A gut-health scientist and trained chef shares 4 easy, tasty ways she eats more fiber

Science and Health

Health

A gut-health scientist and trained chef shares 4 easy, tasty ways she eats more fiber

Kim Schewitz

2024-12-23T17:59:51Z

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Emily Leeming keeps the snacks she wants to eat more of in an easily accessible place.

Bree Dunbar

Fibrous foods like beans, nuts, and seeds feed the “good” microbes in the gut.Most Americans are not meeting the daily recommended fiber intake.Emily Leeming opts for whole grains instead of white carbs and sprinkles seeds on her breakfast.When it comes to your gut health, eating enough fiber is crucial.

MAMA: Make America Moral Again

2024 Election

Our future as a constitutional republic is in the Make America Great Again movement because of its commitment to MAMA: Make America Moral Again Every day I read chilling statistical reports on the escalating violent crime in America––murder, rape, robbery, assault. The staggering increase is horrifying, but what is most alarming to me is the…

Movie Review: Boxer Claressa Shields’ story is told in ‘The Fire Inside’

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

“The Fire Inside,” about boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, is not your standard inspirational sports drama, even if it feels like it for the first half of the movie.There’s the hopeless dream, the difficult home life, the blighted community, the devoted coach, the training montages, the setbacks and, against all odds, the win. We’ve seen this kind of story before, you might think, and you’d be right. But then the movie pulls the rug out from under you: The victory is not the end. “The Fire Inside,” directed by Rachel Morrison and written by Barry Jenkins, is as much about what happens after the win. It’s not always pretty or inspirational, but it is truthful, and important.Sports dramas can be just as cliche as fairy tales, with the gold medal and beautiful wedding presented as a happy ending. We buy into it time and time again for obvious reasons, but the idea of a happy ending at all, or even an ending, is almost exclusively for the audience. We walk away content that someone has found true love or achieved that impossible goal after all that work. For the subject, however, it’s a different proposition; Life, and all its mundanities, disappointments and hardships, continues after all. And in the world of sports, that high moment often comes so young that it might be easy to look at the rest of the journey as a disappointing comedown.

Claressa Shields, played by Ryan Destiny in the film, was only 17 when she went to the 2012 London Olympics. Everything was stacked against her, including the statistics: No American woman had ever won an Olympic gold medal in the sport before. Her opponents had years on her. She was still navigating high school in Flint, Michigan, and things on the home front were volatile and lacking. Food was sometimes scarce as was consistent parental care. Her mother (Olunike Adeliyi) even kicks her out of the home at one point. But Claressa has a savior on her side in the form of her coach, Jason Crutchfield, played by Bryan Tyree Henry, whose calming presence signals to her and the audience that she’s in good hands.

Coach Crutchfield is the one who gives an 11-year-old Claressa a shot in the first place and sticks with her through everything. And she can be a lot to handle, especially post-Olympics when reality comes crashing down. She might have a little more money and the pride of her hometown behind her, but the sponsors are not calling. The male athletes in that 2012 class seem to have skyrocketed to wealth, while she’s thinking about pawning her medal to afford groceries and diapers for her sister’s baby. And she’s not handling it well, or at least how people think a young woman should handle such inequalities. That titular fire inside is in danger of fizzling out before she’s even reached 20 and she’s wondering what it was all for in the first place.

This is the truth of so many Olympic athletes, and professionals as well, that no one really wants to talk about. That glory is guaranteed to be short lived, probably without a multimillion-dollar deal, and then you just have to figure out what to do with the rest of your life. There are only so many commentator jobs out there.

Morrison is a celebrated cinematographer known for “Black Panther,” “Fruitvale Station” and “Mudbound,” making her feature debut as a director. And it’s a promising one, full of beautiful shots, unexpected choices and rousing fights inside the ring, anchored by a thoughtful, engaging script and compelling lead performances. “The Fire Inside” isn’t afraid to show the uglier sides of this journey, even if it makes Claressa “unlikable” for a moment.

It would have been so easy to just focus on Claressa’s achievements, which you can read all about if you’re not already aware. But it is infinitely more rewarding and authentic to show the in between instead: Surviving that is the real test, after all.“The Fire Inside,” an Amazon MGM Studios release in theaters Wednesday, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for “brief suggestive material, thematic elements, some strong language.” Running time: 109 minutes. Three stars out of four.

Nine Movies And Shows That Runners Will Love This Holiday Season

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

With the holiday season at full blast and the new year just around the corner, there’s never been a better time to hit the brakes, slow down and relax on the couch.

For most of us during the holidays, that means a good movie or two.

Reviewing box office numbers over Christmas Day from the last 10 years, however, the numbers will tell you just how much Americans love the theater.

Total gross over that period has been $681 million, including a total of $63 million in 2023 and a single-day high of $103 million in 2015.

But alas, in the age of streaming, surfing through options is its own kind of never ending story. Don’t you worry. We’ve already done the leg work to offer you nine suggestions over the remaining days of 2024.

Here are nine movies or shows that the runner in your life will enjoy over the holidays.
Without Limits
The life of the late Steve Prefontaine was a hot topic in the late 90s, with two Hollywood films adapting his story for the big screen, including 1997’s ‘Prefontaine,’ which starred Jared Leto, and 1998’s ‘Without Limits,’ which starred Billy Crudup.

While there is a lot of quality to Leto’s interpretation of Prefontaine, Without Limits has stood up as the better film over the last 20-plus years.
Produced by Tom Cruise, the film outlines Prefontaine’s path from Coos Bay, Oregon, to the campus of the University of Oregon, where he became a legend and later went on to finish fourth in the Olympic 5,000 final in Munich in 1972.

Along the way, Prefontaine fought for athlete’s rights – perhaps becoming the first first advocate for NIL – and set person bests of 3:38 in the 1,500m, 3:54 for the mile, 13:21 for 5,000 meters and 27:23 for 10,000 meters before his tragic passing from a car crash in 1975.

To this day, Prefontaine’s legacy lives on.PARIS, FRANCE – AUGUST 04: Noah Lyles of Team United States crosses the finish line to win the gold … [+] medal in the Men’s 100m Final on day nine of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on August 04, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)Getty Images
Sprint: The World’s Fastest Humans
The world of track and field was given a two-season, 10-episode run on Netflix leading into the Paris Olympics. Sprint features vignettes of Olympians like Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson, Fred Kerley and Gabby Thomas, Zharnel Hughes and Shericka Jackson, plus a few more world-class stars.
The 2024 series has its moments, from a cowboy-hat wearing Kerley on the back of a 4-wheeler in season one, to Lyles’ many braggadocious thoughts throughout, to the payoff of a few athlete’s dreams in Season 2 with Olympic golds on the line.
But it’s not the deepest documentary in the books – in fact, many of its scenes are just re-hashes of former competitions, with some added insight from its athletes.
At the very least, it’s worth a watch to learn just how your favorite track stars tick.
Unbroken
The full telling of Louie Zamporini’s life is portrayed here, beginning first through the lens of his track and field success at the 1936 Summer Olympics in the 5,000 meters, before moving on to his military service for the United States, which saw the California native become a pilot and a war hero by surviving various Japanese prison camps during World War II.
Adapted by the Coen brothers – the book Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption originally published in 2010 by Laura Hillenbrand – and directed by Angelina Jolie, Zamporini’s story was deserving of the Hollywood treatment.
‘Unbroken’ does its source material well by tackling tough subjects and exemplifying Zamporini’s strength, courage and fight.HOLLYWOOD, CA – FEBRUARY 09: Musician Juanes with fans at the world premiere of “McFarland, USA” at … [+] The El Capitan Theatre on February 9, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)Getty Images for Disney
McFarland, USA
The 2015 film, based on a series of articles in The LA Times and Sports Illustrated from the 1990s to the 2000s, tackles the motivational story of the McFarland High School boys cross country program, a team which consisted of Mexican-American and immigrant student-athletes, many of which whom worked in the fields before school to help provide for their families.
Kevin Costner portrayed the team’s coach Jim White, supplying them with confidence, determination and hope. The boys’ team won nine state titles over White’s tenure through 2002, including the program’s first win in 1987, the year which the film tackles. The film received positive reviews overall and currently sits at 80-percent from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
Personal Best
First premiering in 1982, this over 40-year-old fictional movie outlines the relationship between two female athletes, both pentathletes, as they work to reach the national team.
Ahead of its time for dealing with LGBTQ topics in sports – the two leads engage in a match-like romance – the movie also cast Patrice Donnelly, who was an accomplished hurdler at the time and previously reached the Olympics in 1976.
Roger Ebert gave the film four stars and said of its execution, “It is a movie containing the spontaneity of life. It’s about living, breathing, changeable people and because their relationships seems to be so deeply felt, so important to them, we’re fascinated by what may happen next.”
Chariots of Fire
The only Oscar winner on this list, Chariots of Fire is one of those movies you must see at least once in a lifetime.
Telling the story of two British athletes from different backgrounds – one of Jewish immigrant descent and another of Christian faith – they both battle to reach the 1924 Olympics and tap into their full potential.
The 1981 movie deals with classism, heritage, and the human spirit, revealing just what lengths anyone will go through to reach a goal within sight.1988: Ben Johnson of Canada is set in his block prior to the start of the men”s 100M Final at the … [+] 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea. Mandatory Credit: Tony Duffy/ALLSPORTGetty Images
9.79
Few documentaries have tackled the subject material of controlled substances so expertly, but ‘9.79,’ part of ESPN’s 30 for 30 film series, did just that in 2012, using Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson to outline the 1988 Seoul Olympics and all the controversy that followed.
Johnson, of course, is the main protagonist in that controversy, re-stirring the decades-old narrative by explaining just what happened before he was popped for the use of stanazolol, an anabolic steroid which was found in his urine after his world record time of 9.79 for 100 meters.
Jericho Mile
While not a perfect movie, there is a single factor that make this 1979 made-for-tv film about a prisoner vying for his spot on the line in the Olympics a work worth watching.
You should check it out based solely on the fact that Michael Mann, the director of legendary films like ‘Heat,’ ‘The Insider,’ and ‘Collateral,’ took on this project, the first of his directorial career, at the age of 36.
Like most Mann movies, you’ll notice the fleshed-out character profiles, scene-setting and overall maintenance of story structure. The story follows a prisoner as he learns of his true potential in the mile, which ultimately brings him closer to the U.S. Olympic Trials. Mann’s follow-up was ‘Thief,’ an underrated crime film, just two years later.PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – JUNE 14 : Oscar Pistorius leaves the North Gauteng High Court on June 14, … [+] 2016 in Pretoria, South Africa. Having had his conviction upgraded to murder in December 2015, Paralympian athlete Oscar Pistorius is attending his sentencing hearing and will be returned to jail for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on February 14th 2013. The hearing is expected to last five days. (Photo by Charlie Shoemaker/Getty Images)Getty Images
The Life And Trials of Oscar Pistorius
The rise and fall of South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius, who became the first double-amputee in history to qualify for the Olympics, is a tragic tale of a fallen hero.
The 2020 documentary, a four-part series by ESPN’s 30 for 30 program, covers Pistorius’ life in full form, including the highly-publicized trial surrounding the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013, and captures voices from all around his inner circle.
Pistorius served 11 years in jail for his conviction and was released in January of 2024.

Realistic business planning

Business News

A business plan summarizes a project in a way that makes it understandable and attractive to potential financiers, business partners or employees. Keep in mind that the first review of a business plan is an elimination process, rather than a selection process. The challenge is to stimulate readers’ curiosity and allow them to read the plan easily. The plan should clearly identify the problem the business is going to address, not only the solution. A good understanding of a particular problem or need will lead to success. First confirm the need, then build the product. Show you understand the problem and your solution will be more convincing. Next, be focussed. Define the target market and provide a relevant description, with figures that show the size of the market. For readers to reach your conclusions, rather than their own, you need to guide them. It is not enough to describe facts as different readers may draw different conclusions. Show evidence of market acceptance, in particular with a new product or concept. Consumer behaviour is hard to predict. A common pitfall is to assume that customers will behave in the way you expect. Reality is different and common sense is the least accurate way to predict consumer behaviour.

Now describe the implementation approach.  A good idea is unlikely to be unique. If it is good, expect a few other people to be thinking about it. If it’s really good, you may find others working on it already. The difference is in implementation. This is the real challenge. Even if the idea is not unique, you can make a difference in the way you carry it out. And that is what investors are looking for.

Be coherent with figures. There will never be accurate figures until the business is underway and even then, some pieces may be missing. It is always possible however to use comparisons, benchmarks and reference points. Use them to estimate market size, market share and profit margins. Readers of your business plan will in the first instance not be able to double check the figures. They would rather look at the coherence of figures and check that they are consistent with the strategy.

Sometimes financiers provide a format for the business plan. If not, use an easy to read format. Remember that complicated documents are irritating and flat text with long paragraphs is boring. Think about the way people read a newspaper: they check the headlines first and focus on interesting stories. Readers of business plans are no different. Don’t use small type and don’t exceed 30 pages. If readers want more, they will ask. Remember that large files are also difficult to send by email, particularly in our situation in Ethiopia.

Use simple style, common vocabulary and avoid abbreviations. Describe the business in a way that makes it easy to understand. Describe the need to be addressed and the market opportunity. Then explain how this need will be met.

Draw the organization chart as it should be at maturity, not to fit the current team. Highlight the team’s capabilities and don’t hesitate to identify gaps, showing awareness of future trends.

It is a mistake not to include a thorough analysis of potential competition. If there is no competition, that is not necessary a positive point. In fact, it may be very negative because there could be no market for the idea. Once competition has been covered, show the differentiating points. Avoid statements saying that your business will be “better” or “cheaper” or “faster”.

Marketing and sales are strategic components of any business. Focus on how this will be done and remember that the marketing approach may provide competitive advantage.

The most important determinant for success is the ability to execute. Implementation is the real differentiator. This includes all aspects, from the choice of technology to customer service.

Always include a section analyzing the risks that may affect the business. An accurate assessment of risks will help convince investors that you are fully aware of the threats the business may face. It will also show that you are prepared and capable of responding to the challenge. This reminds us of the current electricity and telecommunications problems we are facing currently. I have spoken to several business owners running different kinds of businesses and they are all seriously affected by the current state of affairs. Production time is reduced, production costs are rising, essential information and opportunities are missed, and a lot of business and money is lost. I wonder how many of us were prepared for infrastructural risks of this magnitude. Those who were and had earlier invested in alternative sources of energy are now at an advantage. Not much can be done though about the telecommunications interruptions as this sector is in the hands of the states monopoly, making all businesses dependent on one service provider and not allowing for alternatives. Businesses that depend on internet connections like travel agents for example are seriously crippled as a result.  

Going back to our business plan, don’t forget to state clearly what is expected from the target readers. The conclusion should include your funding request.

In conclusion:

Use the business plan as a communication tool.

Be simple, realistic and use common sense.

Don’t look for funding but for raising interest.

Be ready to support any statement with detailed information.

Ton Haverkort

Trump’s MAGA merchandise business operations are unacceptably opaque

Business News

Perfumes. Watches. Digital trading cards. Sneakers. Guitars.President-elect Donald Trump’s tasteless merchandise roll-outs are relentless — and show no signs of slowing as he prepares to begin a second term. Trump has long cashed in on his celebrity name with licensing deals, but the implications are different as he fuses his return to office with a freight train of personally branded products. Trump’s merchandise roster is expanding the ever-widening array of avenues through which Trump can be politically influenced by his businesses. And Trump’s flaunting of it is further fueling his degradation of what it means to be a political leader in a democracy.As my colleague Steve Benen has noted, Trump unveiled a raft of outlandish products during his 2024 presidential campaign, including silver Trump commemorative coins, a cryptocurrency project and Trump-endorsed Bibles. “At the time, it seemed plausible to think that he was trying to cash in while he had the chance: There was a possibility that Trump, already cash strapped, might lose the election, limiting his money-making opportunities,” Benen wrote. “Now that Election Day has come and gone, it stands to reason that his sole focus would be on his return to the White House, not merchandising. And yet, here we are.”Trump’s emerging infomercial presidency tracks with his intensifying disregard for conflict of interest.What’s striking is not just the unabated torrent of post-election products like perfumes and watches, but also the opaque business arrangements behind them. As The New York Times recently reported, “unlike some of Mr. Trump’s earlier efforts, the identities of his current merchandise business partners are shielded through the creation of limited liability companies, which are structured to allow those partners to remain anonymous.” According to the Times, reporters who have tried to track down the Wyoming address of a couple of these LLC’s have found “rural strip malls or buildings populated by unrelated businesses.”Trump’s emerging infomercial presidency tracks with his intensifying disregard for conflict of interest. As I recently wrote, Trump’s first presidential term was corrupted by many conflicts of interest, and he used the presidency to enrich himself by doing things that included hosting official presidential business at properties he owned. But, at least rhetorically speaking, he put an emphasis on his independence from monied interests, and he did take at least some steps — even if purely nominal in some cases — to ostensibly reduce his conflicts of interest, such as selling his stocks, limiting lobbyist access to his transition team and handing over the running of the Trump Organization to his sons.This time around, he has dropped all pretense of government ethics “drain the swamp” rhetoric. And he has become far easier to influence than during his first term, in particular due to his ownership of Truth Social, a publicly traded company that he has promised he won’t sell. Trump’s expanding roster of merchandise through nebulous business partnerships only adds to the access points for influencing Trump; pay-to-play opportunities abound through investment in or mass purchases of Trump products — or pitching him on a new line of tacky products he can slap his name on.On one level, Trump merch is extremely funny; the products are absurd, and he repeatedly demonstrates that even as a billionaire he isn’t above desperately raking in a little more cash, and in the corniest ways possible. What makes it not so funny is that there are a lot of people in America who don’t see through it. Trump is socializing huge parts of the electorate to think that it’s normal for a politician to monetize their public office and signal that government policy is potentially for sale to the highest bidder. The irony of all this is that much of Trump’s political strength lies in capitalizing on widespread beliefs that the government is corrupt. But his solution to the trust crisis is not to abide by a code of principles which immunize the government’s vulnerability to the interests of the rich. Instead he’s going the opposite way: leaning so far into disregarding the distinction between the public interest and private power that the very notion of “selling out” becomes obsolete. 

Christmas books pack young kids’ bestseller list

Arts & Culture, Books

Rankings reflect sales for the week ended Dec. 7, which were reported on a confidential basis by vendors offering a wide range of general interest titles. Every week, thousands of diverse selling locations report their actual sales on hundreds of thousands of individual titles. The panel of reporting retailers is comprehensive and reflects sales in stores of all sizes and demographics across the United States. Picture Book rankings include hardcover sales only. Series rankings include all print and e-book sales. An asterisk (*) indicates that a book’s sales were barely distinguishable from those of the book above. A (b) indicates that some bookstores reported receiving bulk orders.___PICTURE1. DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE SLEIGH!, by Mo Willems. (Union Square Kids) The pigeon has his sights set on driving Santa’s sleigh. (Ages 3 to 5)WEEKS ON LIST: 232. CHRISTMAS AT HOGWARTS, by J.K. Rowling. Illustrated by Ziyi Gao. (Scholastic) Harry Potter celebrates his first Christmas at Hogwarts. (Ages 6 and up)WEEKS ON LIST: 83. TAYLOR SWIFT, by Wendy Loggia. Illustrated by Elisa Chavarri. (Golden) A biography of the pop star. (Ages 4 to 8)WEEKS ON LIST: 74. CHICKA CHICKA HO HO HO, by William Boniface. Illustrated by Julien Chung. (Beach Lane) The Christmas edition of “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.” (Ages 4 to 8)WEEKS ON LIST: 55. LITTLE RED SLEIGH, by Erin Guendelsberger. Illustrated by Elizaveta Tretyakova. (Sourcebooks Wonderland) Little Red Sleigh dreams of becoming Santa’s sleigh one day. (Ages 4 and up)WEEKS ON LIST: 156. HOW TO CATCH A SNOWMAN, by Adam Wallace. Illustrated by Andy Elkerton. (Sourcebooks Wonderland) Kids build a snowman that comes to life. (Ages 4 to 10)WEEKS ON LIST: 27. HOW TO CATCH SANTA CLAUS, by Alice Walstead. Illustrated by Andy Elkerton. (Sourcebooks Wonderland) The How to Catch Kids try to snare Santa. (Ages 4 to 10)WEEKS ON LIST: 128. HOW TO CATCH A GINGERBREAD MAN, by Adam Wallace. Illustrated by Andy Elkerton. (Sourcebooks Wonderland) The gingerbread man gets loose in a bookstore. (Ages 4 to 7)WEEKS ON LIST: 39. HOW TO CATCH AN ELF, by Adam Wallace. Illustrated by Andy Elkerton. (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky) A tiny narrator dodges traps while making the Christmas rounds. (Ages 3 to 6)WEEKS ON LIST: 4410. HOW TO CATCH A REINDEER, by Alice Walstead. Illustrated by Andy Elkerton. (Sourcebooks Wonderland) The Catch Club Kids try to nab Comet the reindeer. (Ages 4 to 8)WEEKS ON LIST: 9___MIDDLE GRADE HARDCOVER1. IMPOSSIBLE CREATURES, by Katherine Rundell. Illustrated by Ashley Mackenzie. (Knopf) A boy is enlisted to save a place where magical creatures live. (Ages 10 and up)WEEKS ON LIST: 132. THE COMPLETE COOKBOOK FOR YOUNG CHEFS, by America’s Test Kitchen Kids. (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky) More than 100 kid-tested recipes from America’s Test Kitchen. (Ages 8 and up)WEEKS ON LIST: 2273. THE COMPLETE BAKING BOOK FOR YOUNG CHEFS, by America’s Test Kitchen Kids. (Sourcebooks Explore) More than 100 kid-tested baking recipes. (Ages 8 to 12)WEEKS ON LIST: 704. THE MILLICENT QUIBB SCHOOL OF ETIQUETTE FOR YOUNG LADIES OF MAD SCIENCE, by Kate McKinnon. (Little, Brown) Three sisters attend an unusual etiquette school. (Ages 8 to 12)WEEKS ON LIST: 105. THE BLETCHLEY RIDDLE, by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin. (Viking) Siblings Jakob and Lizzie decode wartime secrets during World War II-era London. (Ages 10 and up)WEEKS ON LIST: 96. THE LAST DRAGON ON MARS, by Scott Reintgen. (Aladdin) Lunar must save Mars with a dragon named Dread. (Ages 10 and up)WEEKS ON LIST: 107. WONDER, by R.J. Palacio. (Knopf) A boy with a facial deformity starts school. (Ages 8 to 12)WEEKS ON LIST: 4708. HEROES, by Alan Gratz. (Scholastic) Friends Frank and Stanley give a vivid account of the Pearl Harbor attack. (Ages 8 to 12)WEEKS ON LIST: 399. THE EYES AND THE IMPOSSIBLE, by Dave Eggers. Illustrations by Shawn Harris. (Knopf, McSweeney’s) A dog who serves as the eyes for three bison in a park enclosure devises a plan to free them. (Ages 8 to 12)WEEKS ON LIST: 2510. THE SHERLOCK SOCIETY, by James Ponti. (Aladdin) Four kids investigate illegal waste dumping in Florida’s Everglades. (Ages 8 to 12)WEEKS ON LIST: 7___YOUNG ADULT HARDCOVERThe second Mistlands novel by Katherine Quinn joined the YA list at No. 2. (Entangled Publishing)1. DIVINE RIVALS, by Rebecca Ross. (Wednesday) Two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection. (Ages 13 to 18)WEEKS ON LIST: 752. TO SHATTER THE NIGHT, by Katherine Quinn. (Entangled Teen) Kiara is abandoned in the Mist by her love, Jude. The second novel in the Mistlands series. (Ages 14 to 17)WEEKS ON LIST: 13. HEARTLESS HUNTER, by Kristen Ciccarelli. (Wednesday) Rune, a witch, and Gideon, a witch hunter, fall in love. (Ages 13 to 18)WEEKS ON LIST: 194. IF HE HAD BEEN WITH ME, by Laura Nowlin. (Sourcebooks Fire) The coming-of-age love story of Autumn and Phineas. (Ages 14 to 18)WEEKS ON LIST: 55. NOTHING LIKE THE MOVIES, by Lynn Painter. (Simon & Schuster) In this sequel to “Better Than the Movies,” Wes tries to win back Liz’s heart. (Ages 14 and up)WEEKS ON LIST: 106. A STUDY IN DROWNING, by Ava Reid. (HarperTeen) Dark forces try to thwart Preston and Effy’s efforts to unravel the mysteries of author Emrys Myrddin’s Hiraeth Manor. (Ages 14 and up)WEEKS ON LIST: 147. MURTAGH, by Christopher Paolini. (Knopf) Murtagh and his dragon, Thorn, must find and outwit a mysterious witch. (Ages 12 to 15)WEEKS ON LIST: 538. THE GLASS GIRL, by Kathleen Glasgow. (Delacorte) A teenager named Bella journeys through alcoholism and recovery. (Ages 14 to 18)WEEKS ON LIST: 109. THE GRANDEST GAME, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. (Little, Brown) A prize worth millions is up for grabs for seven players sequestered on a private island. (Ages 12 to 18)WEEKS ON LIST: 1810. HEIR, by Sabaa Tahir. (Putnam) Three young people find their places in a world where peace has been thoroughly disrupted. (Ages 14 to 17)WEEKS ON LIST: 7___SERIES1. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. (Amulet) The travails and challenges of adolescence. (Ages 9 to 12)WEEKS ON LIST: 8212. KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES, by Shannon Messenger. (Aladdin) Loyalties are blurred and mysterious symbols abound as the Neverseen wreak their havoc. (Ages 8 to 12)WEEKS ON LIST: 113. HARRY POTTER, by J.K. Rowling. (Scholastic) A wizard hones his conjuring skills in the service of fighting evil. (Ages 10 and up)WEEKS ON LIST: 8204. THE WILD ROBOT, by Peter Brown. (Little, Brown) Roz the robot adapts to her surroundings on a remote, wild island. (Ages 7 to 12)WEEKS ON LIST: 465. PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS, by Rick Riordan. (Disney-Hyperion) A boy battles mythological monsters. (Ages 9 to 12)WEEKS ON LIST: 7546. DRAGON MASTERS, by Tracey West. (Scholastic) Drake, once skeptical of the existence of dragons, now trains his very own. (Ages 6 to 8)WEEKS ON LIST: 127. LIGHTLARK SAGA, by Alex Aster. (Amulet) Every 100 years the island of Lightlark appears and a deadly competition called the Centennial takes place. (Ages 13 and up)WEEKS ON LIST: 48. THE HUNGER GAMES, by Suzanne Collins. (Scholastic) In a dystopia, a girl fights on live TV to survive. (Ages 12 and up)WEEKS ON LIST: 3509. A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER, by Holly Jackson. (Delacorte) Pippa Fitz-Amobi solves murderous crimes. (Ages 14 and up)WEEKS ON LIST: 16710. WHO WAS/IS …?, by Jim Gigliotti and others; various illustrators. (Penguin Workshop) Biographies unlock legendary lives. (Ages 8 to 11)WEEKS ON LIST: 174___The New York Times bestsellers are compiled and archived by the bestseller lists desk of The New York Times news department and are separate from the culture, advertising and business sides of The New York Times Co. More information on rankings and methodology: nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/methodology.

Book picks 2024: A magical masterpiece, a (very) Florida memoir, a queer coming-of-age tale and more

Arts & Culture, Books

For more than a decade, NPR has released ‘Booke We Love’ — an annual list highlighting staffers, trusted critics and librarians’ favorite books of the year.This year’s titles covers a stunning 351 books — from children’s stories to cookbooks, essays and poetry and novels. We went through the entire list to see where sunny and strange slices of Florida show up and give you a rundown of the authors from the state who also deserve some love. The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson”This book is wonderfully tender – you just have to stay strong through the cringefest that kicks it off,” says NPR senior producer Lauren Migaki. In Central Florida author Alicia Thompson’s romance novel, a professional baseball player and his heckler develop feelings, except he doesn’t know she’s the one who heckled him. But when she reaches out to apologize on social media, she forgets to identify she’s the one who gave him a hard time. And now she doesn’t know how much she can keep lying to him. “In a move straight out of the playbook for ‘worst person at a baseball game,” Daphne Brink (who, admittedly, is going through some stuff) gets drunk and heckles the guy at bat. And the guy at bat … starts crying,” Migaki says. “Suddenly the interaction is being replayed in GIFs, memes and every sportsball show on television. Are you hiding under the covers from embarrassment yet? Me too, but hang on!”

If you like reading about sports and romance, this book is for you.The Book of Love by Kelly LinkIn The Book of Love, three teenagers, Laura, Daniel and Mo, who were all presumed dead (and are), are brought back by their teacher who gives them magical tasks to return to their families. But only two get to stay.”Nobody else writes a sentence or renders the mundane into the magical like Kelly Link. No other book made me cry quite so much or love quite so hard,” writes Jessica P. Wick, a writer and book critic.She calls the book “a masterpiece.”But it’s not just a fantasy-filled ghost story, it’s a “narrative about love — and death and resurrection and kissing people and growing up and sibling rivalry and horror,” writes author and book reviewer Gabino Iglesias. The Book of Love made New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2024, Time’s 100 Must Read Books and Vulture’s Best Books of 2024. And it’s on our list because Link has Miami roots.

Deer Run Home by Ann Clare LeZotteDeer Run Home is a story of love and survival and found family. The story centers around 12-year-old Effie who is deaf and isolated from her family because they don’t speak American Sign Language. Language-deprived, abused and neglected, Effie finds hope in herfriend Cait at school and her caring ASL interpreter Miss Kathy.The story, which is for kids ages 10 to 14, is based on a real adoption case. Lisa Yee, author of The Misfits #1 – A Royal Conundrum, says she was unprepared for the power and grace of the novel in verse. Yee recommended the book for NPR’s Books We Love list. It’s one of 31 kids’ books in featured this year. “This important book, based on a true story, is a testament to friendship, found family and courage,” she wrote. “Ann Clare LeZotte’s Deer Run Home stayed with me long after I finished the final sentence.”LeZotte is a youth librarian who lives in Gainesville with her family. READ MORE: ‘Anything Is Good’: A real life fall from wealth to homelessness in Miami BeachHombrecito by Santiago Jose Sanchez

Santiago Jose Sanchez’s debut is a coming-of-age novel about a queer boy who emigrates from Colombia to America and later returns to his homeland as a young man only to realize his life is in the U.S. Hombrecito takes the reader straight into a boy’s heart.”Sanchez communicates the anxiety and discomfort of adjusting to life in Miami, and later trying to make it in New York, while his relationship with his mother becomes increasingly fraught,” said Martha Anne Tolle, a book critic and author of Three Muses. “He embraces his sexuality with dangerous lows and stunning highs.”Penguin Random House says Sanchez’s book is for anyone searching for home or a way to love. The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony by Annabelle TometichAnnabelle Tometich’s family memoir starts with a bang. “Rows of orange people sit handcuffed in a beige room. One of them is my mother.”It is a courtroom scene like no other, says Shannon Rhoades, senior editor of NPR’s Weekend Edition. Tometich’s mom was arrested and charged with firing a BB gun at a man she says was stealing mangoes from her front yard. (The most Florida story ever?) Then the story steps back in time, going to her childhood in Fort Myers with her Filipino American mom and white dad. “The writing is both jewel-like and effortless, and Tometich’s memories – some mundane, some extraordinary – are mesmerizing,” Rhoades says.State of Paradise by Laura van den Berg

And finally, a ghost story. Sort of. “State of Paradise is an enchanting and complex study of Florida’s psychogeography that is also a creepy story about people who went missing mysteriously, ghosts, cults and technology,” says Gabino Iglesias.”Written in a unique voice and dealing with things like family and the lingering effects of the pandemic, this is one of those novels that defy categorization. That said, the only thing that matters is that it is sharp and superbly written. It’s, perhaps Laura van den Berg’s most bizarre and wildly entertaining novel to date, and that’s saying a lot.”We’re Alone: Essays by Edwidge Danticat”Edwidge Danticat is agile when juggling duality,” says Tinbete Ermyas, editor of NPR’s All Things Considered. “It’s a core feature of We’re Alone, her essay collection that strives for a ‘kind of aloneness/togetherness.” Danticat spoke on WLRN Sundial about life in Haiti and Miami — and the stories that made her. “I see myself more as like a crack in the door, and then others will push it open,” Danticat told Sundial in 2023.Her observations in this book — of displacement, gun violence, hurricanes — feel like a guide to living, a testament to what writers can offer in difficult times, Ermyas says.READ MORE: Looking for your next read? Here are the ‘Books We Love’ for South Florida readers