The Ulysses News

How the literature of fire can help readers find hope among the ashes

A single page from a book lies on the charred remains of a home that burned down in the 2025 Palisades fire in Los Angeles.

Reading and maintaining a human connection have a vital role to play as extreme events that have long served as the stuff of dystopian fiction simply become a part of everyday life.

The Gilded Age novel that helps explain our fascination with Luigi Mangione

The mystery of human choices, even when circumstances are known, occupied writers like Henry James.

Henry James’ ‘The Princess Casamassima’ tells a story of political radicalism in a time of economic inequality. But even James ran up against the limits of putting himself in the mind of a killer.

BookTrib’s Bites: Four Fantastic Winter Reads

(NewsUSA) - Face the Storm by C.D. KregerThis is the author’s intimate and courageous memoir of growing up and surviving an environment of mental illness, religious zealotry, and sexual abuse. She …

New Book, MIND-BODY BIRTH, Provides Guide to Fearless Child Birth

(NewsUSA) - Birth can be scary. Prior to the global pandemic in 2020, it was estimated that 10 to 15 percent of women in the United States had a fear of childbirth so strong that it impacted their …

BookTrib Launches LIT PICKS Holiday 2024: First Chapters from the Hottest Books

(NewsUSA) - Here’s a chance for readers to get a sneak peek into some of the hottest books and new voices being talked about in literary circles this holiday season.BookTrib.com—a leading source …

BookTrib’s Bites: Jump-Start Winter with These Four Insightful Reads

(NewsUSA) - Inner Trek: A Reluctant Pilgrim in the Himalayas by Mohan Ranga RaoAfter being threatened by a Bangalore mob boss, Mohan Ranga Rao, an accomplished businessman, an avid traveler, and a …

BookTrib’s Bites: Four Irresistible Winter Reads

(NewsUSA) - Russian Nonsensical by Edward D. WebsterThis book weaves a spellbinding embroidery of mystery and intrigue, with threads of betrayal, exotic thefts, international adventure, and the …

BookTrib’s Bites: Four Fantastic Reads to Close Out Fall

(NewsUSA) - The Housekeeper’s Secret by Sandra SchnakenbergFor fans of stranger-than-truth stories, Sandy Schnakenburg uncovers rattling and unprecedented revelations in this powerful memoir of …

Engaging Two-Book Coming-of-Age Saga Amid Middle East’s Complex History

(NewsUSA) - A young man’s coming of age is at the heart of what BookLife Review calls “a richly layered narrative that sheds light on the human toll of conflict and celebrates an indomitable …

BookTrib’s Bites: Kick Off the Holidays with These Four Exciting Reads

(NewsUSA) - July and Everything After by Allie NavaA modern tale of resilience and transformation against extraordinary odds, for fans of Paolo Coelho, Amy Tan, and Khaled Hosseini.As Maya turns 22, …

Reading nonfiction prepares kids for success

(BPT) - By Melissa Taylor, M.Ed., former elementary teacher and K-12 literacy trainerNonfiction is essential in a child's reading diet. Most children primarily read fiction, but as they progress in …

BookTrib’s Bites: Curl Up With These Four Fantastic Reads

(NewsUSA) - Covet the Chaos by Caleb Shawn SullyBased on a true story. Emerging from his service in Iraq, a soldier seeks redemption and solace by joining the Peace Corps and volunteering in …

BookTrib’s Bites: Four Exciting Reads to Sink Your Teeth Into

(NewsUSA) - Lost in Thought by Deborah SerraDoes your mind wander? Where does it go without you?Ilana manages an opera house in Manhattan. Her world is well-planned until she begins to question her …

BookTrib's Bites: Four Enthralling Autumn Reads

(NewsUSA) - Deena Undone by Debra EveryA terrifying nightmare sets off a series of attacks on Deena Bartlett's five senses, and her eighty-year-old Aunt Agatha is responsible. But the old woman is …

Your next favorite story won’t be written by AI – but it could be someday

Good storytelling relies on sound writing, believability, creativity and lived experience. AI has become skilled at the first two but still falls short on the second two.

BookTrib’s Bites: Four Unforgettable Reads

(NewsUSA) - Sicilian Avengers (Books One and Two) by Luigi NatoliA thrilling Sicilian saga about the legendary secret sect purported to be forerunners of the Mafia, translated into English for the …

BookTrib’s Bites: Dive Into These Four Exciting Fall Reads

(NewsUSA) - I’ll Have a Double by Juliana HastingsIt might be shocking to learn that a nice glass of Pinot Noir at the end of a stressful day can be related to breast cancer. Here’s a brave and …

BookTrib’s Bites: Four Fascinating Fall Reads

(NewsUSA) - Deena Undone by Debra EveryA terrifying nightmare sets off a series of attacks on Deena Bartlett's five senses, and her eighty-year-old Aunt Agatha is responsible. But the old woman is …

BookTrib’s Bites: Four Captivating Fall Reads

(NewsUSA) - Again and Again Back to You by Andrea EzerinsIf you had the chance to revisit your past to change your present, what moment would you choose? In this enchanting novel, an encounter with …

BookTrib’s Bites: Four Captivating Autumn Reads

(NewsUSA) - The 7 Pillars of Successful Caregiving by Dr. Ebony Ivory GreenHere’s an important tool to help navigate the complexities of caregiving with expert insights and compassionate …

5 books to help you better understand today’s campus protests

Every so often, a cause ignites a sustained fury on college campuses across the nation. In 2020, it was Black Lives Matter. In 2011, it was Occupy Wall Street. In the 1980s, it was apartheid in South Africa. Right now, it’s the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. …

How ‘Dune’ became a beacon for the fledgling environmental movement − and a rallying cry for the new science of ecology

“Dune,” widely considered one of the best sci-fi novels of all time, continues to influence how writers, artists and inventors envision the future. Of course, there are Denis Villeneuve’s visually stunning films, “Dune: Part One” (2021) and “Dune: Part Two” (2024). …

W.E.B. Du Bois’ study ‘The Philadelphia Negro’ at 125 still explains roots of the urban Black experience – sociologist Elijah Anderson tells why it should be on more reading lists

W.E.B. Du Bois is widely known for his civil rights activism, but many sociologists argue that he has yet to receive due recognition as the founding father of American sociology. His groundbreaking study, “The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study,” …

Betty Smith enchanted a generation of readers with ‘A Tree Grows in Brooklyn’ − even as she groused that she hoped Williamsburg would be flattened

Eighty years ago, in the winter and spring of 1944, Brooklyn-born author Betty Smith was entering a new chapter of life. A year earlier, she was an unknown writer, negotiating with her publisher about manuscript edits and the date of publication for her first book, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” …

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