In short, all you need to know is in the title, and if you didn’t like Pickleball before, you’ll either be repelled or tempted to try.
Star-crossed, time-crossed and love-crossed in ‘Homeseeking’
Those waiting to read one of the best books of 2025 don’t have to wait long. “Homeseeking,” by Karissa Chen, has arrived on the scene early — and it’s a towering achievement in storytelling.
A most literary romance
So much in life is unpredictable and readers can’t all write their own stories. Picking up a book where the ending is easily anticipated can offer something different, something relaxing. “Not in My Book” gives exactly that — a fun read with a little spice thrown in for kicks.
The Night the Sky Burned Bright (or A Southern Christmas: Fire, Feline Friends, and a Dollhouse)
When I was a child and my parents tried to ferret out which one of us was in trouble for a wrong, my dad always told me in his most stern voice not to “tell stories.” In the deep South that was a polite way of saying “don’t lie.”
A walk through the cemetery with Dickens
My mingling of Christmas with death and mysticism harkens back to my youth, when Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” was a staple in our home. On holiday breaks from school after playing outside, the sunset came devilishly early. To beat back the darkness and cold, I would lie on the living room carpet by the fireplace and read, hands propped under my chin.
Choose your own romance in Sophie Cousens’ latest comedy
To save her job — her in-office rival also wants the column — she reluctantly agrees, but with a twist: her children will choose her dates
Spooky Books for the Spooky Season
Get ready to be haunted by the creepiest new offerings and classics of Halloween-inspired literature. Here are a cauldron’s worth of books that embrace the pumpkin spice of the season and keep you on the chilliest edge of your seat!
Melissa Petro and the shame-industrial complex
“Shame on you: How to be a Woman in the Age of Mortification,” by Melissa Petro, walks the line between memoir and self-help well. In it, Petro writes about her…
Evan Friss knows your favorite bookshop
“The Bookshop,” Evan Friss’s history of the book retail business, includes the didn’t-see-that-coming tale of Judy, a 3,000-pound elephant who signed books (with a stamp that dangled from her trunk, obviously) at Marshall Field’s booming books department in 1944.
Jane Austen takes a cruise in updated ‘Dashed’
As in “Sense and Sensibility,” the characters here learn to recognize the importance of reason and communication in relationships. They also learn to know themselves in spite of the “shoulds” fired at them from every direction, from family members to casual acquaintances.
Kirsty Greenwood teaches us how to find love from beyond
“The Love of My Afterlife,” by Kirsty Greenwood, is “quirky” incarnate — with so much heart and comedy that readers will find it difficult not to laugh while reading.
When 2 engineers get together, sparks fly
Not many romance novels feature introverted women who don’t like being around people and have no need to kowtow to societal niceties. The problem is inherent for the writer: How do you make someone likable if they are hard to get to know? That’s one of many challenges Ali Hazelwood tackles in her newest book, “Not In Love.”
One week of solitude and my epic fail at freedom
So much has been written about making friends as we age, but no one gives you a How To Manual or instructions.
How this fantasy-fearing journalist fell for ‘Ruthless Vows’
I committed to reading both Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows, both of which have just enough fantasy for me to stomach. They also have the added benefit of following Iris Winnow, a reporter crusading for social justice, a cause I can get behind.
Emily Henry tries her hand at a more serious ‘Funny Story’
This was first published April 20, 2024 in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette If you were to type the words “emotional,” “romance” and “comedy” into a recommendation algorithm, you would get suggestions…
Petal to the metal: On the hunt for my floral soul mate
I’ve been thinking about my favorite flower and how I no longer have one. As a child, I loved yellow roses. I’m not sure why, except that my mom’s favorite…
Across the Northeast, startled residents wondered what the shaking was
I was a contributor on this team story, which originally appeared in The New York Times April 5, 2024 Across much of the Northeast, even in areas that were more…
I’m back!
I’m thrilled to be back to writing a newsletter and talking directly to you, my friends. I missed you! I’m like a baby giraffe, wobbling around on my writing sea…
Wrangling failing marriages at the divorce ranch
This review was first published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette March 24, 2024 Divorce books are having a moment. Recent titles such as “This American Ex-Wife,” by Lyz Lenz, “Splinters” by…
Michael Arceneaux finally bought some Jordans
This was first published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette March 16, 2024 Longtime readers will be thrilled After 12 crushing years paying off six-figure-plus-interest student-loan debt, Michael Arceneaux treated himself to…
Magnolia Parks: Into the Dark
This review was first published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette February 11, 2024 Magnolia Parks: Into the Dark” is so packed with unexpected plot twists that reading it is like dashing…
Pittsburgh author’s latest novel entices with moral quandaries
This review was first published in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Dec. 3, 2023. A post-midnight doorbell jolts Katie out of sleep at her new home and job as the caretaker of…
The decadence of Roman emperors
Emperors of Rome: Ruling Ancient Rome, by Mary Beard This review was first published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Oct. 20, 2023 There’s an old joke: What did the Roman say…
Democracy starts in the classroom — a parent’s dive into elementary school journalism
It is a sad day for our democracy and the First Amendment when teachers, even those of elementary schoolers, must fear teaching students how to be good citizens of the world, how to ask good questions and seek out answers.
Meredith Cummings : Travel the world — through books
This review was first published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Aug. 27, 2023 Summer is waning but adventure doesn’t have to. Check out these travel books before closing out summer with…
Cool Summer Beach Reads
Fourth of July weekend is the best time to find a good beach towel, a nice grassy area and a big glass of water before settling in with a great read. Here are some old, new and classic titles our InReview contributors recommend!
What we mean when we say we miss newsrooms
If my former newsrooms were people I would be attending many funerals. 2,500 newspapers in the United States have closed since 2005. The country will lose one-third of its newspapers by 2025.
Ann Hood’s new YA novel finds hope in mourning
It’s a difficult thing to say that a book about a child with depression who has attempted suicide is an enjoyable read — yet that’s how author Ann Hood makes the unthinkable happen.
Nicole Chung’s new memoir chronicles healthcare and grief
“A LIVING REMEDY” By Nicole Chung HarperCollins ($29.99) This review was first published June 12, 2023 in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Nicole Chung saw no one in her overwhelmingly white Oregon…
Finding her Happy Place
This review originally appeared in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette April 30, 2023 A reader would be wise to get the name of a therapist before they pick up the latest novel…
Where faith and celebrity meet, what does real freedom look like?
This review first appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette March 26, 2023. BECOMING FREE INDEED: MY STORY OF DISENGAGING FAITH FROM FEAR” By Jinger Duggar Vuolo, Thomas Nelson ($29.99) When Jinger…
Shifting gears: Teaching my autistic daughter to drive
I can tell you the day I discovered freedom because I remember every intoxicating detail of the moment I drove alone for the first time after getting my driver’s license. Now, in what seems like a single heartbeat of time, my daughter is learning to drive.
For a young Chinese American, our hearts are missing in action
This was first published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Oct. 2, 2022 Some books are great because there is a plot twist down the road and that road is a fun…
Reading between the cracks
First Published August 21, 2022, 6:37am in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette website. “A LETTER IN THE WALL” book review By Eileen Brill, Sparkpress ($16.95) It’s 1971 and Joan Dumann is in…
I Raised My Child in a Shopping Mall
Please enjoy this essay on my Medium blog, Woman of a Certain Rage.
Support Alabama bill to increase the period when a sexual abuse survivor can sue
This originally appeared on al.com Feb. 18, 2022 If you have been, or are, experiencing sexual assault, contact Rainn or Darkness to Light for help. Alabama is actively participating in…
With better gun laws, fewer people die.
A brain teaser book I pull out at small gatherings has a question that asks, “If you could invent something that would be good for humanity overall, but also kill…
Bryce Hospital (the Alabama State Hospital for the Insane)
This photograph first appeared on Medium Oct. 4, 2021 As Halloween approaches, The old Bryce Hospital sits empty, under construction. Tuscaloosa, Oct. 4, 2021. Formerly known as the Alabama State…
Something That Can’t Be Forgotten
A decade after the April 27, 2011, tornado, its scars still rest with those who experienced it. Tuscaloosa after the 2011 tornado that killed 53 people and injured more than…
On the other side of the tornado: 10 years later, we are still broken and also on the mend
Please enjoy this essay on my blog, Woman of a Certain Rage.
My adult daughter was diagnosed with autism. It changed everything.
Please enjoy this essay on my Medium blog, Woman of a Certain Rage.
In challenging circumstances, students write first draft of history
This originally appeared March 26, 2020 in the Society of Professional Journalists Quill magazine and online. He was about to begin dress rehearsals for the school play. Sam Shelenberger, a…
A message for Lee County from a Tuscaloosa survivor: You will be brave after the storm
This originally appeared March 6, 2019 on al.com Lee County, I will tell you what I wrote in the diary I keep for my daughter. I have kept it since…
The Alabama Mothers We Lost in 2018
The first time I held my daughter, hours after she was born, I was getting blood transfusions. If anyone wants to know what it feels like to bleed to death,…
Champion Tree deeply rooted in winning tradition
This originally appeared Jan. 7, 2019 on al.com as the University of Alabama headed to the National Championship playoff in football. There is a tree in Tuscaloosa that few people…
What I learned in my great American newsroom trip
This was originally published Sept. 22, 2018 in the Society of Professional Journalists Quill magazine and its website. I pulled up to my home in Alabama with my car covered…
Observations and innovations from a year on the road in American newsrooms
This article was originally published on What’s New In Publishing Jan. 7, 2019 As I enjoy holiday cheer and gather with friends and family, a piece of my heart is…
Hurricane Michael approaches Rosemary Beach
You could tell the birds knew a hurricane was coming. Taken outside the legendary Pearl Hotel.
I just drove 10,000 miles and visited dozens of newsrooms to chronicle journalism in America.
This article was originally published on Medium and other sites. View a map and posts, with videos and photos from each city. One year ago this week — Sunshine Week — I set out…
What it’s like to lose a loved one to gun violence
This article was originally posted on October 2, 2017 on al.com. I peered over my grandfather’s casket, trying desperately to see – and wanting not to see – where the…
Christi Parsons: White House Correspondent
This article was originally published in the summer 2017 issue of Tuscaloosa Magazine as a part of their Six Intriguing People feature. Christi Parsons has interviewed many celebrities and politicians…
What’s it like to graduate at 75? Ask my dad.
This article was originally posted on May 6, 2017 on al.com. Let me put this in perspective for you. When my dad started classes at The University of Alabama in…
After six years, it’s still hard to feel normal today
This article was originally posted on April 28, 2017 on al.com. Those of us who feel normal, don’t today. Those of us who go about our business with ease any…
Anti-President Trump rally, The University of Alabama, November 2016
After the Iron Bowl football game, students staged a protest of Donald Trump’s policies outside Bryant-Denny Stadium. Anti-President Trump rally, The University of Alabama, November 2016 Anti-President Trump rally, The…
Candidate Donald Trump rally, Anaheim, May, 2016
Gallery of photos from outside Anaheim Convention Center.
Do better Alabama: It’s time to operate in the sunshine and not in the shadows.
This article was published in March 19, 2016 on Medium.com as well as other Alabama publications. I was a 20-year-old cub reporter at The Birmingham News, but I was prepared.…
Recovery and Resilience
This article was originally published on March 11, 2016 in Alabama Alumni Magazine. In those immediate hours of shock, Mayor Walter Maddox remembers one of the first phone calls he…
Why having a baby almost killed me: My postpartum nightmare
This article was originally posted on November 20, 2017 on al.com. Let me tell you about the time my mind turned on itself and my brain stopped working. My daughter…
Gov. Ivey has betrayed all women of Alabama
A lot has been written nationally and locally about Alabama Governor Kay Ivey’s reaction to the Roy Moore allegations when she said she would vote for Moore despite multiple women…
Recreating a church mural meant hours of math, research and painting for one local artist
K.C. Cook This article was originally posted on January 4, 2016 on al.com. When K.C. Cook Hayes took on the job of restoring frescos first painted in 1901 at First…
Here’s to you, YouTube
This article was originally published on December 15, 2015 on Quill, a magazine by the Society of Professional Journalists. Educators use YouTube for education videos (think Kahn Academy), and media…
Rejuvenating Retreat
This article was originally published in the winter of 2014 in Lookout Alabama Magazine. DeSoto State Park offers a wide range of lodging options, giving guests of all stripes –…
Canyon Grill’s perfect mix of fine foods and casual atmosphere makes the restaurant worth the drive
This article was originally published in the fall of 2014 in Lookout Alabama Magazine. If not for the chef’s coat, Jason Greer’s boyish looks might have first-time visitors to Canyon…
EPIC Success Story: How one radical idea in education became a long-term success story.
This originally appeared in Birmingham magazine and on al.com. Even then, we knew it was special. It was January 1980 and our new school was about to open. My second…
Dear friends in Oklahoma: Hope will find you
This article was originally posted on May 22, 2013 on The Christian Science Monitor. To the Oklahoma community of Moore. In Tuscaloosa, Ala., our hearts are breaking for you. We…
