‘Bettis: Where Pittsburgh Aviation Took Off’ details forgotten local history
McKeesport native Helen Richey became the first woman to fly a commercial airliner to deliver mail and transport passengers. She was part of what was known as the “air-minded movement.” Richey and Amelia Earhart, the first female pilot to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean, appeared in an advertisement...
Bridgeville author’s thriller has an unlikely antagonist: a mutant raccoon
A Bridgeville author’s new book strives to have people step into the world of genetic experimentation, government conspiracies and an unusual antagonist. Mark Berton, 48, released “Aroughcoune” on Feb. 19. The story revolves around a giant, military-bred, genetically modified raccoon that escapes from a secret lab and wanders around Western...
Really, who were those masked men? New series of books probes backstories of Marvel superheroes
NEW YORK — If you love movies or comics, you’ve likely followed the adventures of Spider-Man, Iron Man and other superheroes. A new line of books will let you explore the back stories of their creation. On Wednesday, Bloomsbury and Marvel announced a multi-year, multi-volume licensing agreement for “Marvel Age...
It’s a publishing fairy tale. ‘Hansel and Gretel’ is reimagined by Stephen King and Maurice Sendak
An upcoming edition of “Hansel and Gretel” combines the dark and singular talents of two literary giants who apparently never met: Stephen King and the late Maurice Sendak. HarperCollins Publishers announced Thursday that the King-Sendak re-imagining of the famed Brothers Grimm tale about two lost children in a frightening forest...
Horror author, former Oakmont resident, continues story he started in Netflix ‘Residue’ series
Pittsburgh-area native John Harrison was in the midst of writing his first novel when he was approached by an English film company interested in turning his book into a Web series. But they had a request — could he start his story a little earlier? “They liked the idea for...
Salman Rushdie testifies about his shock and pain as a stranger repeatedly stabbed him on stage
MAYVILLE, N.Y. — Salman Rushdie described in graphic detail Tuesday the frenzied moments in 2022 when a masked man rushed at him on a stage in western New York and repeatedly slashed him with a knife, leaving him with terrible injuries and fearful he would die. Rushdie took the stand...
Tom Robbins, literary prankster-philosopher, dies at 92, multiple outlets report
NEW YORK — Tom Robbins, the novelist and prankster-
philosopher who charmed and addled millions of readers with such screwball adventures as “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” and “Jitterbug Perfume,” has died. He was 92. The New York Times and NPR are among the outlets that reported Robbins’ death Sunday. The...
Woman’s lawsuits say sci-fi author Neil Gaiman repeatedly sexually assaulted her
MADISON, Wis. — A woman from New Zealand has filed three civil lawsuits against best-selling British author Neil Gaiman and his wife, accusing Gaiman of repeatedly sexually assaulting her while she was working as the couple’s babysitter and nanny. Scarlett Pavlovich filed the lawsuits in federal court in Wisconsin, Massachusetts...
Bestselling author Marie Benedict to launch new book at The Lindsay Theater
Marie Benedict found her calling writing novels that unearth the seldom-known stories of history’s amazing women. The Sewickley resident’s latest work — “The Queens of Crime” — will be released on Feb. 11, and she’s kicking off a more-than-20-city book tour on Feb. 8 with a launch event at The...
Nora Roberts is happily defying genres, 250 books in
NEW YORK — Nora Roberts is so prolific she had to take up a pen name so her publisher could release more books by her each year. “I’m a fast writer,” Roberts told The Associated Press in a rare interview. She typically releases four books a year, and has for...
In new book, Penn Hills pastor teaches families with sick children to ‘Stand’
When Jay Mitlo’s editors tried to bill his new book as a Christian memoir, the Penn Hills pastor bristled. Yes, the book recounts his son Trey’s journey with terminal cancer, and yes, faith is woven throughout. But above all, “Stand: Emotionally and Practically Surviving When a Child Gets a Life-Threatening...
Neil Gaiman dropped by publisher Dark Horse Comics over sexual assault allegations
LOS ANGELES — Dark Horse Comics has taken a stance against author Neil Gaiman, who faces multiple allegations of sexual assault. The publishing company over the weekend announced it will no longer publish the “American Gods” and “Good Omens” author’s work. As part of taking “seriously the allegations against” Gaiman,...
Percival Everett’s ‘James’ awarded Carnegie Medal for fiction
NEW YORK — For author Percival Everett, libraries have long been a source of knowledge and discovery and pleasure, even of the forbidden kind. “I remember making friends at age 13 with the librarian at the University of South Carolina, and she used to let me go through the stacks...
Monroeville author’s next book highlights Pittsburgh’s memorable sportscasters
Tom Rooney remembers working at Bard’s Dairyland on Pittsburgh’s North Side in the late 1960s, with the Penguins game on in the background. “Ed Conway was the first Penguins announcer, and I’d be at Bard’s, serving customers and trying to figure out what was happening in the game at the...
‘Onyx Storm’ book release sends ‘Fourth Wing’ fans into frenzy online
For “Fourth Wing” lovers, Tuesday was a big day. Basgiath War College is back in session, but not for Violet Sorrengail and Xaden Riorson. Rebecca Yarros’ third installment, “Onyx Storm,” of the viral Empyrean romantasy series was released, and fans can’t contain their excitement. Readers took to the social media...
Martin Luther King III reflects on legacy, love and new beginnings
Martin Luther King III is exploring new ways to understand legacy and success. “Life should be a legacy of love,” the oldest son of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King told TribLive. “My father talked about agape love … that love that is totally unselfish and...
Pittsburgh author’s book chronicles her family’s journey with autism
Jennifer Briggs and her husband struggled through their early years as parents. Their daughter, Sarah, was diagnosed with autism at 4 years old. She was nonverbal. It was a struggle to ensure she ate enough to stay healthy. “We’d tried lots of therapies, and nothing was working,” said Briggs, 47,...
British author Neil Gaiman denies ever engaging in non-consensual sex as more accusers come forward
MELBOURNE, Australia — Best-selling British author Neil Gaiman released a statement Wednesday denying he had ever engaged in non-consensual sex after a magazine this week published allegations from several women, accusing him of sexual assault. The 64-year-old author of “The Sandman” comic book series and novel “American Gods” was responding...
Oprah Winfrey opens 2025 with an encore — ‘A New Earth’ is her book club pick for 2nd time
NEW YORK — Oprah Winfrey is beginning 2025 with an old favorite. She has selected Eckhart Tolle’s “A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life Purpose” for her book club, marking the first time she has chosen a publication twice. Winfrey, who launched her club in 1996, also picked “A New...
A Hemingway classic and Popeye enter public domain while copyright only gets more confusing
Last year, it was Mickey Mouse. This year, Popeye the Sailor joins Mickey as a new entrant to the public domain — that is, shedding his core copyright protections on Jan. 1. He’s merely the most familiar cultural artifact to enter the public domain on Wednesday. But as Jennifer Jenkins,...
Give the gift of stories with books by Pittsburgh-area authors
Curling up by the fireside with a good book is one of those wintertime idylls, and with Christmas just around the corner, why not help provide that experience for someone with the gift of a book? Here are several new books recently released by local authors. ‘The Catalysts,’...
2 local booksellers receive holiday bonus from author James Patterson
Two local independent bookstore employees — Weston Millar from Penguin Bookshop in Sewickley and Carolyn Pallof from White Whale Bookstore in Bloomfield — are getting a little extra cash this holiday season, courtesy of bestselling author James Patterson. Since 2015, Patterson has provided these monetary rewards through the American Booksellers...
Taylor Swift ‘Eras’ tie-in book is a smash, selling more than 800,000 copies in first weekend
NEW YORK — Just one retail chain was enough for Taylor Swift to have the top-selling book last week and the biggest publishing launch of 2024. According to Circana, Swift’s “Eras Tour Book” sold 814,000 copies over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Circana tracks around 85% of the print market, but...
TV Talk: From ‘Blue Bloods’ to ‘Bluey’ to ‘Seinfeld,’ there are plenty of gift ideas for TV fans
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers gift-giving ideas for the TV fan in your life. Seeking a Christmas or holiday present for the TV fan in your life? This guide to new TV-themed gifts offers ideas by series titles: “Blue Bloods” will end Dec. 13, but fans can...
West Deer native pens supernatural young adult novel set in his hometown
Anyone who grew up in West Deer Township during the 1990s may feel a spark of familiarity reading Josiah Golojuh’s new young adult novel “The Paper Boy.” That’s because the author grew up there and modeled the book’s setting off of his own childhood experiences. “It’s not a true story,...
