received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Booklist and Kirkus. Groff’s first novel, Monsters of Templeton, was both a New York Times Editors’ Choice selection and bestseller.
March 22, 2012
Whether you ride or fly, these books make perfect travel companions
Spring break. For students, those are two of their favorite words. Time to forget all things school and get away from campus for a week to hit the beach, slopes or wherever else you fancy. It’s also a great occasion to toss aside those academic textbooks and do some much-needed pleasure reading.
You might not know that much about Frank Langella, but he’s sure you know his friends, icons such as Princess Diana, Charlton Heston and Marilyn Monroe, just to name a few. In his memoir and first book, Dropped Names: Famous Men and Women As I Knew Them, Langella gives readers an intimate look inside the many encounters with famous men and women who changed his life, his goals and ultimately, his career.
March 15, 2012
Two former MU students put a superhero twist on a high school reunion
Who wouldn’t want powers? Superpowers to be exact, which would mean being able to make the world a safer place, but they inevitably come with sacrifice. For Virginia, protagonist of the graphic novel Anyone But Virginia, that means leaving family and friends behind ... at least until her 10-year high school reunion.
March 09, 2012
Book Review: Losing Clementine
It’s the final countdown in one woman’s life, and she’s entirely aware of the time left on the clock
Losing Clementine covers many sensitive and morbid topics. Pleasantries and euphemisms fall to the wayside. Death, suicide, abandonment, terminal illness, aging, family loss. The list goes on and on as time ticks away in Clementine Pritchard’s life.
March 08, 2012
MU alumna Ashley Ream releases Losing Clementine
After four tries to get it right, Ream releases her darkly humorous debut novel
Ashley Ream is an alumna of the MU journalism school and has traded in her reporters notebook. After 4 novels that were never published, Losing Clementine is her first book to hit stores. The story is about Clementine Pritchard, a woman who is counting down the last days of her life. The tone is twisted, but in a funny way.
On the nightstand with Ashley Ream
We speak to Ream about her current favorite reads
On Ashley Ream’s long list of activities, writing novels is what she considers her second full-time job. Her day job is at a nonprofit in Los Angeles where she works to improve working conditions for the poor. Oh, and in her spare time? She runs ultra-marathons. Somehow she still manages to find time to crack open a book for pleasure as well. Read on for her latest fascinations.
March 01, 2012
Peace Nook's weekly staff book selection
Underground titles provide an escape from the norm
Some worry that physical books will become extinct as more and more readers turn to tablets and e-readers to fulfill their literary needs. But the aroma of ink-filled pages waiting to be touched by human fingers lingers in the air at the Peace Nook, an eccentric fair trade store on East Broadway where staff members maintain a collection of 4,000 distinct titles.
