BOOKS
Hitting the road this summer doesn’t mean Roger Miller’s “King of the Road” has to blare from the stereo. We’ve got four alternatives to tired old tunes that are perfect for road trips, whether it’s across the country or simply the morning commute. But the car isn’t the only place to enjoy the summer’s bestsellers on audiobook. Features additional online content on choosing audiobook.
July 17, 2008
Audiobooks give summer readers a sound story
Hitting the road this summer doesn’t mean Roger Miller’s “King of the Road” has to blare from the stereo. We’ve got four alternatives to tired old tunes that are perfect for road trips, whether it’s across the country or simply the morning commute. But the car isn’t the only place to enjoy the summer’s bestsellers on audiobook. Features additional online content on choosing audiobook.
July 10, 2008
Six cookbooks offer treats from pretzels to pie
The 2008 Boone County Fair runs July 21-27, and many look forward to the rides, games and food. Cotton candy, corn dogs and funnel cakes are all county-fair staples, but other favorites exist. If you are anxious to start your eatin’, indulge in one of these books. By making each snack at home, there’ll be no question of quality — an added bonus to the mouth-watering treats.
Beating the odds: Fair games unraveled
June 26, 2008
Sexy sub-genres that fulfill every reader’s desire
Whether it’s with shape-shifters, vixens, NASCAR drivers or pirates, the tradition of romance writing has branched into diverse categories over time. Creative writers tell modern tales of empowered heroines but still tie the story together in a happily ever-after bow. Pick your sub-genre of choice, and spice up your reading.
June 19, 2008
Tradition battles new age
When Alex Goff found a cheap fondue pot at an estate sale, she bought it immediately but was not sure how her newest kitchen gadget would be useful. She had a light bulb moment, and the Fondue Book Club was born.
June 12, 2008
Family business brings character to Columbia
On Eighth Street, a small wonder houses stacks of used books piled to the ceiling. Unable to fit into their cases, more books litter the floor. The bookstore, Adams Walls of Books, welcomes customers with an open door because of its lack of air conditioning and reliance on natural light. Patrons appreciate that they can find rare and unusual books written by historians and writers of the past and present without emptying their wallets.
June 05, 2008
Can bios be trusted?
With his involvement in the Church of Scientology, couch-damaging displays of excitement and tirades against psychiatry, Tom Cruise is no stranger to controversy. His outrageous behavior and maniacal grin have led the media and public to wonder what happened to the bare-legged boy in Risky Business. Yet the latest uproar about Cruise speaks to an issue larger than the man himself. The actor’s attorney and his church have attacked Andrew Morton’s Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography for allegedly containing lies. But that didn’t stop the book from becoming a New York Times bestseller.
May 22, 2008
Forget the obvious when going through life changes
Graduation, marriage, having a child, midlife crises and retirement are all common rites of passage, and although every experience is distinct, everyone could use a little extra knowledge when going through such milestones. But the old reference books are so clichéd. Vox tells which books can help get you through these watershed moments.
May 15, 2008
Four flops fail to join Vox for a 10-year reunion
Be careful what you subscribe to. Magazines are failing at rates so quickly that the “12 issues for just $19.95” special might not make it past two.
May 01, 2008
Weinberg seeks truth with a capital “T”
MU professor Steve Weinberg mentions that he’s not yet working on a new book. He says teaching this fall will delay the start of any new projects. Weinberg just spent the past 10 years pouring his energy into his seventh book, Taking on the Trust: The Epic Battle of Ida Tarbell and John D. Rockefeller. During this time, he also completed his eighth book, A Journalism of Humanity: A Candid History of the World’s First Journalism School. But his current favorite, Taking on the Trust, is attracting attention from national book critics.
April 24, 2008
Fighting villains and stereotypes
LGBT comic book characters take on preconceptions
Ever wonder about Wonder Woman’s sexual orientation? Sure, she married Steve Trevor and has a daughter. But speculation surfaced in the 1950s when the comic book industry’s arch-villain Dr. Frederic Wertham, author of Seduction of the Innocents, outed the Amazonian superhero by calling her “the lesbian counterpart of Batman.”
April 17, 2008
Arellano’s column builds bridges instead of walls
He’s got an answer for everything, and it’s not always the one you’d expect. He uses Spanish profanities, explains etymology and relates historical events in a single, surprising answer. “¡Ask a Mexican!” columnist Gustavo Arellano is one sassy señor who knows it all.
April 10, 2008
Esquire writer gets Deviant
April 03, 2008
Books that blur the lines between truth and fiction
Close your eyes. Go ahead, close them. Now, try to describe the room you are sitting in. How many windows are there? What color is the floor? Can you remember what hangs on the opposite wall?
March 27, 2008
Human trafficking survivor Theresa Flores shares her story to inform and inspire
(Web Exclusive) The term “human trafficking” tends to yield different reactions. For some, it registers no associations. Others digest “human trafficking” as just another phrase, such as “genocide” or “displacement,” that describes situations in distant, troubled nations. In reality, human trafficking (both sexual exploitation and labor abuses) occurs close to home. Also referred to as modern-day slavery, trafficking occurs all over the U.S., and the Midwest is no exception. Theresa Flores, a trafficking survivor, licensed social worker and the author of The Sacred Bath, spoke at the Anti-Human Trafficking Conference, sponsored by MU’s Stop Traffic Now, on March 22. Her book chronicles her struggle to overcome the years she spent in slavery and attempts to educate the unaware and apathetic as to why the problem of human trafficking is a problem worth stopping.
(Web Exclusive) The term “human trafficking” tends to yield different reactions. For some, it registers no associations. Others interpret “human trafficking” as just another phrase, such as “genocide” or “displacement,” that describes situations in distant, troubled nations. In reality, human trafficking (both sexual exploitation and labor abuses) occurs close to home. Also referred to as modern-day slavery, trafficking occurs all over the U.S., and the Midwest is no exception. Theresa Flores, a trafficking survivor, licensed social worker and the author of The Sacred Bath, spoke at the Anti-Human Trafficking Conference, sponsored by MU’s Stop Traffic Now, on March 22. Her book chronicles her struggle to overcome the years she spent in slavery and attempts to educate the unaware and apathetic as to why human trafficking is a problem worth stopping.
March 20, 2008
Jackson scores with Hoops
Major Jackson wants you to drop the remote and start engaging.
March 13, 2008
(Web Exclusive) Is it possible to find the perfect meal while on the road? Probably not. But with a little help from the experts, you can cook your own dish no matter where you are. Whether it’s foil-wrapped dinners over a campfire or the sizzling New Orleans creole and cajun cooking, these foods will add a touch of tradition to any vacation.
March 06, 2008
Making serial murders a family affair
Until a death sentence did they part. Ray and Faye Copeland were just another seemingly average farming couple trading livestock, raising a family — and conducting multiple murders. OK, so maybe they had a sinister side. On their small farm northeast of Kansas City, the Copelands executed at least five farmhands as part of an elaborate scheme that enabled them to purchase livestock with fraudulent checks. In the mid-’80s, the elderly couple committed several murders until the cops arrived with a warrant to search the farm in October 1989. After their cases went to court, 76-year-old Ray and 69-year-old Faye became the oldest married pair to receive the death sentence. More than a decade later, a relative of the couple is revealing the story via the fantastically disturbing comic book series, Family Bones.
February 28, 2008
Bookmobile drives up literacy in Columbia
At about 3:45 p.m., the library starts to move, turning left onto Garth Avenue and heading north. Stocked with around 2,500 books, CDs and DVDs, it rumbles into a small parking space outside a one-level brick building and comes to a sputtering stop.
