Literature
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Book review: Matthew Dicks' novel deals with a mother impostor
Jan 9, 2021 7:30 AM - In "The Other Mother" by Matthew Dicks, 13-year-old Michael wakes up one day to discover something mysterious about the woman in the kitchen making his breakfast. She looks and speaks exactly like his mother, but somehow, she is not his mother. Michael thinks that somehow, this person in the kitchen has kidnapped his mother, replicated her exactly, and replaced her.
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Review: 'Bone Canyon' another first-rate police procedural
Jan 7, 2021 12:17 PM - Detective Eve Ronin is resented by colleagues who think she's a publicity hound, so the last thing she needs is another high-profile murder case
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Review: 'The Prophets' spotlights two enslaved men in love
Jan 7, 2021 9:06 AM - In her review of Robert Jones Jr.'s 'The Prophets,' Associated Press reviewer Molly Sprayregen writes that the book is a marvel
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Constable: Rocco Blasi was a man of many plans, until COVID-19 struck
Jan 5, 2021 12:11 PM - Finishing up the year when he published his first novel, retired college professor Rocco Blasi of Mount Prospect was planning to start 2021 by celebrating his 88th birthday in great shape and looking ahead to his 50th wedding anniversary. Then he was stricken with COVID-19.
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Review: Matthew Dicks' novel deals with a mother imposter
Jan 5, 2021 9:28 AM - Thirteen-year-old Michael wakes up one day to discover that the woman in the kitchen looks and speaks exactly like his mother, but somehow, she is not his mother
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Book review: 'Red Hands' is either creepily satisfying or a trigger for your worst nightmare
Jan 2, 2021 8:58 AM - Have we reached the point where reality and horror fiction have become too close for comfort? The premise of Christopher Golden's book "Red Hands" is eerily resonant: A novel bio-pathogen is released upon a small American town and turmoil ensues.
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The 10 most-read book reviews of 2020
Jan 1, 2021 9:27 AM - We have our own opinions about the books worth picking up this year. But if the most popular reviews of 2020 are any indication, our readers have different thoughts on the matter. What exactly captured your attention? Controversy, celebrity gossip and book club endorsements, among other selling points.
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A call to revolutionize the workplace -- by reducing working hours
Dec 30, 2020 6:00 AM - "Worked Over: How Round-the-Clock Work Is Killing the American Dream" by Jamie K. McCallum (Basic Books) Today, work time is scrambled for many. Employees, especially in the retail and service industries, may not get to work eight hours every day, even if they want to. Having shifts cut or extended in the middle of the workday is the norm. Schedules in the traditional sense are increasingly a thing of the past and are instead often dictated by algorithms, which can result in wonky hours, with employees sometimes given two hours of work one day and eight the next. All of this makes it challenging to plan a life - or receive a reasonably balanced paycheck that can reliably pay the bills. The loss of agency over work time is a large part of what's addressed in a new book by Jamie K. McCallum, "Worked Over: How Round-the-Clock Work Is Killing the American Dream."
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Stories that capture the spirit of the season
Dec 24, 2020 6:00 AM - During the holiday season, sometimes I'll settle down for an hour with my copy of "A Christmas Carol" instead of watching one of its many film versions. But then what? Other than Dickens' classic of spiritual awakening, what else might one read during this festive season? Here are a few suggestions.
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A gift guide for the fans of science fiction, fantasy and horror books in your life
Dec 21, 2020 6:00 AM - It's that time of the year when the nights grow long, the air grows cold, the festive lights are up and the year's best books lists are sprouting like mushrooms after the rain. But will any of them help you find that perfect book-gift for your friends who love science fiction, fantasy and horror? If not, we're here to help.
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