New novel shows Texas in infancy after U.S.-Mexican War
Author Carmen Boullosa says both countries lost something in an era of legal scheming.
Short stories: ‘Lovely, Dark, Deep,’ by Joyce Carol Oates
The prolific author returns to short stories with this collection themed around matters of death.
Fiction review: ‘The Devil’s Backbone,’ by Bill Wittliff
The ‘Lonesome Dove’ screenwriter’s novel has parallels to the world of Huck Finn — only grimmer, and with a Texas-Mexico setting.
Nonfiction review: ‘Deep Down Dark,’ by Héctor Tobar
The remarkable rescue is retold in a vivid, you-are-there approach by a seasoned journalist.
Fiction review: ‘The Zone of Interest,’ by Martin Amis
Amid the cruelty of a concentration camp, an examination of the human soul.
History review: ‘All the Truth Is Out: The Week Politics Went Tabloid’ by Matt Bai
The political correspondent examines the moment he says our politics took a turn for the personal, to the detriment of us all.
Fiction review: ‘A Brief History of Seven Killings,’ by Marlon James
A novel about the real-life attemped assassination of Bob Marley provides a relentlessly violent description of Jamaica’s history that eventually loses its ability to shock.
Author Tours: Wrestler Chris Jericho will sign ‘The Best in the World: At What I Have No Idea’
Kathleen Kent is launching the paperback of “The Outcasts” at two events.
History review: ‘The American Vice Presidency: From Irrelevance to Power,’ by Jules Witcover
A comprehensive look at the way the office has changed is valuable, but likely to overwhelm average readers.
Fiction review: ‘Where We Are Now,’ by Carolyn Osborn
These short stories from the noted Texas author read like a novel, and readers who stick with them will reap the author’s rewarding observations about love, loss and family.
Fiction review: ‘There Must Be Some Mistake,’ by Frederick Barthelme
A bemused melancholy permeates this embraceable novel about a terminally disappointed man in a worn-out Gulf subdivision.
History review: ‘Leningrad: Siege and Symphony,’ by Brian Moynahan
The heroic story of making music, pushed by a relentless tyrant, amid a gruesome siege.
History review: Get immersed in the data on digital pioneers with ‘The Innovators,’ by Walter Isaacson
An epic look at the history of computers has every detail you might want to know, and then some.
Talk books at Klyde Warren Park this Thursday
Fall books and other literary topics will be discussed at Thursday’s Ideas in Bloom speaker series at Klyde Warren Park in Dallas.Dallas Morning News books editor Michael Merschel and frequent book critic...
Science book review: ‘On Immunity: An Inoculation,’ by Eula Biss
A quirky mix of science, philosophy and mythology explores what it means to make individual decisions that affect the entire community.
Biography: ‘The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace,’ by Jeff Hobbs
A young man made it off the streets and into Yale. How did things go terribly wrong?
Susan Orlean to speak at Dallas fundraiser
‘The Orchid Thief’ author will be in town Nov. 20 for a Friends of the Dallas Public Library event.
Fiction review: ‘The Bully of Order,’ by Brian Hart
The UT Michener Center graduate produces a brilliantly written novel set in the wild Northwest.
Biography review: ‘The Poet and the Vampyre,’ by Andrew McConnell Stott
An original, intriguing and absorbing look at some of the 19th century’s most important literary figures.
Fiction review: ‘Lila,’ by Marilynne Robinson
An unforgettable novel extends the world begun in the author’s Pulitzer-winning “Gilead.”
Author Tours: Lawrence Wright to speak Tuesday at the Hockaday School
Christopher Paul Curtis will (The Watsons Go to Birmingham) to speak Tuesay at Irving’s Valley Ranch Library.
Our books editor plays the Facebook ‘five books’ game -- with a twist
Here are some titles that helped shape books coverage at “The Dallas Morning News” over the last eight years
James Ellroy’s seedy L.A. gets another go-around with new novel
The “demon dog” of crime fiction embarks on a new Los Angeles quartet with “Perfidia.”
Highland Park ISD reverses book suspensions at high school
Superintendent Dawson Orr suspended the books earlier this month after parents challenged their content because of sex scenes and references to rape, abuse and abortion. The books could not be used for classroom instruction, pending a review by a committee of parents, teachers and students.
Nonfiction review: ‘The Underground Girls of Kabul,’ by Jenny Nordberg
In Afghanistan, rigid gender rules force girls to live as boys for the sake of their families.
Fiction review: ‘Five Days Left,’ by Julie Lawson Timmer
A novel set partly in Plano affectingly takes on big questions.
Book review: ‘The Human Age,’ by Diane Ackerman
An anecdote-laden look at how humans have changed the planet stays optimistic despite our dangerous ways.
Author tours: Kathy Reichs plans two events for ‘Bones Never Lie’
Ellen Hopkins will discuss ‘Rumble’ Monday in Frisco.
Biography review: ‘Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson,’ by S.C. Gwynne.
The Austin author’s stirring portrait argues that the Confederate general personified all that is admirable in the American character.
Thriller review: ‘Nine Days,’ by Minerva Koenig
A feisty, flawed heroine and a ripping mystery have us hoping this debut author from Texas is in it for the long haul.
Highland Park ISD parents start group to fight books’ suspension
The new group is launching an email campaign to get the books back in the high school classroom and show support for English teachers.
How a piece of Rush Limbaugh's riches went to abortion rights, courtesy of Dallas author Merritt Tierce
Last week we ran the story of local author Merritt Tierce, whose debut novel, Love Me Back, includes some wild tales from a high-end Dallas steakhouse. Tierce used to work at Nick & Sam's. She saw some things.
Highland Park ISD suspends seven books after parents protest content
Parents cited sex scenes and references to rape, abuse and abortion. In emails and at meetings, parents said high school students should not be exposed to some of the hardships and controversies of adulthood.
Book review: A legal battle at 21 years and counting, with billions in the balance
Hardball tactics define a legal saga that began in 1993 and is still unwinding
History review: ‘Landslide: LBJ and Ronald Reagan at the Dawn of a New America,’ by Jonathan Darman
How tragedy in Dallas changed the lives of two men whose careers had seemed to peak.
Thriller review: ‘The Golden Hour,’ by Todd Moss
As a peek inside the State Department, this debut novel has lots to offer. But when it travels abroad ...
Biography review: ‘Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh,’ by John Lahr
The titanic, problematic playwright gets a biography that should satisfy even the most discriminating reader.
Thriller review: ‘The Secret Place,’ by Tana French
When a body shows up at a private school, the killer’s identity isn’t the only dark secret waiting to be exposed.
Texas Classic: John Graves says ‘Goodbye to a River’
The timeless look at the Brazos River earned him a reputation as the finest writer Texas produced.
How a love of technology and books inspired Robin Sloan
The futurist and novelist will appear in Richardson on Tuesday to discuss “Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore.”
Fiction review: ‘Station Eleven,’ by Emily St. John Mandel
The plot involves a modern plague, a group of performers and a mad evangelist; it’s the descriptive writing and memorable characters that will stick with you.
Local novelist Merritt Tierce turns pain into literary pleasure
Tierce’s debut novel, Love Me Back, is an uncompromising story of escape through drugs, self-mutilation and sex.
Fiction review: ‘The Dog,’ by Joseph O’Neill
A displaced lawyer floats through a world of wealth and isolation.
Review: ‘So We Read On: How ‘The Great Gatsby’ Came to Be and Why It Endures,’ by Maureen Corrigan
A critic lovingly dissects an American classic in a way that’s likely to send readers back, once more, for a fresh look.
History review: ‘Thirteen Days in September: Carter, Begin, and Sadat at Camp David,’ by Lawrence Wright
The Pulitzer-winning author goes behind the scenes to tell the story of a remarkable and unlikely peace agreement.
Fiction review: ‘Love Me Back,’ by Merritt Tierce
A grim side of Dallas emerges in a debut novel about a young woman who abases herself in horrifying ways.
Author Tours: NoViolet Bulawayo, Susan Elizabeth Phillips and mroe
Susan Elizabeth Phillips will discuss Heroes Are My Weakness during high tea at 2 p.m. Sunday at the French Room, 1321 Commerce St., Dallas. Tickets $55 or $100. Register at bit.ly/1p4DWxo.NoViolet Bulawayo...
Texas Classic: Fresh storytelling from the legendary Bill Wittliff
His novel “The Devil’s Backbone” will be released in October; here’s a glimpse.
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