Books we’re reading and loving in April: Falling is a tangled psychological suspense

Save for laterEach week, Globe and Mail staffers and readers share what they’re reading now, whether it’s a hot new release or an old book they’re discovering for the first time. Tell me about a book you loved and we might publish your recommendation. Fill out this form, or send your book recommendation to Lara Pingue at lpingue@globeandmail.comGlobe staffers share their favourite Canadian booksSpring books 2025 preview: 37 must-readsOpen this photo in gallery:FallingSuppliedFalling, Elizabeth Jane HowardI’ve recently discovered the novels of the late Elizabeth Jane Howard, a brilliant writer who loved to experiment with form. Most recently, I read her 1999 book Falling, the story of a sociopathic man, Henry, and his seduction of a twice-divorced author, Daisy. Falling is semi-autobiographical, which probably explains its powerful psychological nuance and page-turning intrigue. Interestingly, Henry’s point of view is told in first person, while Daisy’s, in third, includes her letters and diary entries. This is a story as deep and tangled as a neglected garden in the Cotswolds. -Globe reader Sylvia Pollard, VictoriaBuyOpen this photo in gallery:Did I Ever Tell You?SuppliedDid I Ever Tell You?, Genevieve KingstonGenevieve Kingston’s powerful memoir Did I Ever Tell You? tells the story of a mother’s final gifts to her two young children while she prepares to succumb to late-stage breast cancer. During her final years, Kingston’s mother compiled presents and letters for her kids to open on their future milestones – from birthdays to graduations to engagements and weddings – all to be opened when she would no longer be around. With each gift she opens, the author discovers an accompanying letter filled with her mother’s wisdom and guidance. Kingston clings to these words as a source of connection to her mother, at the same time discovering more about her mother and what she was like as a woman. This is a gripping memoir about the legacy of enduring love.-Globe reader Kristi Kasper, CalgaryBuyOpen this photo in gallery:How To Speak to Anyone, Jen MulanAs an immigrant, I have faced numerous challenges with effective communication within the Canadian workforce. So, when my friend Jen Mulan published her book, How to Speak to Anyone, it resonated profoundly with me. This book is an invaluable resource for introverts aspiring to communicate with confidence in both professional and social settings. Through engaging narratives and real-life examples, Jen illustrates that even those of us with naturally reserved dispositions, like myself, can evolve into effective communicators, regardless of cultural background.-Globe reader Nipun Kudi, TorontoBuyOpen this photo in gallery:Hard LandingsSuppliedHard Landings, Bonnie McGhieBonnie McGhie’s memoir, Hard Landings, recounts her compelling experiences in the Canadian Arctic in the 1960s, where she and her husband launched a bush-flying service called Arctic Wings. She writes of the creativity and tenacity needed to overcome the dangers of flying in unthinkably harsh conditions; of caring for young children in makeshift surroundings and struggling to meet the demands of their growing businesses. McGhie also describes their world of great extremes and unusual beauty, and of becoming a trusted outsider among her Inuit neighbours, whose way of life was being eroded by damaging government policies.-Globe reader Lin Perceval, Surrey, B.C.BuyOpen this photo in gallery:The Positive Shift: Mastering Mindset to Improve Happiness, Health, and Longevity, Catherine A. SandersonMy book club is called Reading for Well-Being because we focus on evidence-based reads that help to combat misinformation and disinformation about wellness and self-improvement. We’re currently reading The Positive Shift: Mastering Mindset to Improve Happiness, Health, and Longevity by Catherine A. Sanderson, PhD. In her book, Sanderson demonstrates how our level of happiness, our physical health and even our longevity is connected to how we “think” about ourselves, in other words, our mindset. I like this book because it is full of fairly straightforward strategies and the science behind them to positively shift your mindset for improved well-being.- Globe reader Joanna Pozzulo, OttawaBuyOpen this photo in gallery:Spin CycleSuppliedSpin Cycle, Alfredo BotelloA novel that takes the messy, most uncomfortable facts of life – betrayal, honour, trust and of course the biggest one of them all, death – and toys with them in ways both nerve-wracking and heartbreaking, Spin Cycle will hang your soul out to dry. Following a high-school math teacher who is thrust into a caregiver role after his mother can no longer manage her own dementia, Alfredo Botello’s sophomore novel is a darkly funny, intimate yet epic journey that will have you racing to pick up the phone and dial up every family member who you’ve been avoiding for one reason or another. There is a brutal truth coursing through Spin Cycle – we can all save ourselves and each other, if we only put in the effort – that will flatten you.-Globe and Mail film editor Barry HertzBuyThe Baseball Vault: Great Writing from the Pages of Sports IllustratedOpen this photo in gallery:The Baseball VaultSupplied“People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball,” Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby once famously said. “I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” It’s a great quote, but an awful waste of time. I tell you what I do when there’s no baseball: I read books such as The Baseball Vault, a collection of baseball writing from the pages of Sports Illustrated. The late Hornsby was a curmudgeon, by the way, and he might complain that only six of the 46 terrific stories here date before 1990. He has a point.-Globe arts reporter Brad WheelerBuyOpen this photo in gallery:Inside the Third Reich, Albert SpeerInside the Third Reich by Albert Speer, one of Hitler’s most influential ministers, was first published in 1969. I read it when I was 18 and again recently at 68. I wanted to fathom why political associates and constituents went along with a megalomaniacal leader. Written while Speer was in Spandau Prison for 20 years, he accepts responsibility for his own role in enabling a madman and offers a frightening glimpse of how people can be trained to concur with actions they know are wrong. The tome reveals the methods of a dangerous leader who was consumed with delusions of grandeur in an unscrupulous and deadly game of power. Fifty years after my first reading, this book is still as chilling – and timely – as it was when I was a teenager.-Globe reader Thelma Fayle, VictoriaBuyOpen this photo in gallery:Waiting for Joe, Sandra BirdsellSandra Birdsell’s novel, Waiting for Joe, is a modern tale of human frailties, and all set in Manitoba and Saskatchewan; the descriptions of the Prairie cities are so vivid and refreshing to read. The novel tells the story of a couple trying to find their way through youth, marriage, employment failure and how they survive and move forward. Birdsell touches the soul with her deep understanding of human life. Not since Alice Munro have I read such strong depictions of daily life.-Globe reader Joyce Mylymok, North Saanich, B.C.BuyOpen this photo in gallery:The Berry Pickers, by Amanda PetersSuppliedThe Berry Pickers, Amanda PetersIn her debut novel The Berry Pickers, Canadian author Amanda Peters tells the gripping stories of Ruthie, a four-year-old Indigenous girl who disappears from the blueberry fields in Maine, and her brother, who’s left to wrestle with the loss years later. The story takes readers across North America to places that may be familiar, from Ontario and Nova Scotia to Massachusetts. Some parts might feel a bit predictable, but Peters makes up for it with her deeply moving and nuanced writing. At its core, this book is about family, identity and the difficult but healing path to forgiveness.-Globe reporter Meera RamanBuyOpen this photo in gallery:At a Loss for WordsSuppliedAt a Loss for Words: Conversation in an Age of Rage, Carol OffCan the meaning of words change? In her new book, At a Loss for Words: Conversation in an Age of Rage, journalist Carol Off examines how the meanings of six simple words – freedom, democracy, truth, woke, choice and taxes – have shifted. The author contextualizes her work in the worldwide rise of the right, focusing on Canada. There has never been a more important time to learn about the scope of the influence of the wealthy far right, and to pay attention to language. This eye-opening book should be required reading for all Canadians.-Globe reader Lindsay Bryan, Welland, Ont.BuyOpen this photo in gallery:The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of ExtremismSuppliedThe Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism, Tim AlbertaTim Alberta’s 2023 book The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism is both a fascinating and sobering look at the extremist element of the U.S. religious right. The author, a political journalist, grew up in an Evangelist household himself and he puts that experience to good use here. With access to leading figures and thoughtful analysis, Alberta paints a clear picture of the energy and fear that fuels the religious right. This book offers vibrant insight into the despair, anger and division in the U.S. today.-Globe reader Margery Cartwright, Haliburton, Ont.BuyOpen this photo in gallery:Life and Fate, Vasily GrossmanLife and Fate is often called the War and Peace of the 20th century. The novel was written by Soviet-era writer and journalist Vasily Grossman, who witnessed the battle of Stalingrad in 1942-43. The story centres on the Shaposhnikov family and explores their lives during the period when violence, ideology, suffering and sacrifice were all at extremes. It’s a realistic novel, and Grossman is able to capture the smell and sound of war through dozens of vignettes involving more than 150 fictional and historical characters. It’s an emotional read – and at 850 pages, it’s a book you should take your time with.- Globe reader Michael Minnes, Ancaster, Ont.BuyThe Magnolia Palace, Fiona DavisOpen this photo in gallery:The Magnolia PalaceSuppliedThe Magnolia Palace takes place against the backdrop of New York City’s Frick mansion, the opulent house that contains the art collection of Henry Frick. Author Fiona Davis tells a story of two time periods: the 1920s, when the mansion is a family home, and the 1960s, when it’s a museum. In each period, we meet strong women who struggle to survive and overcome the restrictions of their time. Romances and betrayals abound. This is a story of family, its conflicts and how wealth doesn’t always bring happiness. The mansion itself becomes a character in the story – and like any interesting character, it has its secrets.-Globe reader Maureen Murray, Burlington, Ont.BuyOpen this photo in gallery:The Complete Poems: 1927-1979, Elizabeth BishopRecently, I’ve been rereading Elizabeth Bishop’s The Complete Poems: 1927-1979, a collection unlike so many modern poems because of their accessibility. While the best-known poem is One Art, a villanelle with the striking first line, “The art of losing isn’t hard to master,” it’s another poem called Poem that overwhelms me every time I read it. It’s about a family heirloom painting (not to be confused with her other poem about a family heirloom, Large Bad Painting). Poem startles you with one of those aha! moments that make a painting by a family member poignant, regardless of the painter’s talent. Perhaps the best student of the great American poet Robert Lowell, Bishop had a rough start in life. She was raised by her maternal grandparents in Nova Scotia, about which she wrote a number of wonderful poems, until her wealthy paternal grandparents brought her to live in Massachusetts. Without this move she might never have met Lowell, let alone become his equal as a poet. If a Globe reader were to pick only one book of modern poetry to read in their lifetime, this might well be it.-Globe reader Ron Charach, TorontoBuyOpen this photo in gallery:Happy-Go-LuckySuppliedHappy-Go-Lucky, David SedarisIn his 2022 collection of essays, Happy-Go-Lucky, humorist David Sedaris offers his take on the fun global health crisis we found ourselves facing four years ago. The unnerving trip to the recent past gave me a new, often chuckle-inducing perspective of those dark, polarizing times. Sedaris doesn’t tiptoe around anyone’s feelings, taking on masks, lockdowns and the Black Lives Matter protests with his usual brand of political incorrectness. (For instance, he admits to feeling a bit ‘superior’ for donating to the BLM movement.) The essays also touch on a major personal event: the death of his father, Lou, the Sedaris clan’s decidedly problematic and unlikeable guardian who’s a frequent subject of the writer’s work. I recommend Happy-Go-Lucky if you want to relive some of your worst years with a smile – and sometimes a grimace.-Globe programming editor Prajakta DhopadeBuyOpen this photo in gallery:On LeadershipSuppliedOn Leadership, Tony BlairTony Blair’s On Leadership: Lessons for the 21st Century isn’t a memoir or a tell-all but rather a non-partisan instruction manual for political leaders, based on his own experiences as Britain’s former PM. Given today’s turbulent, populist political mood, it holds several important lessons. Some core take-aways: Stay focused. Do your homework. Be positive. Protect your time. Stay humble. Don’t expect accolades. Delivery is everything. When Canada and arguably the Western world are at a low ebb in political ability and dominated by smash-mouth politics, Blair proffers many useful lessons. Frankly, I think all political leaders and aspiring leaders should read it.-Globe reader Mark Johnson, TorontoBuyOpen this photo in gallery:Hungry GhostsSuppliedHungry Ghosts, Kevin Jared HoseinHungry Ghosts by Kevin Jared Hosein is a tale of betrayal, temptation and family values. Set in poverty-stricken Trinidad in the 1940s, we meet Krishna, who suspects his father of infidelity. Could this loving, steadfast and loyal family man really be tempted by a wealthy woman? The characters are driven by intense, unfulfilled emotional needs, or “hungry ghosts.” Will Krishna listen to the hungry ghosts after what he’s seen? Will his mother recover from typhus and win back her straying husband? This is a quiet but compelling novel.-Globe reader Julie Kirsh, TorontoBuyOpen this photo in gallery:The Editor, Sara B. FranklinThe Globe received more than one hearty endorsement of a work of non-fiction. The Editor: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America, by Sara B. Franklin, is “an alluring peek into the publishing world,” writes Globe reader Catherine Lash. “From pulling The Diary of a Young Girl out of the rejects pile to creating the cookbook market with Julia Child with the ultimate goal of making cooking not only enjoyable but doable, Judith Jones was a gift to the publishing world.” Globe reader Judith Green is also a fan of this book, which details Jones’s 50-plus years at Knopf, where she worked with Sylvia Plath, Anne Tyler and John Updike, among others.BuyOpen this photo in gallery:The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper, by Roland AllenSuppliedThe Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper, Roland AllenI read a rapturous review of The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper by Roland Allen, and I had to pick it up. I’m a dedicated notebook user (in fact, I’m currently writing my own book about journaling) and I love learning the histories of everyday objects. Allen does not disappoint. The book tells the fascinating stories of notebooks, from the very first notebook (a wooden tablet) recovered from an eighth-century BCE ship, medieval account books, Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks, scientific notebooks, to the contemporary Bullet Journal Method, which helps users track and organize tasks. Eye-opening.– Globe reader Julie Rak, EdmontonBuy

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Trump’s ICE Captures Fugitive Illegal Alien Accused of Killing 13-Year-Old Chrishia Odette

President Donald Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has captured a fugitive illegal alien accused of killing 13-year-old Chrishia Odette in a 2014 vehicle crash. Last week ICE arrested 46-year-old illegal alien Ramiro Guevara of Mexico, who had been wanted on two warrants and had a final deportation order. On September 12, 2014, Chrishia’s father dropped her off…

Central Bank of India’s total business crosses Rs 7.05 lakh crore in FY25, advances grow over 16%

Central Bank of India has reported a robust performance for the financial year ending March 31, 2025, with its total business standing at ₹7,05,196 crore, reflecting a year-on-year (YoY) growth of 10.75% over ₹6,36,756 crore recorded in FY24.
The bank’s gross advances surged by 16.20% YoY to ₹2,92,531 crore from ₹2,51,745 crore in the previous financial year. Total deposits also rose by 7.18%, reaching ₹4,12,665 crore in FY25 compared to ₹3,85,011 crore in FY24.
Advertisement The Credit-Deposit (CD) ratio improved significantly to 71.13% (excluding inter-bank), up 554 basis points from 65.59% a year ago. However, the bank’s CASA (Current Account Savings Account) ratio dipped slightly to 48.91% from 50.02% last year.
The bank stated that the figures are provisional and subject to audit by its statutory central auditors. These updates were shared with the stock exchanges under SEBI’s listing obligations and disclosure norms.
Disclaimer: The information provided is based on provisional disclosures by the Central Bank of India as per regulatory filings. Please verify with official sources before making financial decisions.

Aditya is a versatile writer and journalist with a passion for sports and a wide range of experiences in business, politics, tech, health, and the market. With a unique perspective, he captivates readers through engaging storytelling.

Movie Review: Jason Momoa shines in ‘A Minecraft Movie’

The latest IP to be mined into a Hollywood blockbuster is appropriately a video game that celebrates digging: “A Minecraft Movie.”Like “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and “Jumanji” before it, “A Minecraft Movie” centers on four misfits who enter a mysterious portal that pulls them into a strange land, this time cubic, like Lego only on shrooms.The Jared Hess-directed action-adventure artfully straddles the line between delighting preteen gamers and keeping their parents awake. It’s an often-bananas adaptation, with bizarre digressions into turquoise blouses and tater tot pizzas. It has Jennifer Coolidge being very Jennifer Coolidge. Need we say more?If you’ve never heard of “Minecraft” — or its denizens like Creepers, Piglins, Villagers and Endermen — you are in big trouble. Consult with the closest 10-year-old immediately. (I have one and he noticed a sweet nod to the late YouTuber Technoblade, an Easter egg of sorts.)

The movie is faithful to the world of the game, while adding some things — orbs and crystals — to aid the plot. But if you come in cold and spot pandas and folks punching through earth, you’ll likely side with one human character who says: “This place makes no sense.”

Danielle Brooks, from left, Emma Myers, Sebastian Hansen, Jennifer Coolidge, Jack Black and Jason Momoa. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Danielle Brooks, from left, Emma Myers, Sebastian Hansen, Jennifer Coolidge, Jack Black and Jason Momoa. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)Read More

Our travelers — a sweet brother and sister (Emma Myers and Sebastian Eugene Hansen), their nutty real estate agent (Danielle Brooks) and a deeply dumb, washed-up pro video game player (Jason Momoa) — are guided by Jack Black, playing an expert crafter named Steve stranded in the world.

If it does anything, “A Minecraft Movie” marks the comedic coming of age of Momoa, who has shown glimpses of his chops in the “Aquaman” and “Fast X” movies. But when he’s not on screen in this one, it leaves the movie slack, which is saying a lot when you have Black being his full-force, over-the-top Black.“There’s no ‘i’ in ‘team’ but there are two ‘i’s in ‘winning,’” Momoa says as Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison, who is fond of fingerless gloves and a Barbie-pink leather jacket with a fringe. In another scene, he notes: “Paper doesn’t grow on trees.”

The screenplay written by Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer, Neil Widener, Gavin James and Chris Galletta is as loosey-goosey as you’d expect from five different voices, with a traditional Marvel-style battle at the end fueled by plenty of “Let’s do this!” declarations but with a surprisingly goofball first half. Like countless films before it, “A Minecraft Movie” is all about the quest to go home, which in this case means navigating zombies, skeletons shooting fire-tipped arrows and a place called The Nether, a perpetually dark hell where horrible creatures mine for gold. For some reason, the ruler there, a piglike witch, has glowing eyes and a British accent.

Black, Brooks and Momoa. (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

Black, Brooks and Momoa. (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)Read More

The writers make some “America’s Got Talent” jokes, Black has a few songs — including a bizarre “Steve’s Lava Chicken” — and we spend an inordinate of time focused on Momoa’s butt, but it all ends in a dance party. The movie has a “Dark Crystal”-meets-“Transformers” vibe, a too-subtle message about financial failure and something about friendship.The filmmakers do have characters throw eggs — at these prices, is that smart? — but they don’t lean enough into the celebration of creativity this movie seemed to promise when it started.Hollywood’s embrace of gaming has been yielding hits such as HBO’s “The Last of Us” and Amazon Prime Video’s series adaptation of the Microsoft-owned “Fallout.” More adaptations are on the horizon this year: “Until Dawn,” “Mortal Kombat 2” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.”

A scene from “A Minecraft Movie.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

A scene from “A Minecraft Movie.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)Read More

As for “A Minecraft Movie,” the advice is this: Come for the Piglins, stay for Momoa, whom you will see spectacularly failing at being bilingual and jujutsu-ing opponents dressed like a member of Skid Row. It’s everything you ever needed.“A Minecraft Movie,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release that’s in theaters Friday, is rated PG for “violence/action, language, suggestive/rude humor and some scary images.” Running time: 101 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

Movie Review: Jason Momoa shines in ‘A Minecraft Movie’

The latest IP to be mined into a Hollywood blockbuster is appropriately a video game that celebrates digging: “A Minecraft Movie.”Like “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and “Jumanji” before it, “A Minecraft Movie” centers on four misfits who enter a mysterious portal that pulls them into a strange land, this time cubic, like Lego only on shrooms.The Jared Hess-directed action-adventure artfully straddles the line between delighting preteen gamers and keeping their parents awake. It’s an often-bananas adaptation, with bizarre digressions into turquoise blouses and tater tot pizzas. It has Jennifer Coolidge being very Jennifer Coolidge. Need we say more?If you’ve never heard of “Minecraft” — or its denizens like Creepers, Piglins, Villagers and Endermen — you are in big trouble. Consult with the closest 10-year-old immediately. (I have one and he noticed a sweet nod to the late YouTuber Technoblade, an Easter egg of sorts.)

The movie is faithful to the world of the game, while adding some things — orbs and crystals — to aid the plot. But if you come in cold and spot pandas and folks punching through earth, you’ll likely side with one human character who says: “This place makes no sense.”

Danielle Brooks, from left, Emma Myers, Sebastian Hansen, Jennifer Coolidge, Jack Black and Jason Momoa. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Danielle Brooks, from left, Emma Myers, Sebastian Hansen, Jennifer Coolidge, Jack Black and Jason Momoa. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)Read More

Our travelers — a sweet brother and sister (Emma Myers and Sebastian Eugene Hansen), their nutty real estate agent (Danielle Brooks) and a deeply dumb, washed-up pro video game player (Jason Momoa) — are guided by Jack Black, playing an expert crafter named Steve stranded in the world.

If it does anything, “A Minecraft Movie” marks the comedic coming of age of Momoa, who has shown glimpses of his chops in the “Aquaman” and “Fast X” movies. But when he’s not on screen in this one, it leaves the movie slack, which is saying a lot when you have Black being his full-force, over-the-top Black.“There’s no ‘i’ in ‘team’ but there are two ‘i’s in ‘winning,’” Momoa says as Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison, who is fond of fingerless gloves and a Barbie-pink leather jacket with a fringe. In another scene, he notes: “Paper doesn’t grow on trees.”

The screenplay written by Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer, Neil Widener, Gavin James and Chris Galletta is as loosey-goosey as you’d expect from five different voices, with a traditional Marvel-style battle at the end fueled by plenty of “Let’s do this!” declarations but with a surprisingly goofball first half. Like countless films before it, “A Minecraft Movie” is all about the quest to go home, which in this case means navigating zombies, skeletons shooting fire-tipped arrows and a place called The Nether, a perpetually dark hell where horrible creatures mine for gold. For some reason, the ruler there, a piglike witch, has glowing eyes and a British accent.

Black, Brooks and Momoa. (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

Black, Brooks and Momoa. (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)Read More

The writers make some “America’s Got Talent” jokes, Black has a few songs — including a bizarre “Steve’s Lava Chicken” — and we spend an inordinate of time focused on Momoa’s butt, but it all ends in a dance party. The movie has a “Dark Crystal”-meets-“Transformers” vibe, a too-subtle message about financial failure and something about friendship.The filmmakers do have characters throw eggs — at these prices, is that smart? — but they don’t lean enough into the celebration of creativity this movie seemed to promise when it started.Hollywood’s embrace of gaming has been yielding hits such as HBO’s “The Last of Us” and Amazon Prime Video’s series adaptation of the Microsoft-owned “Fallout.” More adaptations are on the horizon this year: “Until Dawn,” “Mortal Kombat 2” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.”

A scene from “A Minecraft Movie.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

A scene from “A Minecraft Movie.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)Read More

As for “A Minecraft Movie,” the advice is this: Come for the Piglins, stay for Momoa, whom you will see spectacularly failing at being bilingual and jujutsu-ing opponents dressed like a member of Skid Row. It’s everything you ever needed.“A Minecraft Movie,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release that’s in theaters Friday, is rated PG for “violence/action, language, suggestive/rude humor and some scary images.” Running time: 101 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

Musk-Bashing Is the Answer to Keeping Democrats United

This is what you’d get if Bruce Wayne decided to become the Joker rather than Batman. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images The most tiresome intra-Democratic debate of them all soon reached crisis levels after Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory. Should the “party of the people” focus on the threat to democratic institutions MAGA authoritarians most definitely…

Vintage Baseball Books, Photos Go On Sale At Annual New York Show

Baseball books and memorabilia will be available for purchase by customers of the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair, a four-day event that starts Thursday night.

So says Josh Mann, a baseball fan who is co-owner of B & B Rare Books and partner of fair chairperson Sunshine Steinbirchner.

The 65th annual show features some 200 vendors, selling everything from modestly-priced $50 volumes to extremely rare finds that carry seven-figure price-tags.

Much of the baseball items come from Mann’s store. They include a signed 1961 photo of Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, priced at $2,500, and even an original vintage photo featuring Shoeless Joe Jackson of the 1919 Chicago team dubbed the “Black Sox” for allegedly throwing that year’s World Series to the Cincinnati Reds. The price on that one is $3,500, Mann said.

“We generally do six figures of business at this fair,” Mann said. “I think it’s that way for a lot of the exhibitors. There are no six-figure baseball books out there but there are six-figure books available on other subjects.”

Items From Hall of Famers
Mann’s baseball display will include an 1888 book written by John Montgomery Ward, a Kansas City Monarchs broadside featuring Satchel Paige, and a signed copy of Mickey Mantle’s book My Favorite Summer.
“We have a number of serious customers for pre-war baseball material,” he said. “So we started dealing in 19th Century material.
“That stuff is hard to find but we’re baseball fans so it was fun working on it.”
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His for-sale items include rulebooks, guides, biographies, baseball correspondence, and vintage photos, he said. Including non-baseball books brings the total value to about $500,000, he said.
“People come with a credit card or a checkbook,” Mann added. “Everything has a fixed price. If it’s displayed, it has to be available for sale.”

Parting with one-of-a-kind items, which might be difficult for a devoted fan, is part of his job.
“The early 20th century guides are great because they’re loaded with the statistics of Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, and Walter Johnson,” explained the 43-year-old bookseller. It’s cool to see their published stats from the time they were still playing.”

A book signed by Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson is among the baseball treasures offered for sale by B … More & B Rare Books at the New York Antiquarian Book Fair this weekend. (Photo by Robert Riger/Getty Images)Getty Images
Mann said he owns a baseball signed by Ruth but didn’t bring it. But he does have a copy of Baseball Has Done It, signed by Jackie Robinson, and an assortment of 19th and 20th century Spalding Guides.
“None of the pre-war stuff is signed,” he said. “Any signed pre-war material is nearly impossible to get in a printed book.”
Where He Finds Books
His store obtains baseball material from both private collectors and fellow book dealers who don’t handle a lot of baseball items. In effect, he makes trades – just as major-league teams do.
“Finding stuff from other dealers is a necessary part of our business,” he said. “But it’s one thing to have the material – you still need a customer.”
That’s why the show helps.
“It’s always big,” he said. “Every year, it’s always buzzing, always at capacity. It’s the biggest event in the trade. The booths are expensive but you get the most serious buyers from all over the world.”
Those buyers don’t have to worry about fraud.
“The book fair is under the umbrella of a trade association so all its members are highly reputable,” Mann noted. “We adhere to a strict code of ethics and guidelines from the association (the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America, in concert with the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers).”
The show, open to the public, will be held at the Park Avenue Armory at 42nd Street, a short walk from B & B Rare Books at 33rd & Madison. Tickets are $75 for preview night, $65 for run-of-show, $32 after Thursday, and $10 for students.

Vintage Baseball Books, Photos Go On Sale At Annual New York Show

Baseball books and memorabilia will be available for purchase by customers of the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair, a four-day event that starts Thursday night.

So says Josh Mann, a baseball fan who is co-owner of B & B Rare Books and partner of fair chairperson Sunshine Steinbirchner.

The 65th annual show features some 200 vendors, selling everything from modestly-priced $50 volumes to extremely rare finds that carry seven-figure price-tags.

Much of the baseball items come from Mann’s store. They include a signed 1961 photo of Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, priced at $2,500, and even an original vintage photo featuring Shoeless Joe Jackson of the 1919 Chicago team dubbed the “Black Sox” for allegedly throwing that year’s World Series to the Cincinnati Reds. The price on that one is $3,500, Mann said.

“We generally do six figures of business at this fair,” Mann said. “I think it’s that way for a lot of the exhibitors. There are no six-figure baseball books out there but there are six-figure books available on other subjects.”

Items From Hall of Famers
Mann’s baseball display will include an 1888 book written by John Montgomery Ward, a Kansas City Monarchs broadside featuring Satchel Paige, and a signed copy of Mickey Mantle’s book My Favorite Summer.
“We have a number of serious customers for pre-war baseball material,” he said. “So we started dealing in 19th Century material.
“That stuff is hard to find but we’re baseball fans so it was fun working on it.”
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His for-sale items include rulebooks, guides, biographies, baseball correspondence, and vintage photos, he said. Including non-baseball books brings the total value to about $500,000, he said.
“People come with a credit card or a checkbook,” Mann added. “Everything has a fixed price. If it’s displayed, it has to be available for sale.”

Parting with one-of-a-kind items, which might be difficult for a devoted fan, is part of his job.
“The early 20th century guides are great because they’re loaded with the statistics of Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, and Walter Johnson,” explained the 43-year-old bookseller. It’s cool to see their published stats from the time they were still playing.”

A book signed by Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson is among the baseball treasures offered for sale by B … More & B Rare Books at the New York Antiquarian Book Fair this weekend. (Photo by Robert Riger/Getty Images)Getty Images
Mann said he owns a baseball signed by Ruth but didn’t bring it. But he does have a copy of Baseball Has Done It, signed by Jackie Robinson, and an assortment of 19th and 20th century Spalding Guides.
“None of the pre-war stuff is signed,” he said. “Any signed pre-war material is nearly impossible to get in a printed book.”
Where He Finds Books
His store obtains baseball material from both private collectors and fellow book dealers who don’t handle a lot of baseball items. In effect, he makes trades – just as major-league teams do.
“Finding stuff from other dealers is a necessary part of our business,” he said. “But it’s one thing to have the material – you still need a customer.”
That’s why the show helps.
“It’s always big,” he said. “Every year, it’s always buzzing, always at capacity. It’s the biggest event in the trade. The booths are expensive but you get the most serious buyers from all over the world.”
Those buyers don’t have to worry about fraud.
“The book fair is under the umbrella of a trade association so all its members are highly reputable,” Mann noted. “We adhere to a strict code of ethics and guidelines from the association (the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America, in concert with the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers).”
The show, open to the public, will be held at the Park Avenue Armory at 42nd Street, a short walk from B & B Rare Books at 33rd & Madison. Tickets are $75 for preview night, $65 for run-of-show, $32 after Thursday, and $10 for students.

We’ll Take Performative Defiance

Photo: Senate Television via AP When Senator Cory Booker took the Senate floor at 7 p.m. on Monday, he promised he would hold it “as long as I am physically able.” For the next day, the 56-year-old spoke at length about President Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, his plans to slash safety-net programs like Social…

Kaleidescape Launches New Entry-Level Movie Player

Premium movie download service Kaleidescape has unveiled a new entry-level player that makes its high quality video delivery system more affordable than ever before.
The Strato M is designed to work as either a standalone movie player, like the step-up Strato V released in 2024, or as part of a wider Kaleidescape product system. And with a U.S. price tag of $1,995, it’s far and away the most affordable way to access Kaleidescape’s huge library of essentially lossless-quality downloadable movie files. The step up Strato V, by comparison, costs $3,995.

“Strato M opens up the Kaleidescape experience to a broader range of movie enthusiasts,” says Tayloe Stansbury, chairman & CEO of Kaleidescape. “And in larger systems, Strato M is great for secondary rooms, while reserving the flagship Strato V for main viewing areas.”

Despite its entry level price, the Strato M still offers a handy set of features beyond just providing a gateway to Kaleidescape’s pristine downloadable film files. For starters, it can play films in high dynamic range, using either the HDR10 or premium Dolby Vision HDR formats, with 4:2:2 chroma support. It also supports a huge range of audio formats, including lossless versions of the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X mixes that currently represent the state of the art when it comes to film soundtracks.

Connections
It features a fanless design so you don’t have to worry about any operating noise disturbing your viewing, and it’s fitted with a Gigabit Ethernet (1000 Base-T) connection to ensure that the large files required to contain the service’s premium quality film downloads can get into the Strato M’s built-in memory as fast as your broadband connection will allow. Other connections comprise a USB port you can use for disc cataloging, and an HDMI 2.1 port, while the player’s design features suitably premium metal build quality and a distinctive illuminated blue ‘splash’ effect emerging from parts of its front, top and rear edges.
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To support the popularity of Kaleidescape products with AV system builders and custom installers, the Strato M carries such installation-friendly features as Lutron RA3 and HomeWorks control compatibility; Kaleidescape control protocol over Ethernet (supported by Josh.ai, Crestron, AMX, Control4, Savant, Kaleidescape Apps, as well as numerous other apps and control systems); and the availability of both rack (with faceplates) and wall mounting options.

As usual with Kaleidescape products, the Strato M can be grouped with other Kaleidescape devices on a local network so that it can play content stored on either one or more of the brand’s Terra high capacity storage devices, or another Strato player.

The Kaleidescape Strato M carries 480GB of storage and a Gigabit Ethernet port.Photo: Kaleidescape
While the Strato M joins the Strato V in offering a single-product entry point into Kaleidescape’s service, carrying both in-built storage for downloaded films and full playback capabilities, its much more affordable price inevitably comes at the expense of one or two significant compromises.
First, its built-in 480GB SSD storage is only half as much as you get with the Strato V, meaning it can only hold half a dozen movies or so at at time (depending on running times). Once you’ve purchased a film on Kaleidescape you will always have access to it, of course; if you have to delete a film to make space for another you can just find it on Kaleidescape’s servers and download it again if you want to watch it for a second time. But with the service’s movie files typically running to 90-100GB each (more if a film’s particularly long) if you’re going to use the Strato M as much as most Kaleidescape owners use their systems, you’ll have to commit to swapping movies in and out of the storage drive pretty regularly.
Ultra-fast downloading
This is where the Gigabit Ethernet port comes in (there’s no support for Wi-Fi). If you’ve got a broadband connection fast enough to use all of that Gigabit Ethernet capacity you should be able to download a film in just 10 minutes or so. Clearly this time will increase if your broadband connection is much slower than that.
The Strato M’s relatively limited storage capacity means it features a specially refined version of Kaleidescape’s interface. If you decide to add a Terra storage unit, then the interface will revert to Kaleidescape’s normal menus designed to handle many more titles.
Probably the most significant limitation of the Strato M, though, is that its video output is limited to 2K resolution, rather than the 4K output supported by the Strato V. Kaleidescape states that this should still be enough to deliver better than Blu-ray picture quality – plus, of course, the Strato M actually supports HDR where normal Blu-ray discs don’t. But the Strato M won’t let you get the full glorious impact from the growing number of truly pristine looking 4K films Kaleidescape now carries.
The Kaleidescape Strato M is available now in the U.S. from authorized Kaleidescape dealers, with other territories to follow soon.

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