In 2017, Macon author Lauren Morrill was anxious and upset about the political debate about affordable healthcare. As so many Americans do when we have strong opinions about something, the Young Adult author took to social media. She fired off a tweet and went back to her life. Since then, Morrill’s words have been misattributed by a major media outlet, two famous actors and countless artists.
This year we had kids and caregivers in mind when we chose the genre for our summer poll. So here are 100 favorite kids' books, picked by readers and expert judges, to while away the hours at home.
When you think of author and illustrator Arnold Lobel, you probably think of Frog and Toad, his amphibian forever friends — but this story of loving things and letting them go deserves a fresh look.
Author Grace Elizabeth Hale joined Virginia Prescott for one of the Atlanta History Center’s virtual author talks. Her new book, Cool Town: How Athens, Georgia Launched Alternative Music And Changed American Culture, documents the rise of the small Georgia town as a “new kind of American bohemia,” exploring the factors and the artists that made it possible. Hear their conversation about the rise of bands like R.E.M., The B-52's and Pylon, and how the Athens scene that they established offered an alternative option for Southerners who didn't fit the mold of the mainstream.
Partisan and ideological divisions have hobbled the nation’s response to the pandemic and our sinking economy. For one theory on how American politics became so toxic, Princeton professor and best-selling author Julian Zelizer turns to former Georgia Congressman and Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.
Julian Zelizer's new book, "Burning Down The House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party" offers one explanation for today's divisive political atmosphere; examining the history behind "The Tree That Owns Itself" in Athens
This month, our romance columnist Maya Rodale rounds up three historical novels featuring heroines on a mission — and love interests who'll stand up for them, no matter what troubles come.
Kids' books columnist Juanita Giles says message books are often nutritious and boring — but LeBron James's new I Promise combines beautiful art with real emotional impact that her kids loved.
Former U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey swore she'd never return to Atlanta after her mother was murdered there. 35 years later, she faces those demons in her searing new memoir, Memorial Drive.
Author Lara Prescott joined Virginia Prescott for one of the Atlanta History Center’s virtual author talks. Her debut novel The Secrets We Kept, which became an instant New York Times best-seller, is about the CIA’s program to influence Russian thinking during the Cold War — with literature. Hear their discussion about the espionage plot and the real-life love story behind Dr. Zhivago.
Lisa Donovan is a celebrated southern pastry chef, James Beard award-winning essayist, and now author of a new memoir. The book, called Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger, follows her life in and out of kitchens, documenting her journey to the restaurant industry she loved — and later left. On Second Thought spoke with Donovan to discuss the pains, obstacles and joys of finding her voice as a woman and a southerner, and learning to use it in the male-dominated culinary world.
Taking stock of the U.S. Postal Service's ability to process parcels — and ballots — amid financial struggles; renowned Southern pastry chef Lisa Donovan on her new memoir, "Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger"; author Lara Prescott on her debut novel, "The Secrets We Kept"
Love is central to the work of Toni Morrison — she brought love to her examinations of Black life, and love itself was her enduring subject. But love isn't always a good or joyous thing in her work.
Our kids' books columnist Juanita Giles recently lost her mother to COVID-19; she says that when she was picking books to read at her mother's bedside, Judith Viorst's bad-day classic was just right.