Making peace with the past
I spent my boyhood living in Graham County in a community called Milltown in Robbinsville. In those days, there was…
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Take time to read the ‘Book of Nature’
During the pandemic, regional authors have been busy. I’ve been made aware of several books being released this year by…
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Summer’s coming, and it’s time for some fun!
“Summertime, and the livin’ is easy….” So begins one of the George Gershwin’s greatest songs, an aria in “Porgy and Bess”…
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National Poetry Month: Honor our poets by listening
What month other than April could possibly be designated National Poetry Month?
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From Soviet Russia to the American rural South
Time for the book review machine to travel back a few years.
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Good book, bad ending: ‘A Stolen Focus’
Sucker-punched. That’s how I felt when I finished reading Johann Hari’s “Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention — and How…
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From pole to pole, reimagining the future
It’s rare to come across a book that takes one far afield from the original focus presented by the artist…
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Wild and free: two books, two approaches
A friend who was a fan of the Lee Child’s novels used to wear a T-shirt reading, “What would Jack…
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An old guy looks at graphic books
Over the last year or so, I’ve noticed that the graphic books on the shelves of my public library are…
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‘Just Maria’ a good read for all ages
What’s up with me? In my old age, am I regressing backwards to my teenage days? Or is Jay Hardwig’s…
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Take the edge off winter with story hour
It’s late Saturday afternoon, February, that hour before supper when the little ones go bananas, and the 5-year-old and his…
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Pancakes, with a side of ‘Craft & Culture’
Several years ago, when my children and grandchildren were gathering for a week at the beach in a house I’d…
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Making boys into men the Jocko Willink way
Many readers of The Smoky Mountain News, particularly younger adults, are probably familiar with Jocko Willink, a former Navy SEAL…
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A book from after the apocalypse
Manon Steffan Ros is a Welsh author of more than 40 books, writes in the Welsh language and has only…
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Rowdy adventures: a review of “Sharpe’s Assassin”
Good grief! Let me say that again: Good grief!
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Exploring the life of Cherokee’s first female chief
I was recently gifted with the loan of a book from my friend Lee Knight titled “Wilma Mankiller,” (TWODOT Books,…
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More questions than answers in this book
To get the most out of out of James Lee Burke’s latest novel, “Another Kind of Eden” (Simon & Schuster,…
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More than just a ride on the rails
In the years after the Civil War, train travel in America exploded. Rail lines soon crisscrossed the country, bringing travelers…
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A rose amongst the thorns
Steve Brooks is a prolific artist, poet and writer who has lived in Asheville for 10 years now, having moved…
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Popcorn and caviar: a look at three books
Popcorn has little nutritional value, but it’s great when you have the munchies (and no, I don’t puff dope or…
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In the shadows of the sun
Kazuo Ishiguro, who was born in Nagasaki, Japan, is an award-winning author whose accolades include The Nobel Prize and the…
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Family, friends and gratitude: a great American holiday
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I raided my public library, brought home an armload of books having to do…
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Regular people shine in novel set in Paris
Sometimes the world seems pretty crazy, especially for those of us who follow the daily news and commentaries online.
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A book about the paths most traveled
In my younger years, I used to do a lot of hiking. I would follow footpaths and trails or blaze…
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Words from a wisdom keeper
Joy Harjo is the current Poet Laureate of the United States. She is “Native,” “Indigenous,” of the Muscogee/Creek (Mvskoke) “Native…
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Those who served: a review of ‘The Twenty Year War’
As of this year, around 19 million Americans are veterans, which is less than 10% of our population. Currently, 1.4…
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Torches: literary lights for dark times
Ever had one of those times when every day brought bad news? In addition to our boatload of national catastrophes…
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‘Love is always stronger than fear’
There are at least three reasons why Nicholas Sparks has sold over 100 million copies of his books and seen…
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Forgotten history: ‘The War of Jenkins’ Ear’
Recently I posted another first to my list of lifetime accomplishments: I managed to hit myself in the head with…
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Book explores past murders in the mountains
“The lips that touch liquor shall never touch mine.”
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A walking tour of Paris and the arts
Every once in a while I like to go back and read the classics, especially those that have managed to…
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Literature as a defensive fortification
It’s late summer, but the song lyrics still work: living is supposed to be easy. So I’m looking for some…
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Good folks and a wicked man
Years ago, a friend and I were watching some news show like 60 Minutes about juvenile murderers. The point of…
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A light in our darkness: Michael O’Brien’s The Lighthouse
So it’s a late Thursday afternoon, and I’m sitting on the front porch finishing up a novel when my eyes…
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Doubling up: a review of Basil’s War and Bourdain’s World Travel
I’ve long been a fan of Stephen Hunter’s novels, particularly his series about Bob Lee Swagger. Swagger is a sniper,…
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A quiet place: the book nook
Readers generally look for a special place to sink into their books, to escape the noise and hubbub of the…
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A story of immigrants gone missing
Asheville’s own Terry Roberts is back again with another page-turner in the form of a brand new novel just released…
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Imagining Bob Dylan’s fictional youth
As a reader, I tend to get on jags with authors whom I admire. Recently, I’ve discovered the work of…
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Worlds apart: a look at two very different books
The last four months of 1862 brought blood and slaughter to the armies of the South and the North. Earlier…
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Ken Follett’s tribute to Notre Dame
On April 15, 2019, Notre-Dame de Paris, one of the world’s most beloved architectural landmarks, caught fire. The blaze started…
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A shiner’s tale, a woman’s perspective
In a literary genre (Appalachian noir) dominated by men, Amy Jo Burns’ new novel Shiner breaks through barriers and the…
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Perhaps we all need to laugh a little more
Recently I realized I needed to laugh more often. I do laugh when I’m on the phone with one of…
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A few lessons in virtue from a veteran
On the shelves around the room where I write and work a visitor would find all sorts of books, including…
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Neanderthals were smarter than we thought
Toward the end of 2020, I reviewed a book here titled The Last Neanderthal by Claire Cameron. This was fiction…
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Peterson updates his popular ‘Rules for Life’
In 2018, Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules For Life: An Antidote to Chaos became an international bestseller, and Peterson himself became…
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The poetry of living off the grid
If the word “value” is to mean anything, it should at least apply to two or more things. First it…
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Insight into the power of listening
Have you ever engaged in a political argument where instead of listening to your opponent your mind is furiously creating…
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