Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission So allow me to serve as your mentor as you embark on this quest I’ll cover the basics on how to approach Maas’s three series spoiler-free advice to help you avoid common pitfalls you may outgrow me and question everything I’ve ever told you but for now let’s begin your journey through the Maasverse Probably A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) (There are a lot of acronyms in the “SJM” fandom.) A Court of Thorns and Roses begins with Feyre Archeron killing a wolf in the woods to feed her starving family This leads to her being whisked off to the faerie realm where (naturally) there is trouble brewing (Don’t be put off by the nerdy terminology; the “High Fae” are just ridiculously hot people with magical powers and pointed ears If you’re a romance reader or aren’t that into fantasy While there’s plenty of lore to dig into if you want the series is mainly about the relationships between the characters (For example: The country where it’s always spring is called … the Spring Court raven-haired guy who can manipulate darkness hails from … the Night Court.) A Court of Thorns and Roses is also the way to go if you’re just curious about the Sarah J. Maas hype. While Maas is certainly not the first author to combine fantasy and romance ACOTAR is the cornerstone of the current “romantasy” book trend But the last book won’t leave you on a major cliffhanger You may want to begin with Throne of Glass if you’re interested in a more traditional fantasy epic and are open to experiencing an eight-book emotional roller coaster The completed series follows Celaena Sardothien a teenage assassin who lives in a land where a tyrannical king has banished magic The vibe is Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Lord of the Rings TikTok user @unhingedbooktalk compiled some good spoiler-free fan art for the first book in the series: you can start with the first Crescent City book but this is an unconventional and more difficult path Crescent City is an urban fantasy (so picture Legolas half-human who spends the first book unraveling a murder mystery with Hunt Athalar If you really liked Blade Runner and would have liked it even more if Harrison Ford’s character were a sassy redheaded party girl then you might want to dive into House of Earth and Blood But you’ll spoil yourself for Maas’s other series if you read the entire three-book Crescent City series first Here’s some spoiler-free fan art for the first novel: That’s the term for the interconnected universe that ties together all three series Maas published the first four Throne of Glass books between 2012 and 2014 Then she alternated between that series and ACOTAR from 2015 to 2018 Those books contain fun Easter eggs for people who have read both The first Crescent City book was published in 2020 and the full-on Maas series crossover starts toward the end of that series “I had sprinkled little hints throughout all of my books that they were part of a megaverse,” Maas told Time last year She’s confirmed that her next book will be ACOTAR 6 impatiently) awaiting news on the release date The five ACOTAR books have to be read in release order: • A Court of Thorns and Roses• A Court of Mist and Fury• A Court of Wings and Ruin• A Court of Frost and Starlight• A Court of Silver Flames Book five (the fourth full-length novel) is about Feyre’s sister the vibe is “SJM writes fan fiction about her own book.” But it’s a nice breather before Silver Flames some important plot points are set in motion and you can read the whole thing in a few hours there’s an off-the-wall sex scene that you definitely won’t read in a normal romance novel you really need to commit to reading the first two books and not as well written as the rest of the series and twists toward the end of A Court of Thorns and Roses and throughout A Court of Mist and Fury that flip the story on its head (and make rereading the series absolutely delightful) So, as the meme goes, disliking book one is a canon event — I can’t interfere But I will say this: Don’t get any character’s name tattooed on your leg until you’ve finished the series Explore SJM’s other series? Check out Fourth Wing Think about whether you actually like reading for fun you aren’t going to enjoy the rest of the ACOTAR series Silver Flames is about Feyre’s horribly bitchy sister and a significant chunk of the book focuses on her quest to walk up and down stairs But the magic of ACOSF is discovering you’re wrong whether to start with The Assassin’s Blade you need to decide whether to read books six and seven consecutively or simultaneously (i.e. the novellas were released to satisfy fans anxiously awaiting her debut novel: [Maas] admits to feeling terrified that the online fan support “would all go away” during the yearlong process of revising and submitting her work to prospective agents but signed with Tamar Rydzinski (Laura Dail Literary Agency) in 2009 and gained the interest of editor Margaret Miller at Bloomsbury in 2010 to the publication of four prequel e-novellas set in the ToG universe Four of the prequel novellas were published as e-books in the months leading up to the release of Throne of Glass in August 2012 Bloomsbury packaged the four prequel stories into a single book These five stories were published in print as The Assassin’s Blade in March 2014 We recommend reading in publication order … which means you read The Assassin’s Blade after Crown of Midnight The Assassin’s Blade is a collection of prequel novellas that take place before the events of Throne of Glass and the novellas feature characters and locations that appear in later books in the series — so it’s helpful to read before moving on to Heir of Fire It’s also ok if you would rather read The Assassin’s Blade first Disregard the reference to “publication order,” as we just learned most of the Assassin’s Blade e-books came out first My hot take: Read The Assassin’s Blade first I followed the SJM website’s advice to read the prequel third and found it hard to connect with Celaena’s character at the start of the Throne of Glass novel because she’s weirdly cocky for no apparent reason The events of The Assassin’s Blade take place immediately before Throne of Glass and her emotional journey makes more sense if you read her story in chronological order any order is probably fine as long as you read the prequel before book four Read through the first few pages of Throne of Glass and The Assassin’s Blade and see which book grabs you and Kingdom of Ash are the last three books in the series Empire of Storms ends on a huge cliffhanger for Celaena and most of the main characters Tower of Dawn is about a male character’s quest to a faraway land during the same time period with an almost entirely new set of characters and are anxious to find out what happens to Celaena & Co.; thus the tandem read just makes things unnecessarily complicated But if you feel the need to read two nearly 700-page books simultaneously this TikTok from @emmahalbrook explains how to do it: Is it a weird choice to devote the penultimate book in your series about a badass female assassin to a male character many readers dislike but you have to watch a whole movie about C-3PO plotting with the Rebel Alliance before Return of the Jedi Tower of Dawn is extremely important to the rest of the story and you may actually wind up loving the main character (or at least appreciating him and loving some of his new pals) and you really feel it in the first few books “She wrote it when she was 16!” That’s only partly true: Maas started working on the story as a teen but by the time she had heavily revised it into her debut novel some find the beginning of the series clunky The good news: Each book is better than the last beloved characters don’t even appear until halfway through the series and there are twists that will make you want to throw your book across the room (in a good way) Simple: Read them in publication order.• House of Earth and Blood• House of Sky and Breath• House of Flame and Shadow The world is overwhelming — at least somewhat intentionally Maas has explained she was trying to capture the “hustle and bustle” of living in a city like New York surrounded by people from different cultures (or in this case Many experienced SJM readers feel lost at the beginning of Crescent City it clicks and the story (mostly) makes sense unless you are committed to never reading A Court of Thorns and Roses The first Crescent City doesn’t spoil anything in the other series You get a peek at the broader Maasverse in the second Crescent City But the third book heavily overlaps with ACOTAR and there’s some discussion of Throne of Glass lore For those fluent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but other Avengers play a significant role there are strong hints that Maas is building to a full Infinity War/Endgame situation where characters from all three series team up if Crescent City is really required reading for the next ACOTAR they’ll tell us that (Bloomsbury isn’t going to miss a chance to sell more books) plenty of her early fans read her books this way it’s not a popular way to do your first read but it might be fun if you’re committed to reading the entire Maasverse and have a really good memory Throne of Glass (2012)Crown of Midnight (2013)The Assassin’s Blade (2014)Heir of Fire (2014)A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015)Queen of Shadows (2015)A Court of Mist and Fury (2016)Empire of Storms (2016)A Court of Wings and Ruin (2017)Tower of Dawn (2017)A Court of Frost and Starlight (2018)Kingdom of Ash (2018)House of Earth and Blood (2020)A Court of Silver Flames (2021)House of Sky and Breath (2022)House of Flame and Shadow (2024) All three series have a handful of bonus chapters which were included in various store-specific editions but the titles spoil which characters survive and/or end up together There are six Throne of Glass deleted scenes and bonus chapters. The Rambling Book Nerd compiled them here There are three ACOTAR bonus chapters. You can read this one after you finish A Court of Mist and Fury, and these two after you finish A Court of Silver Flames There are eight Crescent City bonus chapters (but none for book one). The Rambling Book Nerd compiled them here she wrote a book for the DC Comics universe called Catwoman: Soulstealer but it shouldn’t be relevant to your epic reading journey unless the Maasverse gets really crazy By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Cloudy with more rounds of showers and possibly some downpours or a t-storm RAWA says affected customers have had their service restored and a boil water advisory has been issued for the next three days - Crews from the Reading Area Water Authority (RAWA) are working to repair a 16-inch water main break on Lancaster Avenue particularly near the intersection of Lancaster Avenue and New Holland Road are advised by RAWA to avoid the location while repairs are underway 3,200 customers were impacted with no or low water pressure RAWA says affected customers have had their service restored Crews are on scene working to make repairs and RAWA says this main break will take some time to fix There is no official word yet on how long repairs will take A boil water advisory has been issued for the affected area for the next three days. 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Or sign-in if you have an account First Reading is a Canadian politics newsletter curated by the National Post’s own Tristin Hopper To get an early version sent directly to your inbox Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentTOP STORYArticle contentThe immigrant vote long considered a reliable vote store for the Liberal Party is quickly emerging as an important factor in having denied Prime Minister Mark Carney his expected majority Not only did immigrants break for the Tories in any number of pre-election polls but immigrant-heavy ridings were the most likely to see their share of the Conservative vote increase as compared to 2021 This newsletter tackles hot topics with boldness By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of Platformed will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? almost all of them experienced a shift to the Conservatives as compared to the 2021 federal election The reverse was true in ridings where the Liberals picked up support The Economist concluded that while Canada’s 2025 election yielded effectively the same result as in 2021 underneath the surface the country had undergone an electoral realignment similar to what’s occurred in the United States working-class and immigrant voters swung right,” wrote the publication “The immigrant community of Canada just blocked the Liberals from forming a majority,” declared Angelo Isidorou “These new Canadians share our conservative values of hard work and the Canadian dream.” Mainstreet Research polls leading up to the Oct Conservatives were conspicuously preferred by non-white voters This trend wasn’t as noticeable in Monday’s federal election as the Liberals were able to capitalize on a wholesale collapse in NDP support and head off Conservative gains the harder their shift to the Conservatives One of the few Canadian ridings to flip from Liberal to Conservative on Monday was the majority Chinese-Canadian riding of Richmond Centre—Marpole with this support almost entirely concentrated among first-generation immigrants Among Chinese-Canadians who had immigrated to Canada since 2011 Conservative support stood at an overwhelming 65 per cent This was compared to just 18 per cent of Canadian-born Chinese-Canadians the city ended up posting some of the most dramatic vote shifts to the Liberals in the country The 2025 election also saw a noticeable shift among younger voters with a plurality of Canadians under 34 supporting the Conservatives A post-election Nanos poll concluded that 41 per cent of Canadians under 34 voted Conservative the Liberals dominated at 52 per cent to the Conservatives’ 34 per cent The 2025 election thus represents one of the few times in Canadian history where the average 25-year-old was more likely to vote Conservative than the average 65-year-old — and where the average immigrant was more likely to vote Conservative than the average native-born Canadian As to why both groups are shifting right at the same time one explanation is that both have been disproportionately vulnerable to the decline in living standards that has defined Canada’s last 10 years particularly in the area of housing affordability Increasingly unaffordable homes have not only shut out young people from real estate ownership A July 2024 poll published by the Angus Reid Institute found that recent immigrants were some of the most likely to report being overwhelmed by high shelter costs “Many recent immigrants are departing the country because of the high cost of living and especially housing,” read an accompanying analysis This was highlighted by Abacus Data’s David Coletto in a comprehensive Friday breakdown of how the election fared in the Toronto suburbs where Coletto concluded that — even in the face of a nationwide Liberal upsurge — Conservatives “maintained their base and grew it.” the Liberals’ progressive stances on gender and criminal justice reform felt out of touch.” Get all of these insights and more into your inbox by signing up for the First Reading newsletter here. transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. 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By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account How To Wear It The Cartier Tank Cintrée In-Depth Examining Value And Price Over Time With The ‘No Date’ Rolex Submariner Watches In The Wild The Road Through America, Episode 1: A Model Of Mass Production Behind the scenes at one of the world's most unique and comprehensive archives of horology Today's post was written by library intern Freddy Thompson These items can range from exhibition flyers to diaries to T-shirts and jigsaw puzzles (all real examples in HSNY's holdings) so they need to be broken up into categories and described in finding aids One of the biggest collections we have within the archives is our brand catalogs and it's been my job these past few months to organise and describe them but this particular collection has taught me more about the history of watch and clock advertising than I thought there was to learn so I thought I'd share some highlights with you Bulova's Spring 1980 catalog and (one of) Swatch's 2010 catalogs Much like comparing a Great Pyrenees and a Chihuahua you'll have to take my word for it when I say these are the same species Brands release these periodically — often once a year or (for brands going for a fashion angle) seasonally — to show off their current products Sometimes they have prices — whether printed directly into the catalog or in an attached supplement — but sometimes they don't you can't afford it (and it might be sold for different prices in different markets) they tend to exist somewhere on the continuum between "booklet" and "magazine" though some of the bigger ones look just like a book and some of the smaller ones are flimsy enough to approach the pamphlet label What separates them from a leaflet or a brochure or another form of advertising is usually just their size and extent — we definitely have a few gray areas but I tend to make the call that a brand catalog must be showing off more than one model of watch in order to count And what separates them from the big showcase volumes of brand watches we have is their manner of publication: our main library room has books with ISBNs that were printed to be sold whereas the brand catalogs in the archives were printed as advertising material without ISBNs (and sometimes But as for what's actually in them: that varies a great deal and the way that it varies can reveal quite a lot about not just watches and clocks but the way advertising — and the society it targets — has evolved over the years Catalogs as a medium came into being around the middle of the 18th century right as this whole "mass production" thing was starting to kick into gear but they weren't super common until the 19th century Our oldest catalogs are both from 1852 — one from Jerome & Co and his disparate businesses and attributions went on to become the New Haven Clock Co.) and they're even well adapted for use in dwelling-houses These tiny pamphlets were fragile and ephemeral intended to last for the year and then be discarded as is the case for most of our catalogs from before World War II there's no color (in either the images or the copy) — you're told the basic facts of the clocks Whether you want to buy one or not is up to you catalog copywriters began to realise that they could put some spin on the facts they were stating in order to make these clocks and watches more appealing to potential buyers With the limitations on photographic technology brand catalogs from this era were restricted to detailed illustrations and — through this limitation — were restricted in turn to purely representational depictions of the products Techniques like dramatic angles and mood lighting customers had to take the seller's word that their illustration accurately depicted their product Too much stylization and you risked someone arguing that they didn't get what they paid for Throughout the first half of the 20th century photography became possible thanks to inventions like the halftone process The spread of photography in advertising was not a uniform process — it varied greatly depending on location and even on the target audience of the ads photography was seen as a kind of vulgar tool and high-end brands (as well as newspapers and magazines) would position themselves as elegant and cultured by making sure all their images were engravings that only referenced photos Even when showing off technical information like the workings of this two train chime mechanism it was seen as uncouth to use a photograph instead of an engraving Picture from The Herschede Hall Clock Company's 1923-1924 Hall Clocks catalog It didn't take too long for photography to catch on Even before the post-World War II consumerism boom American brand catalogs were branching out into photos that did more than just show you what a clock looked like: they were realizing they could show you what a clock meant While engravings aspired to exacting representation without the vulgarity of just being what the thing actually looked like photographs could capture the surroundings of the product The 1939 Seth Thomas catalog takes advantage of this to stage little settings for many of its featured clocks Clocks shaped like ship wheels are placed next to model ships to capture the attention of their maritime audience traditional mantel clocks are positioned between fine silver jugs atop a fireplace to attract fancy people who like fancy things At the risk of sounding like the first few minutes of Mad Men the 50s and 60s were a golden age for advertising and not just in the emerging realm of television New technologies were changing print media too — color printing was becoming cheap enough to be viable for advertising material and with audiences now thoroughly used to interpreting visual media photos and illustrations were becoming more stylistic and depicting not just the products they were aiming to sell but the audience they were aiming to sell to This spread from the July 1961 Ingraham catalog not only shows off its products in glossy colour teen-agers" to imagine themselves as the smiling and watch and clock brands were willing to pay up to stand out but catalogs were still ephemeral pieces of advertising And color printing may have gotten cheaper so when something went wrong in the printing process companies might not have been willing to completely overhaul the run This was even true in the case of a minor printing error like the one found in the Alpha Watch Co. Inc.'s 1962 catalog where the colors look slightly offset with the result that the image becomes soft and blurry But that imperfection allows us to see how these early color photos were printed revealing how each color print was actually multiple prints — each of a single color — printed over each other In an age when the average American was reading color magazines and could even have color TV it was better for brand catalogs to have imperfect color than risk having no colour at all Even with the pared-down copy in the Alpha Watch Co. advertising language is still doing heavy lifting — everything is "acclaimed" but with improvements in print and photography technology it wasn't long before the most effective indication of quality became saying nothing at all Bulova's April 1977 catalog refuses to ask demanding that the reader seek them out if they want to know more Bulova's April 1977 catalog includes some copy but it also includes whole pages of watches identified solely by their model number The layout demands that the watches speak for themselves and in a market since saturated with fawning copy it suggests that the watches have plenty to say on their own This lack of information places the watches in a privileged position — they know something you don't you would know something other people don't IWC's 1974 catalog stands at an interesting crossroads it was well and truly positioning its products as something to aspire to While using human models — whether drawn or photographed — would soon become as gauche as an un-engraved photograph in the 1900s IWC had beautiful women model some of its featured pieces in this catalog All of the models specifically avoid eye contact with the viewer desirable things — and they're wearing IWC watches back to the bare basics that we saw in early trade catalogs but it's up to you to know how good that is IWC's 1974 catalog does more than just objectify women it also displays an early example of the "luxury gradient" that would characterise luxury watch photography of the eighties and nineties This trend continued through the end of the 20th century and with a focus on details of the pieces against simple backgrounds Often these backgrounds were a kind of mood-lit gradient evoking a kind of evening-wear elegance even for stationary household pieces This L'Epée catalog from the mid-nineties (exact date unknown) puts its carriage clocks on a plain black plinth in a mood-lit void All this simplicity and implication is all well and good for the second millennium and everyone wants to know everything about everything It's hard to say when exactly the switch flipped but technical information is now back in vogue It'd be weird to drown this page from Swatch's 2015 catalog in copy when the watches don't even have numbered dials Chopard's Grand Prix de Monaco Historique 2008 catalog is a celebration of Chopard's relationship with the Monaco Grand Prix and its product listings read like the technical specs of a top of the line race car Some brands stuck to their stripped-down guns — brands like Swatch present themselves as modern and their 21st-century catalogs still reflect that It might be too soon to say — our brand catalogs do only go up until 2019 — but the combined influences of everything from the prominence of sports watches to the profligacy of data about everything in the 21st century suggests that we might be seeing spec-riddled catalogs for a good while to come HODINKEE is a sponsor of the Horological Society of New York Introducing The Doxa Sub 200, Now With A Steel Bezel Introducing Seiko Prospex 1968 Heritage Diver’s GMT 60th Anniversary Edition SPB519 Watch Spotting The Watches & Fashion Of Met Gala 2025 Business News Rolex Will Raise U.S. Prices In Response To Tariffs Six Of The Coolest CPO Rolex Watches I Saw In London's Old Bond Street Rolex Boutique Reference Points The Cartier Tank Louis Introducing The Christopher Ward C12 'Loco' (Live Pics) Hands-On Tudor's Black Bay Pro Gets A Surprisingly Dramatic Facelift With An Opaline Dial Or maybe you even finished a book and later thought even harder with a device in your pocket that’s constantly just clamoring for attention our Life Kit team put together this guide on reading deeper BYLINE: Maryanne Wolf has written a number of books about the science of reading Her latest is “Reader Come Home: The Reading Brain In A Digital World.” And she’s a big advocate of deep reading MARYANNE WOLF: At the heart of it is the point where we go beyond the wisdom of the author to discover our own LIMBONG: Wolf says it is something that we’ve all done to a certain extent - you know particularly if you do most of your reading on a screen WOLF: The screen itself is a source of attention disruption we have so much information that we have a built-in defense mechanism LIMBONG: And skimming is the enemy of deep reading step away from the screen and give print a shot Wolf prints out articles she needs for work or contracts she needs to comb over it’s going to take time and discipline to get it back Wolf tried to reread a Hermann Hesse book she once loved and found that she just couldn’t lock in I was stubbornly rejecting the book and thinking who in the world gave him a Nobel prize for this LIMBONG: Wolf says it was as if she was fighting against her own inclination to skim to try to be that older version of a reader can ferret 20 minutes of our day away and try to read at the pace of the book and different books demand different paces don’t be too concerned with the rate of books you’re reading We’re looking for quality over quantity here your mind has a way of storing that information even if it feels like it’s beyond your recollection WOLF: There is more memory that consolidates than we have immediate perceptible access to LIMBONG: But to really savor something you read and help encase a quote or thought or idea in your memory and then I write in the back of the book the pages of the most important insights for me A Canadian writer wins a $150,000 literary prize Japanese American art during WWII imprisonment View All posts by Erica Ezeifedi It’s been a little while since I did a compilation of interesting BIPOC lit and lit adjacent news and other projects that give a lot of context to Ryan Coogler’s record-breaking hit Sinners a Canadian poet-turned-author who won a big (cash) award a Japanese American art during WWII imprisonment exhibit I’m currently writing my own list of books to read if you liked the current sensation that is Sinners and came across this fab resource by Trey Walk When I write lists that are centered around a particular theme I always try to check to make sure I’m not repeating what others have already said For the full list, check out his Substack post Canadian poet Canisia Lubrin has won this year’s Carol Shields Prize for Fiction—which awards women and nonbinary writers in the US and Canada—as well as the $150,000 that comes with it (whew) a short story collection of 59 stories that examine topics like Louis XIV’s “Black Code”—which established the rules of slavery in France and its colonies “The stories invite you to immerse yourself in both the real and the speculative in the intimate and in sweeping moments of history For more on the award, visit NPR While this exhibition is not explicitly about literature it offers insight into how Asian American creatives were affected by the US government’s decision to imprison them during WWII The exhibit—”Pictures of Belonging: Miki Hayakawa and Miné Okubo”—is on display in the Smithsonian American Art Museum in DC In addition to carving out space for us to consider different aspects of Japanese imprisonment the exhibit also seeks to give the three women artists their flowers for their great contributions to 20th-century American art To learn more about the exhibit, visit the Smithsonian American Art Museum The Boston Public Library is one of the largest in the US and they have already graced us with a fab list of books to read that are by and about Asians and Pacific Islanders this AAPI Month and beyond **All-Access subscribers continue below for 15 BIPOC books out this week** At the end of the day at Gutermuth Elementary School in the South End students file out of the building to the bus circle on one side or the car line on the other save for about a dozen students gathered in the cafeteria but they have something in common: They need a little extra help with reading is the site director for I Would Rather Be Reading “Finish up your snacks,” she told the students on a recent Tuesday afternoon Abell lead the kids to a classroom where they sat in a circle on the floor They start each afternoon with a temperature check “I’m feeling like a number two today,” she said I did get a lot of things done yesterday.” the students graded how they felt on a scale of one to five one being happy and relaxed and five being angry or sad One second grader was already thinking about her night because when I get home I just get to go downstairs and get on my phone and play a game or just lay down,” she says The students then did an activity to help them better understand their emotions They listened to scenarios and thought about how they would make them feel The scenario that day was a classic: You want to have candy before dinner One student said they’d be “furious.” Abell prompted them to avoid acting on that negative emotion and instead think about other ways to react The students work on two core skills: reading and social emotional learning That means students learn to understand their feelings and appropriate ways to express themselves Program cofounder Ashley Deringer said they try to intertwine the two like learning vocabulary specific to social skills “Instead of just letting them read a story something hands-on that relates to the social skill or life skill that they’re practicing,” she said Deringer said they also recognize the kids have already been in school all day They often bring in community partners for drama and agricultural classes or lessons on how to be a DJ and how to screen print t-shirts “Once kids can manage and once they can read what doors can we open for them?” Deringer said Deringer and her cofounder Allison Ogle used to be JCPS teachers They taught at Jacob Elementary School together and became reading interventionists “We got to know a lot about kids’ academic success and challenges as well as their families’ successes and challenges and it highlighted the need for schools to be wraparound support for students,” Deringer said “What’s happening in students’ personal lives they don’t get to just check that at the door.” The two started I Would Rather Be Reading in 2018 with a single summer camp Deringer said it was a way to get kids high-quality reading intervention along with social skills and coping strategies that would help them in the classroom they run nine after-school programs within JCPS and two others in local community centers “A lot of times we talk to our families and they are just happy,” Deringer said my kid’s been struggling for so long and they don't want to go to school,’ or ‘I looked up this resource and reading tutoring is more than my mortgage.’” All of I Would Rather Be Reading’s programs The nonprofit tries to partner with schools with lower literacy test scores And they think their mix of reading and social-emotional learning is paying off Students in their after-school programs this year saw a 91% increase in their average test scores for phonemic awareness which is the ability to recognize the sounds that form words The kids also showed meaningful increases on staff assessments of emotional understanding and self-regulation Deringer said they had plans to expand their free summer camps this year but the freeze in some federal funding they get from the schools has forced them to cancel five planned camps The nonprofit will still run three Summer Success Leagues serving more than 200 kids The scaled-back programming should be temporary “My hope is that we have people in the community that are interested Deringer said I Would Rather Be Reading wants to keep helping kids find success through the program As the Gutermuth Elementary School students packed up for the day Kennedy bragged about how much her reading has improved “I did a reading test yesterday and I did my best and I got a big score Today I got an even bigger score,” she said Kennedy said she’s noticed the difference in herself and so do her friends my friends in my actual class say I’m getting smarter.” Using the vocabulary she’s learned through her after-school program Kennedy said that makes her feel happy and proud Louisville Public Media depends on donations from members – generous people like you – for the majority of our funding You can help make the next story possible with a donation of $10 or $20 We'll put your gift to work providing news and music for our diverse community shiny globes of oranges are stacked in pyramids They appear identical and in their seeming perfection a mundane fruit to slice into wedges and pack in a child's lunchbox But as Katie Goh unravels in Foreign Fruit: A Personal History of the Orange "Citrus is fruit that freely betrays," Goh writes "Plant a seed from an orange and any of the fifteen hundred species of the Rutaceae family Humans have stepped in to curb the citrus family's tendency to cross-pollinate by grafting branches from trees they wish to replicate on sturdy rootstock ensuring the consistent production of one kind of fruit But as anyone who has snacked on clementines and tasted differing levels of sweetness and acidity from fruit to fruit knows the orange "is a fruit born with inherent divergence in its genes." It is this unrepentant multiplicity that spurred Goh to look deeper at the orange in Foreign Fruit an elegant hybrid memoir about hybridity that pulls apart mythologies of colonialism inheritance and identity like the segments of a citrus fruit Goh is multiple: She is a queer person of Chinese Malaysian and Irish heritage who was raised in Northern Ireland her family's history comprises "ancestral roots in China that venture towards the equator and then traverse the long roads from east to west to reach Europe." In retracing that history finely woven exploration of the citrus and the self Goh began peeling back layers in March 2021, when a 21-year-old white man killed eight people in shootings at two spas in the Atlanta area Goh received a query from an editor with the subject line "Asian hate crimes?," asking for an 800-word piece on the shootings from her perspective Goh writes that she sat down at her parent's kitchen table near Belfast and ate five oranges "fistfuls of flesh" that left her jaw aching and her body "hot and heavy and full." After a childhood in 99% white Northern Ireland Goh embraced "the opportunity to break into journalism and to cauterize the past" by writing about her racial identity with "convenient" and "neat" narrative arcs had emptied her out like an orange extracted for every last bit of juice and oil a way of writing about herself indirectly through a refracted lens that explodes the clean narratives she once reduced herself to Each chapter braids together citrus's historical path across the globe with Goh's personal travels where sweet oranges were first cultivated and where a teenage Goh visits her father's ancestral village in Fujian seeking "authenticity" and a sense of easy belonging that eludes her Goh then traces how oranges transitioned from native to foreign as they became commodities along the Silk Roads examining this multifarious lineage in parallel to her own family tree which she constructed during a 2019 stay with her grandparents in Kuala Lumpur Trips to the Netherlands and Austria mirror the orange's path through European empires sparking analysis of how colonization impacted her own life from Britain's conquering of Malaysia to the education she received in Northern Ireland that "polished" Britain's complex history "into a tale of empire finely detailed cinematic present-tense descriptions of historical scenes plunge readers into the past showcasing Goh's talents as a prose stylist Foreign Fruit sidesteps a common pitfall of hybrid memoir where the inquiry into the outside world can be less compelling than the personal journey Goh's choice to construct that personal journey around literal journeys hamstrings opportunities for sustained reflection Goh recounts a trip to Kuala Lumpur to celebrate the Lunar New Year with family where she learns of yet another mass shooting with multiple Asian victims this time committed by an Asian man in a dance hall in Southern California But her tearful meditations that night are interrupted by the sound of celebratory fireworks cutting her reflections off at the surface While Goh has stopped "crushing [her]self to tell a convenient story," using the orange as a "model for hybrid existence" only gets her so far in Foreign Fruit Yet the journey offers much food for thought and readers will never see supermarket displays of oranges the same way again Kristen Martin is the author of The Sun Won't Come Out Tomorrow: The Dark History of American Orphanhood Her writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine Become an NPR sponsor Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions Search autocomplete is currently not responding Find the budget b... The Port Arthur Emergency Management Team encourages all area residents to begin preparation for the upcoming hurricane season With recent climate change events and disasters it is vital that you and your family members know what to do should a hurrican.. The City of Port Arthur has been named in the top ten of the cities in the south that are worthy as a retirement destination by Travel + Leisure Magazine Writer Lydia Mansel describes Port Arthur in the first sentence as Paws to Read - Tonight at the LibraryChildren aged 6 to 9 can practice their reading with a therapy dog at the library These specially trained dogs provide a no-pressure relaxed opportunity for young readers to practice their reading skills without the .. The Grants Management division has received grant funding from the Texas General Land Office to resurface 9th Avenue southbound lanes from the intersection of Jimmy Johnson Boulevard and 9th Avenue southeast to the intersection of 9th Avenue and Greenway .. Port Arthur staff and leaders are excited to share an incredible opportunity for everyone to contribute to the City of Port Arthur’s future As part of the City’s ongoing commitment to excellence We at the City of Port Arthur believe social and public policies such as public service and affordability are essential to a vibrant community We have extended the registration deadline for STEM Night until May 9th Would you mind updating the graphics for the event and posting the following: UPDATE: CITY OF PORT ARTHUR WATER SERVICE LINE SURVEYIn accordance with the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) revised Lead and Copper Rule (LCRR) the City of Port Arthur recently submitted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Qu.. Please join the Museum of the Gulf Coast for an exciting Family Fun Day 2025 @ 700 Procter Street (enter from the parking lot behind the museum) Phone: 409-983-8100 The City of Port Arthur website is operated and funded by the City The website will post information for and about City services Organizations may submit announcements for publication on the City website if the organization and/or the event is funded by the City All submissions must be sent to the City's Public Information Office for consideration All content of the website is subject to review by the City Manager and the City Attorney Acceptance of a submitted item does not guarantee its inclusion on the City website Request for Publication Report from Nielsen and HarperCollins shows that parents see reading as a literacy skill rather than something to encourage their children to love Less than half of parents find it fun to read aloud to their children, new research shows. Only 40% of parents with children aged 0 to 13 agreed that “reading books to my child is fun for me”, according to a survey conducted by book data company Nielsen and publisher HarperCollins. The survey shows a steep decline in the number of parents reading aloud to young children, with 41% of 0- to four-year-olds now being read to frequently, down from 64% in 2012. A significant gender disparity was identified, with 29% of 0- to two-year-old boys being read to every day or nearly every day compared with 44% of girls of the same age. “Being read to makes reading fun for children”, said Alison David, consumer insight director at HarperCollins. “So, it’s very concerning that many children are growing up without a happy reading culture at home. It means they are more likely to associate reading with schoolwork, something they are tested on and can do well or badly, not something they could enjoy.” Gen Z parents are more likely than millennial or Gen X parents to say that children’s reading is “more a subject to learn than a fun thing to do”. HarperCollins said that parents in this age group grew up with technology themselves, so may think “fun comes more from digital entertainment than from books”. However, most Gen Z parents still overwhelmingly see children’s reading as a fun activity, with 31% saying reading is more a fun thing to do than a subject to learn and 35% saying reading is equally a subject to learn and a fun thing to do, compared with 28% who said reading is more a subject to learn. The survey asked 1,596 parents with children aged 0-13 about reading in December 2024. HarperCollins said that many parents focus on the literacy element of reading, seeing it as a skill, rather than encouraging a love for reading in their children. Some parents stop reading to their children once they can read by themselves, assuming that their children will choose to continue reading, or that if they continue to read to their child who can already read, “it will make them lazy and less likely to read independently”, reads a report accompanying the survey. “None of these beliefs are true.” Free weekly newsletterDiscover new books and learn more about your favourite authors with our expert reviews, interviews and news stories. Literary delights delivered direct to you Read moreA third of parents with children aged 0 to 13 reported wishing they had more time to read to their children and the number of parents saying their children have too much schoolwork to read books has risen significantly 44% of all parents agreed with the statement that “reading books to my child makes me feel close to them” “The good news is when children are read to frequently they very quickly come to love it and become motivated to read themselves” “Children who are read to daily are almost three times as likely to choose to read independently compared to children who are only read to weekly at home The survey results come as the Publishers Association, in its capacity as the secretariat of the all-party parliamentary group on publishing, releases its proposals for how to revive children’s enjoyment of reading, based on evidence submitted by publishers, reading charities and other groups. The report suggests that the Department for Education ensures the curriculum prioritises reading for enjoyment alongside reading skill development, and says that teachers should be able to access training on how to “confidently and sensitively” teach texts by writers of colour, among other recommendations. and its bold headline fonts make it a kind of small-scale endlessly serialized work of public art.Illustration by Ben WisemanSave this storySave this storySave this storySave this storyLast fall at the Philharmonic I was seated near a guy reading the New York Post As often happens when I see the notorious tabloid in public The header said “Israel Under Attack.” The two articles below—flagrantly contradicting the banner under which they appeared—were about Israeli air strikes on Lebanon and Iran I squinted and tried to skim both pieces until the lights went down That page was pure Post: New York’s most dastardly least self-conscious daily newspaper chooses heroes and villains and sticks to its own story The paper deals in overstatement and unsubtle deception You glimpse it on a newsstand or on the train and become sickly intrigued by some ingenious pun or awful image the Post is right-wing and gleefully biased It casts students protesting Israel’s war in Gaza—where more than ten thousand children have now been killed—as apologists for Hamas and has cheered on President Donald Trump’s crackdown on activists and college administrators It has crassly opposed the influx of asylum seekers to the city A story of malfeasance with an immigrant near its center gets a sensationalist spin became a “Bloody Migrant Brawl.” Any uptick in crime is an occasion for the paper to declare New York—according to a favorite page-header—a “CITY IN CRISIS.” New York: A Centenary IssueSubscribers get full access. Read the issue » Here’s a big urban problem: How do you speak to an entire city using only one loud voice? Most politicians can’t pull it off. The Post has an answer: make a daily billboard so neon in its message, so portable in its form, that citizens will volunteer—or, better, pay—to carry it around on your behalf. Maybe I’m simply interested in that voice, that loud, familiar sound—the demotic tone, the direct address, the sense of a great organ yelling into power’s ear and being overheard everywhere, from Dyckman to Dyker Heights. then I go back where I came from to 6th Avenueand the tobacconist in the Ziegfeld Theatre andcasually ask for a carton of Gauloises and a cartonof Picayunes, and a NEW YORK POST with her face on it “Paper of Wreckage: An Oral History of the New York Post, 1976-2024” (Atria Books), by the former Posties Susan Mulcahy and Frank DiGiacomo, picks up at the end of the Schiff era. The book is a fun pile of quotations from Post employees and other voices on the paper’s past half century. By the end of Schiff’s tenure, the Post “needed a shot of adrenaline,” the former City Hall bureau chief David Seifman says. That adrenaline was injected in the form of Rupert Murdoch, who bought the paper in 1976. He was a big-spending, baldly ambitious Australian, and, like Schiff, an heir: his late father had bequeathed to him a newspaper, the beginnings of an empire. Then in London, cutting his teeth on quasi-journalistic acquisitions such as News of the World and the Sun, Murdoch developed a diabolical, swashbuckling tabloid style. Many of the Post’s current practices—a lax attitude toward accurate attribution, a habit of placing a scantily clad woman on page 3, an emphasis on photography over lengthy text—were imported from the U.K. Along with Murdoch came a cadre of troublemakers, Aussies and Englishmen who terrorized their female colleagues and, if the anecdotes in “Paper of Wreckage” can be trusted, drank their way through the seventies and eighties. he dies.”Cartoon by Sam GrossCopy link to cartoonCopy link to cartoonLink copied The change in sensibility made the Post more fun helping the conservative-leaning Democrat Ed Koch into Gracie Mansion before devoting its advocative energy to conservatives Its reporters covered the city ferociously and with an adversarial edge One of Murdoch’s first moves was ramping up the paper’s photos in both color and size the photographer Hal Goldenberg hoofed it up onto a roof in Brooklyn to get a shot of the gangster’s cooling corpse “There’s Carmine,” he says with evident glee in “Paper of Wreckage,” “with his cigar in his mouth and his eye blown out I start making pictures.” On the day of Galante’s funeral a reporter was “jostled and menaced” and a photographer punched The paper made big characters—the kinds that populate operas in the same swaggering It was those huge front-page pictures which first grabbed me as a kid scrutinizing with a sociological interest my fellow-riders’ reading material Guys in dress shoes and trenchcoats toted the Times often white guys in jeans frosted with grit and paint like many of the adults I knew—Black people who worked to live a way to make the future more free—joked about the Post being fodder for people with low literacy levels if you didn’t have much time and needed to skim she made a point of picking up the Sunday Times snickering at the wordplay of the headlines and the gruesome frankness of the pictures The Post addressed itself to the berserk and unreasonable city I was starting to love whose textures I couldn’t always feel in the Times reading the rag outdoors and then throwing it away At the Post’s old headquarters from 1970 to 1995 near the South Street Seaport—in its early days a time-forgotten area teeming with gang activity—interestingly malicious characters tended to wash up a subject of ambivalent fixation in “Paper of Wreckage,” is the columnist and editor Steve Dunleavy a favorite Murdoch lieutenant whose tactics Dunleavy pretended to be a grief counsellor in a ploy to get an exclusive interview with the mother of Stacy Moskowitz the final victim of the serial killer known as the Son of Sam Dunleavy dressed in his nice-boy best and insinuated himself with Moskowitz’s mom with whom he grew so close—even after admitting his dishonesty—that she refused to talk to reporters from the Daily News atop a snowdrift—with the fiancée of one of his colleagues Dunleavy was in many ways the true embodiment of the Murdoch regime He knew how to find a good story and stretch it across weeks His racism—like the consistent racism of the Murdoch Post—is well documented in “Paper of Wreckage.” Once aggrieved by attempts to diversify the reportorial ranks “there are too many niggers in the newsroom.” Another Black writer don’t!” I had cornered Dunleavy in the elevator and I guess it looked like I was getting ready to beat the shit out of him “I’ll say this about the Brits and Aussies,” Garnes says There was no smile in your face and stab you in the back.” Pamela Newkirk were not considered newsworthy.” Conversely if a Black person was so much as suspected of a crime the Post could turn its citywide volume up to a perilous decibel Following the infamous case of the Central Park jogger in which a twenty-eight-year-old woman was brutally raped and beaten into a coma the Post published the confessions—later confirmed forced—and the names and addresses of the young men known today as the Exonerated Five exhorting on a daily basis that they be found guilty of the crime who now serves on the New York City Council has summed up his experience with the paper with more sang-froid than it deserves: “The Post has been one of the most unforgiving in terms of its negative coverage of the Black community.” Other disgraces abounded at the Post’s office We talk a lot these days about the follies of the contemporary H.R but any one of these stories ought to give a sensitivity trainer an on-the-spot stroke who “wore devil horns and sent panties to female staffers through interoffice mail.” “Psycho” is one of the Post’s favorite words for villains “Paper of Wreckage” details how the Post’s reporters often came from reputable local outfits such as Newsday but the tabloid’s reputation made it hard for them to get jobs in “straight” journalism after their tour of duty at the Seaport even though more upscale publications often mined the Post for ideas “The glossy magazines at Condé Nast would get a gossip pack,” one reporter says “where the interns would Xerox tabloid stories and distribute that to all the editors in the morning so that the editors could steal the stories and assign think pieces.” It’s easy to understand the allure of those grubby items “Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America” (1992) persuasively argues that the economy and the power of Lincoln’s language was partly a reflection of the rising technologies of his time: “the railroad repetitive strands of simple syntax—“we cannot dedicate we cannot hallow this ground”—had something to do with his society’s new fetish for speed borrows from the sonics of violence: it sounds like weaponry mowing down its targets with unmerciful percussion The nonagenarian gossip writer Cindy Adams’s syntactically demented Borscht Belt prose is the perfect distillation of the Post’s style Here’s a recent Adams reverie—equal parts nostalgia and reactionary sneer—about old New York: To scrub a shmatta cost the scrubee 11 cents Fernando Wood whom nobody remembers except maybe Mrs Also maybe if their marital loins produced any Wood splinters Magazine editors weren’t the only highfalutin New Yorkers who fetishized the Post the much heralded editor of Knopf in the late eighties and never missed a day of the Post.” And the finance crowd philanthropist crowd,” the reporter Jennifer Fermino says “That’s their base in a lot of ways.” Spike Lee has joined protests against the paper’s racist cartoons and refused to talk to reporters affiliated with the outfit The enterprising newsboy used to be a trope the reformist photographer Lewis Hine captured an exhausted boy in Harlem photographed a Black kid in a rough flannel jacket with an ad for an article about “The Negro on the Home Front” behind him Besides the weakened Daily News and the negligent Times the Village Voice—which covered the New York counterculture of the sixties and seventies and the hip-hop-fuelled youth Zeitgeist of the eighties and nineties with an unrivalled vigor—has been desiccated Its website is a sloppy bin of its archives filling space emptied out by more ethical actors It’s just one example of a larger American problem The people who insist on making sense speak in small trusting their listeners to understand subtleties of tone everybody’s off carving out his own personal city and—by the evidence of our last national election in which almost every demographic in the city veered right in Murdoch’s pages—New York keeps hearing it out shows me a more complete picture of where I and people like me really stand maybe it’s because the paper plucks at a string of violence—or nihilism—that runs through the quiet places in my personality Maybe I just like to be scandalized or gossiped to and I’ll stop to hear out any old body who’ll stoop to scratch the itch It certainly helps me see the city I was born in more clearly One of my favorite relationships is the one I share with a certain man at a little storefront in Brooklyn near the intersection of Flatbush and Nostrand Avenues letting me skip the line of sixtysomethings waiting to play their lottery numbers A long-ago crime, suddenly remembered A limousine driver watches her passengers transform The day Muhammad Ali punched me What is it like to be keenly intelligent but deeply alienated from simple emotions? Temple Grandin knows The harsh realm of “gentle parenting.” Retirement the Margaritaville way Fiction by F. Scott Fitzgerald: “Thank You for the Light.” Sign up for our daily newsletter to receive the best stories from The New Yorker. One of the nation’s oldest and largest public marketplaces Reading Terminal Market is a Philadelphia must-visit spot The bustling indoor food hall features dozens of family-owned vendors many operating in much the same manner as when the market first opened in 1892 The foodie haven’s 80-plus merchants offer an astonishing variety including hefty hoagies like the Stuffin’ Cranberry at The Original Turkey and Roast Pork & Beef at DiNic’s international dishes from Little Thai Market and El Merkury brunch options at Dutch Eating Place or Ma Lessie’s Chicken & Waffles tons of bakery goods from Beiler’s or Termini Brothers and The globally inspired ready-to-eat food is the main draw The sights and sounds and endless rows of vendors can make it tough to decide what to order. Start with this guide to the market’s top 17 bites (with help from this handy market map) While the fourth-generation shop’s famous roast pork — once voted tghe best sandwich in America — stands on its own level up by combining their two signature sammies into the slightly-off-menu Roast Pork & Roast Beef Combo Sandwich Imagine thinly sliced juicy pork and slow-roasted brisket melding with sharp provolone all piled onto a Sarcone’s Italian roll with broccoli rabe or “long hots” (long green chili peppers) Some of the gar-ahn-teed best Louisiana cuisine in the Northeast can be found in the market’s center court at Beck’s Cajun Cafe Chef Bill Beck serves up not just authentic Nawlins po’boys but also his bayou take on the iconic cheesesteak Enter the Trainwreck, one of Philly’s best cheesesteak alternatives The whiz-wit with the Loosiana twist consists of finely chopped steak American cheese and fried onions slathered in Beck’s special creole mayo and signature Devil’s Dust spice rub piled into an 8-inch French baguette Siblings Guiseppe and Gaetano opened their beloved South Philadelphia pasticceria over 100 years ago. Now run by the family’s third generation, Termini Brothers Bakery offers a handful of locations, including a popular stall in the market The shop’s legendary cannoli is their signature item. A from-scratch pastry shell filled with ricotta, it’s available as traditional cheese, vanilla or a rich and flavorful Chocolate Cannoli, a chocolate Italian cream custard-stuffed version topped with powdered sugar or order a kit to make a dozen to send to friends… or to yourself There are around 50 delightful flavors of yeast-raised doughnuts (not donuts) available at Beiler’s Bakery, named one of the 20 best dessert spots in the country by Fodor’s expect to find faves from blueberry fritter and mocha crème to coconut custard and salty caramel; classics like apple fritter doughnuts; or singular creations like Fruity Pebbles chocolate If you’re having trouble narrowing it down perhaps start with the popular Maple Bacon Doughnut fluffy deep-fried dough filled with a maple flavored crème and topped with bacon and maple and glaze drizzles It’s a supergroup, but for cheesesteaks. Behind a partnership of Tommy DiNic’s, Pearl’s Oyster Bar and Angelo’s Pizzeria, the new Uncle Gus’ Steaks — opened in January 2025 — has quickly become one of Philly’s go-to steak jawns You know a steak shop is legit when they only offer one entree on the menu a tasty ribeye with melty cheese (Cooper sharp Opened in 1885 by a Quaker schoolteacher who churned early batches with mule power, the original Bassetts Ice Cream is the nation’s oldest ice cream shop Bassetts became the first merchant to sign a lease at Reading Terminal serving treats — including the 16-percent butterfat vanilla for which it is still best known — from its stall such as the beloved Salted Caramel Pretzel Ice Cream — the same creamy but mixed with chocolate-covered pretzels and a salted caramel swirl Many visitors never leave Reading Terminal Market without grabbing a churro from El Merkury The made-to-order looped fried cinnamon sticks — in a dozen flavors like Mayan chocolate South Philly and tres leches — famously come protruding from a cup of ice cream But those in-the-know line up for the Central American street food shop’s Salvadorian Pupusas grilled meat-filled tortilla-like masa pockets offered in black bean quesillo jalapeño bean or loroco & cheese varieties topped with spicy salsa Unlike traditional Philadelphia soft pretzels Miller’s “Amish pretzels” are less dense and chewy than its streetcart counterparts More roll-up varieties include chicken feta sausage jalapeño cheddar and a half-dozen breakfast styles Opened in January 2025, Bao & Bun Studio is one of the newest vendors at Reading Terminal offering classic Chinese street food with Western sensibilities But it’s the spot’s self-titled treat that is already turning heads (and noses) The shop — founded by chef Sam Chen (whose resume includes Sampan Buddakan and Susanna Foo) — offers over a dozen varieties of the pillowy steamed meat-filled buns But a great first-timer’s choice is the Taiwanese Classic Pork Belly Bao Bun with tender slow-braised pork crushed peanuts and fresh cilantro leaves on a soft After years serving Philadelphians — from a South Philly shop, to a food truck, then a pop-up cart — Mark and Tia El finally opened their Sweet T’s Bakery at Reading Terminal as the first Black-owned bakery in the market’s history in 2021 The shop bakes up a bevy of specialty sweet potato items like cheesecake pound cake or a bagel with sweet potato butter But their signature dish is Tia’s classic Sweet Potato Pie with graham cracker crust Pies are available as 9-inch and 6-inch versions The name Saami Somi comes from Kartuli for the “three doughs” on which Georgian cuisine is based: Khinkali dumplings Chudu fried turnovers and Traditional Khachapuri — filled sourdough “cheeseboats,” the former Soviet republic’s national dish and the cafe’s signature offering Hand-kneaded leavened sourdough (from a years-old starter named Lucile) is formed in a boat shape open-face stuffed with Bulgarian feta and suluguni baked until fluffy inside and crispy outside topped with butter and egg yolk and served with adjika sunflower oil dip Other available varieties include tomato shakshuka The charming Dutch Eating Place is best known for cinnamon-scented apple dumplings made from whole apples coated in a sugar-cinnamon wrapped in pastry and drizzled with warm cream try the fabulous Apple Cinnamon French Toast The “ACFT” — fluffy homestyle egg-soaked cinnamon toast covered in powdered sugar and more cinnamon served with maple syrup and a chunk of fresh-churned butter— is available solo or as an entree featuring a choice among seven breakfast meats plus a drink like strawberry lemonade or veggie wellness juice A staple at the market for four decades, the turkeys at The Original Turkey are still roasted and carved by the hands of founder Roger Bassett at the rate of 40 a day Many of these medallions are piled onto their eight different turkey sandwiches including their take on the popular Thanksgiving-on-a-roll concept The shop’s signature Stuffin’ Cranberry Sandwich starts with brined herb-rubbed and steamed roasted turkey breast served between freshly baked sourdough slices or on a Liscio’s long roll along with homestyle stuffing and cranberry sauce topped with brown gravy At Sang Kee Peking Duck House it’s difficult to choose between the gorgeously burnished meats hanging on display with the Custom Two Meat over Rice (双拼飯) entree Suggested is the version spotlighting the stall’s two most popular Cantonese-style meats — Peking duck with crispy skin and deeply flavored roast pork — on the Roast Duck & Pork Custom Two Meat Platter The dish is served with tender baby yu choy and duck juice atop sticky rice Or give it a boost flavor by swapping the rice for steaming hot soup noodles Flavorful authentic dishes from Thailand — like shrimp pad thai, chicken basil, spring rolls, steamed crab dumplings and coconut soup — highlight the menu at Little Thai Market But the crowds often line up long for a singular item: the beloved Salmon Curry The spicy Asian comfort food dish consists of a large grilled salmon filet served with crunchy steamed broccoli bathed in an aromatic creamy red curry coconut milk sauce Enjoy it standard atop a heap of steamed jasmine rice When Soul Food Café owner KeVen Parker passed away in 2021, former manager Perry Ison took over the spot at Reading Terminal. Enter Ma Lessie’s Chicken & Waffles — named for Ison’s grandmother — which retained Parker’s soul food vibe while spotlighting the eponymous dish as its signature item The cafe’s Classic Chicken & Waffles feature a comforting combination of savory crispy fried chicken breast wing and drumstick pieces served with toasty buttery waffle rounds along with warm sweet syrup with one side like candied yams or baked macaroni and cheese Fruit-infused and savory versions are also available There are plenty of whoopies at Reading Terminal, but nobody makes the regional treat like whimsical Flying Monkey Bakery The stall’s traditional Whoopie Pie consists of two chocolate cake rounds filled with fluffy frosting with over 30 tasty creative filling options Styles include a dozen chocolate flavors (like cookies & cream and orange); eight kinds each of pumpkin or banana (try the Elvis),;four styles of oatmeal; and five of lemon most also available dipped in 72% dark chocolate chocolate chip cakes with chocolate chip filling Book the Visit Philly Overnight Package and get free hotel parking and choose-your-own-adventure perks Or maybe you’d prefer to buy two Philly hotel nights and get a third night for free? Then book the new Visit Philly 3-Day Stay package Former Wycombe Wanderers owner Rob Couhig has reached an agreement to buy Reading the English League One club said on Saturday The 75-year-old American lawyer has a varied investment portfolio which includes businesses in industries such as pharmaceuticals and real estate Chinese businessman Dai Yongge was ordered to sell the club in March having been being disqualified under the EFL's owners' and directors' test Reading announced last month they had agreed terms over the sale "Reading Football Club is pleased to announce the sale in principle of the club to Redwood Holdings Limited," the club said in a statement Rob Couhig is set to complete a takeover of League One club Reading. Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images"The takeover includes the Select Car Leasing Stadium and Bearwood Park Training Ground The formal completion of the transaction is subject to final legal technicalities but is fully expected to be completed shortly "Based on the agreement between the parties the EFL has agreed to extend its deadline for the divestment of Mr Dai Yongge's shareholding until its next board meeting on May 8 "Redwood Holdings Ltd is a subsidiary of Dogwood Football LLC which is owned by Rob Couhig and Todd Trosclair of New Orleans has been blamed by fans for the club's problems after they had six points deducted last season for financial mismanagement They also withdrew from the Women's Championship due to financial issues one place behind Leyton Orient who are in possession of the final playoff place thanks to their superior goal difference If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org Critic Bethanne Patrick recommends 10 promising titles even when they’ve received little to no care This month’s literature also blooms with hope whether that’s easily spotted — as in Alison Bechdel’s witty autofiction and Ron Chernow’s biography of a great American humorist — or needs careful observation as is the case with Yiyun Li’s reckoning with grief and Madeleine Thien’s stunning novel of ideas (Counterpoint) The Words of Dr. L.: And Other Stories By Karen E. BenderCounterpoint: 304 pages, $27(May 6) Bend it like Bender and you get stories that are straight out of “Black Mirror” — sci-fi that’s immediately relevant — yet unlike that bleak series, Bender’s work always includes timeless empathy for characters, especially those struggling with invisibility. From families in quarantine during the global pandemic to a kidnapped therapist, her characters combine the familiar with the strange in fresh ways. Books Celebrity authors and special guests Jenny Slate Wil Wheaton and more came by to get their portraits taken at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books photo studio (Penguin Press) The Emperor of Gladness: A Novel By Ocean VuongPenguin Press: 416 pages Vuong (“On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous”) examines inherited trauma with a lyrical narrative set in Connecticut When the desperately depressed 19-year-old college dropout whose Vietnamese families escaped to America realize how much Lithuanian refugee Grazina can teach them about psychic survival (W. W. Norton) The Book of Records: A Novel By Madeleine ThienW John Mandel’s “Station Eleven” and Anthony Doerr’s “Cloud Cuckoo Land,” Thien’s new work almost seamlessly integrates literary recalls the years she and her father Wui Shin spent in a place known as the Sea where inhabitants cross space and time as they help fellow exiles consider the possibility of redemption (Mariner) Spent: A Comic Novel By Alison BechdelMariner Books: 272 pages Bechdel (“Fun Home”) turns her gimlet eye selfward in this hilarious account of a slightly autobiographical “Alison Bechdel,” who lives on a pygmy goat farm with her partner finds middle age exhausting: Making a living maintaining artistic integrity and coping with other people (Graywolf Press) That’s All I Know: A Novel By Elisa Levi The end of the world is supposedly at hand and a young woman speaks from her home at the edge of a strange and menacing forest in Spain although narrator Little Lea doesn’t know in 2013 that her mayor’s Mayan calendar-based predictions won’t come true (The New Press) Decolonizing Language and Other Revolutionary Ideas By Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’oNew Press: 224 pages These essays by the acclaimed African novelist and post-colonial theorist include pieces on important contemporaries including Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka but also delves into the links between language and identity Child,” was published under the name James Ngugi stopped writing in English in the 1970s and began composing in Gĩkũyũ (Doubleday) Second Life: Having a Child in the Digital Age By Amanda HessDoubleday: 272 pages Internet cultural critic Hess might have written about pregnancy in a number of ways but in 2020 she found herself vulnerable to the very aspects of life online she covered when a last-trimester ultrasound detected an abnormality apps to chat rooms to influencers (including “freebirth” advocates and pronatalists) but also connects her experiences to excellent research (Simon & Schuster) What My Father and I Don’t Talk About: Sixteen Writers Break the Silence Edited by Michele FilgateSimon & Schuster: 320 pages This new collection follows Filgate’s 2019 “What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About,” which grew out of a powerful essay she wrote and includes pieces by the editor herself as well as Maurice Carlos Ruffin ill or estranged; but each writer approaches him with understanding and intention rather than anger or confusion (Penguin Press) Mark Twain By Ron ChernowPenguin Press: 1200 pages so instead of writing about a towering figure of politics or finance this time he picked author and humorist Samuel Clemens whose nautical nom de plume “Mark Twain” comes from the Mississippi River setting of some of his famous novels has as many ups and downs as that river’s tides; expect to be enthralled (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) Things in Nature Merely Grow By Yiyun LiFarrar, Straus and Giroux: 192 pages, $26(May 20) “There is no good way to state these facts, which must be acknowledged. My husband and I had two children and lost them both: Vincent in 2017, at sixteen, James in 2024, at nineteen. Both chose suicide, and both died not far from home.” Li’s astonishing record of how she has chosen acceptance over despair shows why artists among us sometimes offer more wisdom than any other spirituality. Subscribe for unlimited access Site Map An agreement in principle has been reached for Reading to be sold to Redwood Holdings Limited Both the English Football League (EFL) and the League One club confirmed the development on Saturday shortly before the final matches of the league season The proposed takeover includes the club’s home The formal completion of the deal is still subject to final legal technicalities but is fully expected to be completed shortly Redwood Holdings Ltd is a subsidiary of Dogwood Football LLC an American lawyer who previously owned fellow League One side Wycombe Wanderers Couhig’s investment will be made alongside business partner Todd Trosclair Couhig, who came close to completing a deal to buy the club earlier this season is expected to be present at Reading’s final league game of the campaign against Barnsley on Saturday afternoon where a positive result could see them earn a place in the playoffs Should the takeover proceed as planned it will end Dai Yongge’s controversial eight-year ownership of the club which has included multiple points deductions for financial irregularities and relegation from the Championship a year ago The Chinese businessman has been disqualified under the EFL’s owners’ and directors’ test and has now been given until May 8 to divest his interests in the club (Steve Bardens – The FA/The FA via Getty Images) Jacob is a football reporter covering Aston Villa for The Athletic. Previously, he followed Southampton FC for The Athletic after spending three years writing about south coast football, working as a sports journalist for Reach PLC. In 2021, he was awarded the Football Writers' Association Student Football Writer of the Year. Follow Jacob on Twitter @J_Tanswell BOX SCORE PA) - The Reading Fightin Phils (6-18) fell to the Harrisburg Senators (13-13) 9-1 in a six-inning rain-shortened game Harrisburg came out strong in the top of the first inning Phillip Glasser got things started with a single on a ground ball to right field Yohandy Morales doubled and Glasser scored Cayden Wallace hit a two-run home run and Jeremy De La Rosa followed up with a solo home run Reading got their chance to respond in the bottom of the first when Keaton Anthony doubled on a sharp line drive to right field Felix Reyes came in with a double of his own that scored Anthony Harrisburg added to their lead in the top of the third Yohandy Morales walked and Joe Naranjo singled on a ground ball to center field Harrisburg continued to extend in the top of the fourth as Jared McKenzie started off with a single on a line drive to center field Philip Glasser singled and McKenzie advanced to second Nick Schnell made it to first and McKenzie scored off a fielding error by Keaton Anthony Glasser made it home after a throwing error by Andrick Nava Phillip Glasser came in with a lead-off home run in the top of the sixth making it 8-1 Nick Schnell walked and Yohandy Morales had an RBI triple and the Senators extended the game to 9-1 Harrisburg defeated Reading in six innings 9-1 The series ends Sunday with a R-Phils Mascots & Characters Meet & Greet Autograph & Photo Session for ALL Kids at 4 p.m., presented by ROG Orthodontics. Tickets are available and can be purchased at rphils.com/tickets by calling 610-370-BALL or at the Customers Bank Ticket Office The 2025 R-Phils season is presented by Pepsi Follow the Fightin Phils on Twitter @ReadingFightins What’s new this month? Kehlmann’s biographical novel about the filmmaker G.W Pabst doubles as a study of art in the shadow of totalitarianism This formally inventive family history brings vivid life to the Galveston Movement a forgotten chapter of the Jewish search for a homeland examines what it means to have — and be — a child amid the ever-shifting realities of our very online era A newly divorced mother of two young daughters is haunted by disturbing memories from her idyllic-seeming childhood in suburban New Jersey a depressed Vietnamese American teenager becomes the unlikely caretaker for an elderly woman with dementia a baby washes ashore in an Irish fishing village Carr’s novel follows the fortunes of the boy This voluminous biography is an account both of a peerless writer and of a nation torn apart by war and stitched painfully back together Landing during a period of economic turmoil this history tells the story of capitalism’s ascent through a provocative prism: its opponents McGee flips the popular narrative of Apple’s relationship with China on its head Prideaux draws on recently recovered documents and artifacts to dispel myths about the influential artist Paul Gauguin Centuries collide in a mysterious enclave called the Sea where a father and daughter find themselves after being exiled from China tries to keep her stand-up comedy aspirations a secret from her tradition-minded family peak TV — these are just a few of the au courant subjects Bechdel takes on in her latest graphic novel Macfarlane takes us to far-flung cloud forests creeks and streams in this poetic exploration of the world’s river systems Tapper and Thompson’s exposé promises a devastating accounting of Joe Biden’s fateful decision to run for a second term The juiciest bits of this media mogul memoir may be about Diller’s romantic life including his marriage to Diane von Furstenberg Cohen turns a tabloid whodunit into an examination of the American dream our fascination with lurid tragedy and the cost of perfection about a private eye who gets roped into a simmering war in French-colonized West Africa At the center of this sweeping family drama is Jay who develops an intimate relationship with a farm manager’s rebellious son Daria concludes her Primas of Power series with a steamy story about a divorced teacher a wealthy hotelier and finding love after heartbreak eccentric investigator Holly Gibney juggles anonymous threats stalkers and a rising body count in King’s latest novel from Madonna to Martin Scorsese to Toni Morrison weaves a riveting story about the costs of climate change and the very real lives now at risk See more books we’re looking forward to in May Editors’ Choice 4 Books to Make You Fall in Love With Poetry Our poetry editor recommends books that are perfect for National Poetry Month 4 Thriller Novels We Recommend Our columnist Sarah Lyall recommends some of her all-time favorites Love ‘The White Lotus’? Read These Books Next Scathing satires of wealth and murder mysteries set in luxe locales are sure to scratch that Mike White itch Read more about these books that channel the spirit of the show Sara Gran’s Favorite Noir Thrillers The author of the 2003 cult classic novel of demonic possession Read more about Sara Gran’s favorite noir thrillers. Romance Novels We Recommend Our editor Jennifer Harlan recommends three books that show off popular romance tropes at their best Ali Hazelwood’s Favorite Steamy Romances The romance author recommends her favorite books that go heavy on the emotion and the spice Read more about Ali Hazelwood’s favorite steamy romances Thrilling Science Fiction and Fantasy Read more about our columnist’s favorite sci-fi and fantasy reads from last year Curious About Fantasy? The fantasy author Leigh Bardugo recommends books that can get you started Read more about Leigh Bardugo’s favorite fantasy novels for people who think they don’t like fantasy Get Lost in Historical Fiction The Essential Ursula K. Le Guin Read more about Ursula K. LeGuin’s best books Find an Audiobook to Love Try before you buy: Sample clips from recent audio releases 0% James by Percival Everett With impressive comedic timing and vocal agility Dominic Hoffman enriches a project that hinges on vernacular as both signifier and tool of liberation 0% All Fours by Miranda July July reads her feverish and hedonistic new novel in what feels like one breath 0% The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides Peter Noble reads the full range of Capt James Cook’s anthropological and environmental encounters at sea with pathos and subtlety 0% Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte An ensemble cast reads this outrageous collection of linked stories with characters in varying degrees of disgusting 0% From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough Julia Roberts gives a powerful expression to Presley’s writing; Keough fills in the gaps with her own memories 0% Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín Saoirse Ronan who starred in the novel's 2015 movie adaptation renders Eilis’s dramas large and small as matters of great sentiment 0% Health and Safety by Emily Witt Reading her memoir of sex but her vocal restraint itself signals the tenderness of her wounds 0% Whale Fall by Elizabeth O’Connor Gwyneth Keyworth’s voice throughout this short and atmospheric audiobook is both soft and melancholy 0% Lifeform by Jenny Slate Slate turns her high-wattage attention to the messiness of falling in love and adjusting to motherhood — all of it delivered in her singular 0% Rebel Girl by Kathleen Hanna Hanna a pioneer of the 1990s riot grrrl movement recounts her creative journey through visual art 0% Funny Story by Emily Henry Even if the plot of Henry's latest romp wasn’t entertainingly embroidered with literary references the audio would be worth consuming for one voice alone Crime Novels We Love Read more about our columnist's favorites from last year Can’t Miss Horror See more recent favorites from the Book Review New and Noteworthy Children’s Books The 10 Best Books of 2024 Our editor shares highlights from the year's top fiction and nonfiction 100 Notable Books of 2024 The standout fiction and nonfiction of the year selected by the staff of The New York Times Book Review See the full list and keep track of how many you’ve read or want to read What’s on Dwayne Betts’s night stand? The poet talked about the books and writers that have stuck with him. Read his By the Book interview. Still Haven’t Found What You’re Looking For? Tell us what kind of books you want to read. We may feature them on this page or in an upcoming story. Produced by Aliza Aufrichtig, Alicia DeSantis, Jennifer Harlan and Joumana Khatib. Additional production by Neil Berg, Angelique De Castro, Tracy Huynh and Hubert Mandeville. Illustration by Pierre Buttin. 93 CommentsFormer Wycombe Wanderers owner Rob Couhig has finalised an agreement to buy Reading ending the controversial reign of previous owner Dai Yongge The transaction includes Yongge's shares of the Royals the Select Car Leasing Stadium and Bearwood training ground Couhig's imminent arrival will bring to an end a tumultuous period under Yongge, who became a majority shareholder of the club in 2017. the English Football League (EFL) extended its deadline for Yongge to divest his shareholding until its next board meeting on Thursday the League One club said that they were "pleased to announce the sale in principle of the club" to Couhig's Redwood Holdings Limited "The formal completion of the transaction is subject to final legal technicalities but is fully expected to be completed shortly," the club said., external Reading were docked six points for financial issues last season as they finished 17th in League One Those financial difficulties also saw the club's women's side - a Women's Super League outfit as recently as May 2023 - withdraw from the Championship in June Yongge unsuccessfully tried to secure an injunction against Couhig as he claimed the American businessman was blocking his attempts to sell the club At that hearing it emerged that Yongge had been given a deadline to sell the club after being disqualified under the EFL's owners' and directors' test Throughout that time the Royals had been in a period of exclusivity with another unnamed potential buyer, but on 9 April they announced that period had elapsed and an "alternative bidder" was being spoken with Couhig had already attempted to buy Reading but the previous deal fell through in September 2024 after a breakdown in negotiations 'Never been involved in anything like this' - Couhig Yongge and sister Dai Xiu Li completed their takeover of Reading in May 2017 just days before the club lost the Championship play-off final on penalties to Huddersfield Town That proved to be the high point of their time in charge of the Royals Seventh place in the Championship in 2020-21 was the highest Reading finished under Yongge as financial problems began to bite They were first deducted six points by the EFL for breaching profit and sustainability rules in November 2021 A further six-point penalty followed in April 2023 for failing to comply with the terms of an agreed business plan for the previous breach contributing to their relegation from the Championship at the end of that season The club were placed under a series of transfer embargoes, and were deducted a further six points last season for a combination of failing to pay wages and a tax bill on time Reading were deducted 18 points under Yongge's ownership Fans carried out a series of protests last season, including throwing tennis balls on to the pitch at matches, and their home game against Port Vale in January 2024 was abandoned after hundreds of supporters invaded the pitch. The club's financial problems saw Yongge make cuts and put the club up for sale In announcing the women's team's withdrawal from the second tier Reading said that maintaining the club's status was "just not possible without significant owner funding" Couhig (right) pictured with former Reading owner Sir John Madejski Couhig is the former owner of Reading's rivals Wycombe Wanderers and US side New Orleans Storm The 75-year-old is an American lawyer who has been involved in a vast number of businesses across fields such as real estate Couhig has also been involved in politics as a Republican campaign manager for former State representatives Garey Forster and Sam LeBlanc and served as a campaign co-ordinator for US Representative Bob Livingston He also twice stood unsuccessfully for election as mayor of New Orleans In March 2024, Reading announced that they were in discussions with Couhig's former club Wycombe to purchase their Bearwood Park training facility. with Wycombe instead moving their training base to Harlington the Chairboys were promoted to the second tier of English football for the first time in their history in 2020 although their stay in the Championship lasted only one season BBC Radio Berkshire's Reading commentator Tim Dellor Reading fans have got through the past couple of years of turbulence and after a couple of aborted landings The nightmare that has been the Dai Yongge era is behind them and now there is a bit more certainty about what the future has in store unpaid wages and points deductions should be a thing of the past It will take years for the club to fully recover from the impact of the Chinese businessman whose tenure has seen the men’s team relegated to League One the complete dismantling of the women’s team following relegation from the Championship and a long list of other significant issues let’s celebrate the heroes in this sorry tale staff and current squad have been dignified and professional throughout and have stuck to their task admirably some of whom were noisily involved in a pitch invasion during a game last season and some of whom more quietly supported from the sidelines stood up and chanted after 18 minutes of each game (representing the number of points docked under Yongge’s tenure) or bombarded social media with passionate views and suggestions Yongge is no longer owner and everyone connected to the club will be celebrating that For Reading fans a great weight has been lifted To load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browser View comments | 93Top storiesHis stats are better but will Yamal build legacy to rival Messi 'Calamity keeper' or 'human wall' - which Donnarumma will Arsenal face Premier League reaction & Champions League race latest as Forest draw at Palace The final series of Man Like Mobeen has arrived John Simm stars in the provocative 90s drama Warm-hearted comedy with Ben Miller and Sally Phillips Follow two ambitious river restoration projects Who has made Troy's Premier League team of the week Trailblazer Zhao set to take snooker to 'another level' in China Alexander-Arnold leaves as modern Liverpool great - but fans will feel hurt Zhao beats Williams in historic final - highlights VideoZhao beats Williams in historic final - highlights 'Scheffler and DeChambeau wins further raise US PGA excitement levels' Match-fixing scandal to Crucible champion - fall and rise of Zhao 'We need to take a look at ourselves' - Arsenal stalling at wrong time Palmer's brilliance could be key moment in Chelsea's Champions League quest Europa League 'papering over cracks' for Man Utd - Rooney VideoEuropa League 'papering over cracks' for Man Utd - Rooney Ask Me Anything the new BBC Sport service designed to serve you Bayern's 'James Bond' - how Kane clinched his first trophy Nine bolters with a shot of making the Lions squad How 'absolutely outstanding' Palmer 'destroyed' Liverpool VideoHow 'absolutely outstanding' Palmer 'destroyed' Liverpool Still number one & 'sparring' with Draper - return of Sinner Saints 'punch' favourites Leinster in game for the ages VideoVardy the best £1m ever spent - Shearer Poppy's tears Elton John & Happy Gilmore - McIlroy on Jimmy Fallon show Two opposing views on football's transgender ban Copyright © 2025 BBC. 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Read about our approach to external linking. 21 CommentsFormer Reading head coach Ruben Selles says he hopes the Royals can be "successful" under their incoming new owners On Saturday morning, Reading announced the sale in principle of the club to Redwood Holdings Limited - owned by Americans Rob Couhig and Todd Trosclair Couhig had a previous attempt to purchase the League One club fall through while Selles - now boss at Championship side Hull City - was in charge at Reading "I spoke with Rob (Couhig) when I was at the club and I think he wanted to do it (the takeover) last season," Selles told BBC Sport hopefully Rob alongside [head coach] Noel (Hunt) can make a really powerful project together and be back in the Championship in a short period of time "Rob was very clear in what he wanted a year ago when we spoke hopefully it is the same - the moment I met him he wanted to build a powerful team and give us all the tools to be successful I hope he can do the same with Noel." Selles - who was a popular figure during his time at the Royals - left back in December to take up the position of head coach at the MKM Stadium On Saturday, he was unaware of the news of incoming new owners at his old club, as he was tasked with keeping Hull in the Championship on the final day of the season - something they achieved. Selles saw numerous protests by the fans against their now outgoing owner Dai Yongge threw tennis balls on to the field during games and loudly protested online and offline to share their distaste of Yongge's ownership it means a lot for the fans," Selles added "My time at Reading was very difficult but one of the most amazing periods of my life with those fans I think the feeling we created was really powerful "They have gone through a lot and hopefully the next period for Reading they can enjoy football and not worry about anything else." Reading say the formal finalisation of the takeover is subject to legal technicalities but is "fully expected to be completed shortly" Ex-Wycombe owner Couhig agrees Reading takeover View comments | 21Top storiesHis stats are better Seeing a child curled up with a book as they independently learn to read the words and find the meaning in a story is a heartwarming image We have been taught that learning to read is akin to learning to talk—if children are exposed to the pictures and words often enough But findings from thousands of research studies over the past two decades indicate that this magical transformation is not “magic.” After several years of headlines celebrating “the end” of balanced literacy in favor of the evidenced-based phonemic approach we are still trying to navigate how to teach our children to read New phonics-based reading curricula have been implemented in districts across the country along with advocacy efforts and new legislation But this is merely the first step in giving our teachers the tools they need to build independent The “reading wars” have brought to public attention what my colleagues in special education have long known and applied in our schools: that reading instruction must be structured As the head of a school for children with learning differences I know firsthand how detrimental reading challenges can be Many students come to our school at an age at which they should be fluent readers but struggle to read even at the basic level I also know that when teachers feel confident in the instructional methods they are best equipped to address the varying needs of the children In schools beginning a new reading journey school leaders need to understand that selecting a curriculum is only one aspect of good reading instruction We are asking teachers to make this titanic shift and to learn new methodologies and skills on the go to truly be successful with the transition to the science of reading we need to make sure there is still room for it to partner with the art of teaching The art of teaching requires the teacher to see the child at the center of the curriculum It is no shock that transitions to the science of reading are sometimes met with frustration and even resistance from some teachers and parents Overwhelmed teachers risk being yet another casualty of the reading wars We must make sure not to lose the excitement teachers create in their classrooms during reading lessons and infuse the joy of reading into our young learners Teachers need time outside the classroom for professional development as well as experienced supervision in the classroom to learn and implement a different approach School districts need the resources to offer expertly led professional development sessions and teachers need time to devote to developing their new skills our reading instruction is steeped in the evidence-based approach of Orton-Gillingham but they are also multisensory and engaging Whether they are chanting along with sound cards or tapping out the individual sounds of a word students are active participants in the lesson students take great pride in moving from the individual sounds to whole words to reading full sentences Mastery of these skills builds confident readers who are able to find meaning in the text and a love of literature It takes well-trained teachers to unlock these skills my school partnered with a New York City public school to pilot a 15-week science of reading professional development training for local teachers we doubled the number of participants and added graduate students participants 100 percent of the teachers reported they had already implemented the strategies in their classrooms with 89 percent reporting an improvement in their students’ grasp of phonics I believe teachers can solve our reading crisis and resources to make this shift to the science of reading Teachers need to be fully trained and skilled in this instructional method so that they can have the confidence and capacity to continue to bring joy to their lessons When teachers are comfortable with the material they emanate joy and spark student learning One of the participants of our professional development program who has been an elementary school teacher for decades recently told us she loves teaching phonics now Her students are engaged with the lessons and have fun—and so does she Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInATLANTA Brian Kemp has signed a bill that bans a controversial method of teaching reading to Georgia’s public school students as the state continues struggling to address its low literacy rates The legislation comes amid Georgia’s literacy crisis where just one in three fourth graders reads proficiently The most immediate change bans the use of three cueing as the primary method of reading instruction Some education advocates contend the strategy encourages children to guess words using context clues and pictures rather than decoding them through phonics an approach that many experts say undermines foundational reading skills “This means that those types of curricula that have been proven not to work will no longer be used Our children will be taught with foundational principles that have been proven to work,” said Rep The law also prohibits Georgia schools from using Reading Recovery a long-standing reading intervention program for struggling first graders Parents whose children participated in the instruction say it uses the three cueing method A 2023 study by the University of Delaware found Reading Recovery to be potentially harmful to struggling students Parents who advocated for the bill praised the passing of the legislation “It’s about every kid in the state of Georgia becoming a proficient reader to be surrounded by so many fellow advocates It was a little emotional,” said Missy Purcell a Gwinnett County parent who says her son was harmed from the intervention The bill also mandates that school districts screen children for dyslexia sooner than previously required While the legislation was met with widespread support it has sparked some concerns among educators and researchers “To use the term ‘banned from the classroom’ instills a sense of fear in teachers,” said Dr superintendent of the Candler County School District “It creates anxiety [with teachers wondering] ‘Am I doing something illegal in my classroom?’” chair of Georgia State University’s Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education “Are we saying that kids shouldn’t have pictures in their books?” she asked clarified that pictures and context clues can still be used as supplemental tools just not as the primary means of instruction Reading Recovery of North America did not respond for comment about the passing of the legislation when Atlanta News First reached out to the organization after both chambers of the legislature passed the bill Lawmakers also pushed through $10 million in the state’s budget to fund about 50 new literacy coaches statewide The legislative push follows a six-part investigative series by Atlanta News First which examined how widespread use of discredited methods may be contributing to Georgia’s literacy crisis If there’s something you would like Atlanta News First Investigates to dig into, fill out this submission form Atlanta News First podcasts are available now on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | YouTube the “science of reading” has become synonymous with phonics instruction The idea that the “science” in reading instruction only supports phonics instruction has been “hard to dislodge,” said Maria Murray an organization that advocates for evidence-based reading instruction The shift is one example of a broader evolution in messaging unfolding in the science of reading movement The movement began as a response to the widespread popularity of flawed methods for teaching beginning readers how to identify words but advocates hope it can turn into a comprehensive approach for infusing evidence-based practices throughout all facets of reading instruction ‘We are doing the science of reading because the schools have adopted a phonics or phonemic awareness curriculum,’” said Katie Sojewicz a professional development director at the Reading League But focusing on discrete elements of reading without helping students apply those skills to new texts and developing a system that will build on them year after year won’t lead to kids becoming better readers Buying a program to check a box is “not a new occurrence in education,” she said “We saw it when the National Reading Panel came out—everyone checked the big five,” she said referencing the five components of reading identified in the federally commissioned report released in 2000: phonemic awareness “We even saw it when the common-core standards came out,” Sojewicz said Getting large-scale instructional change right is hard “We are in a unique moment in education history when science of reading has entered the zeitgeist,” said Jessica Pasik “It would be an incredible shame if we wasted this moment.” I have a lot to think about now,” said Tracy Stronsky an elementary reading specialist in Chicago public schools Presenters at the summit talked at length about the importance of closing the theory-to-practice gap the executive director of special programs in North Kansas City Schools in Missouri “How do we then bridge that for our teachers?” she asked Read on for three takeaways from the summit about what research suggests reading instruction should include—beyond phonics Students’ language comprehension—their ability to understand spoken words—has a direct relationship to their reading ability But even though children pick up language naturally they still need explicit instruction to apply that knowledge to reading an associate research professor at the Yale-University of Connecticut Haskins Literacy Hub “We need to get serious and intentional about teaching and assessing language structures,” Van Dyke said “There are just as many students with syntactic processing difficulties as there are with word-recognition difficulties.” specifically books that are above students’ reading level It’s a way of exposing students to “complex structures as much as possible.” Schools should probe how they’re creating systems that support evidence-based approaches to language comprehension a professor in the department of communication sciences and disorders at the Mass General Brigham Institute of Health Professions in Boston kindergartners who struggle with understanding both the written code of language and processing spoken language should have opportunities to work on both goals “We need to change the ecosystem,” she said Understanding how other languages differ from English and how English dialects differ from standard English can guide teachers in helping their students That doesn’t mean that teachers need to be fluent in all of the languages their students speak But it can be helpful to learn about these languages’ structures Slavic languages don’t differentiate between a definite article (“the” in English) and an indefinite article (“a” in English) this distinction is marked by the position of a word in a sentence Teachers who know this could make the comparison for students which could help them better understand how to use articles in English There are similar considerations for dialects some words have a different number of phonemes—spoken sounds—than they do in standard English an associate professor in the department of Teaching Most assessments of students’ phonemic awareness—the ability to identify individual sounds in words—instruct teachers not to deduct points for cultural variation “If you have African American students in your classroom you really need to be familiar with the phonology that they use,” Pittman said so teachers can honor students’ home dialect while still helping them read and write in the standard English they’ll need to be successful in school It’s common for reading programs to work on comprehension skills sequentially spending a week or two giving students practice with identifying text structure or finding the main idea before moving on to another skill Routines like these “have failed us miserably,” said Kay Wijekumar a professor in the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M University They don’t give students a framework for identifying which are the most important pieces of information in a text—those that can help them determine what it’s about at its core Wijekumar presented a research-tested tool the Knowledge Acquisition and Transformation framework Students using the KAT first identify the overall structure of the text then use a sentence stem based on that structure to extract relevant details that help them form their own understanding of the gist of the text Simply asking students to find the main idea doesn’t produce the same results But understanding a text’s main idea—the argument it’s trying to make or the evidence it’s presenting—is essential to comprehension “Nothing is going to happen if you don’t fix that.” The University of Alabama is to award about 6,430 degrees during spring commencement exercises May 2-4 which means a lot of graduates' names being read aloud during the ceremonies Here's a look back at a profile originally published on Dec about the man who's taken on this responsibility: Doff Procter used to sing four-hour operas in Europe, so his 26-year University of Alabama gig reading graduating students' names during commencement exercises offers a lesser challenge The Tuscaloosa native and his wife Laurel lived in Graz while singing in stage roles across Europe and assume leadership of the Alabama Choir School Not only did Procter have the baritone vocal power performing operas generally written in Romance languages honed his facility with pronunciation and enunciation More: By the numbers: A look at spring 2025 graduates from the University of Alabama Ed Williams (former chair of the UA Theatre and Dance department) tag-teamed it it was kind of like a videogame or something: You've got three seconds to shoot the spaceship down Procter got the list of names about a week ago making painstaking notes on those that might be unusual to pronounce More: President Trump celebrates graduates during University of Alabama visit "You have a plan going in: Even if you don't really understand that name And the only person who knows it's wrong is her mom," he said Procter typically doesn't drink from it onstage following another bit of guidance from opera-singing days to make sure I'm thoroughly hydrated," he said have to go to the restroom in the middle of it." More: Alabama's arena: A brief history of Coleman Coliseum The Procters used to live near and see a voice teacher in Graz who told them that drinking water during a performance actually flushes away natural saliva ironically making a person's throat actually drier than before Another singer trick: If you find yourself suffering dry mouth "There might be a time when I look like I'm struggling for a name but I'm actually biting my tongue," he said More: A brief history of presidential commencement speeches. Only 1 president has given one in AL chatting with the deans and working with the parade of graduates "You have three seconds to look at this guy and decide 'Is he Josef Schmidt or is it Joseph Smith?' Some are petrified And it's one of my outlets now that I'm not singing for a living," he said these ambitious stories will have you instantly hooked Florence Knapp’s first novel The Names a mother is preparing to take her newborn boy to formally register his name The universe pivots on the decision she makes Knapp plaits together the three stories that follow to trace the three different worlds in which the boy grows to manhood Think of it as Sliding Doors for nominative determinism Described as “the book of the fair” at Frankfurt two years ago Knapp’s publisher secured the rights in a 13-way auction and it’s already due to appear in 20 languages It is a prime example of a renewed interest in what might be called “high-concept fiction” says that the first time she even heard the epithet was in a meeting with an agent after she’d finished writing her book it still feels like a really intangible thing: something to do with a hook and maybe something to do with structure?” She says she’s not a science fiction reader but her husband is an avid fan and she found herself fascinated when he talked to her about world-building in that genre The idea for what became The Names first came to her in 2017 or 2018 but “I’d written a completely different book in between that I thought would have more commercial appeal So when I was setting out to write this one I didn’t have a sense of it being a big idea at all: it was just the thing that when I was faced with quite a lot of rejection I think I realised early on that I wanted to show those moments in a person’s life that are formative it would have been quite amorphous for the reader.” Instead in which Natasha Lyonne’s character relives her 36th birthday party over and over – only with a Danish antiquarian bookseller and an International Booker shortlisting Sian Clifford in the TV adaptation of Life After Life Photograph: Sally Mais/BBC/House ProductionsThere are two accounts you could offer of why these stories are popular now The cynical one is that high-concept books are much easier to get past marketing meetings Its fanbase can sell it on TikTok – “it’s High School Musical – but with giant crabs!” – and buyers at bookshops will remember that book with the cool premise in the absence of a marquee author name The less cynical version is that these books find readers because they use their MacGuffins to deft literary effect – and because a public that used to be sniffy about genre fiction is coming to appreciate its imaginative possibilities The novelist Jenny Colgan describes the increased appetite for high-concept fiction as a sign that readers are “getting over their prejudices to discover how many amazing worlds there are out there” “sci-fi is just shorthand for using certain tropes – time travel apocalypse – to tell the kind of story you are telling: a love story And some of those work very well but loads sink without trace.” The vital ingredient “If you do something brilliantly you can smash through people’s genre walls.” The Names is perfectly pitched between so-called literary and popular fiction Meanwhile Bradley’s book is consistently funny and inventive and crackles at the level of the sentence: the fun the author is having is contagious And Balle explores her world absorbingly; the generative idea at the heart of it grips the reader’s imagination from the off who is both a publisher (she’s an editor at Penguin) and a novelist says she sees a high-concept pitch as “an easy way into something that might be more complex or with multiple strands” She uses the example of Dracula: “There’s a mysterious foreigner and it’s partly about fear of the immigrant and it’s about nervousness around female sexuality … but the high-concept pitch is: ‘It’s a guy who sucks your blood.’” She thinks the present boom is attributable to a “certain loosening around the boundaries of genre” which has made people less anxious about approaching a book through a keynote idea: “There was perhaps a time when people would have been only attracted by that or only put off by it.” She says she wrote her own high-concept novel by accident “I thought my first novel would be a big literary book about Cambodia,” she says The Ministry of Time began as a jeu d’esprit to amuse Bradley’s friends “and the conceit was: what would it be like if your favourite polar explorer because we were all very into polar exploration That’s the concept […] The very first version was almost an experiment and then it turned into a book by mistake.” She adds: “The difference between this book and the book that I was writing that’s now in a bottom drawer is that one I felt like I had to take very seriously that was just the more fertile way of thinking about writing.” The Names by Florence Knapp is published by Phoenix (£16.99). To support the Guardian order your copy at guardianbookshop.com You may wonder how someone who grew up near the ocean in Los Angeles and once intended to spend his days as a merchant marine ended up in landlocked middle America A proposal to increase penalties for certain traffic violations and crimes was given first-round approval May 1 after lawmakers amended it to include several other bills heard by the Judiciary Committee Lawmakers gave first-round approval May 1 to a bill that would change disclaimer requirements for political advertisements Lawmakers gave first-round approval May 1 to a bill that would update provisions of law related to pharmacy benefit managers Lawmakers gave first-round approval May 1 to a proposal intended to correct an unintended consequence of a recent change in the way community colleges are funded Military and Veterans Affairs annual election cleanup bill from the first round of debate May 1 Lawmakers gave general file approval May 1 to a bill that would change meeting requirements and duties for the state’s African American Commission A bill that would eliminate the state’s lifetime ban on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program eligibility for individuals with certain drug-related convictions was advanced from select file April 30 after being amended to include a substance abuse treatment requirement A bill that would limit scheduled increases to the state’s minimum wage and establish a separate lower wage for young Nebraskans was given second-round approval April 30 following a successful cloture motion A proposal to combine two state agencies tasked with managing Nebraska’s water resources received final approval from lawmakers May 1 A measure intended to encourage certain defense contractors to relocate to Nebraska advanced to final reading April 30 after lawmakers amended it to ensure that it rewards the creation of new jobs Lawmakers gave final approval April 30 to a bill that rolls back various recently enacted tax incentives Senators gave first-round approval April 29 to a package of revenue-related bills including a proposal under which Nebraska educational savings plan trust accounts could be used to pay for private K-12 education Senators gave first-round approval April 29 to a Transportation and Telecommunications Committee omnibus bill that would update state law regulating telecommunications companies and common carriers A proposal to cut county inheritance tax rates while also distributing replacement revenue to counties advanced from general file April 29 BOX SCORE PA) - The Reading Fightin Phils (5-16) fell to the Harrisburg Senators (11-12) 6-3 in the second game of the series The Fightin Phils got themselves on the board first in the bottom of the fourth inning Aidan Miller and Hendry Mendez both singled during their time at bat Keaton Anthony came in with an RBI single that scored Miller Felix Reyes followed with a sac fly to center field and Mendez made home Reading found themselves up 2-0 by the end of the fourth Reading extended their lead in the bottom of the sixth starting with a double on a line drive to right field Felix Reyes came in with his second sac fly of the night this time to right field and scored Mendez The Senators chipped away at Reading’s lead in the top of the seventh inning Cortland Lawson doubled on a sharp line drive to left field A wild pitch from Mitch Neunborn allowed Lawson to advance to third Phillip Glasser grounded out and Lawson scored Reading held on to the lead for the remainder of the inning and it was now 3-1 Harrisburg had a late push in the top of the eighth that started with a single on a line drive to left field from Joe Naranjo Carlos De La Cruz walked and Naranjo went to second had a three-run home run and the Senators took the lead 4-3 The Senators added to their lead in the top of the ninth Phillip Glasser singled on a sharp line drive to center field Yohandy Morales lined out sharply to center field Phillip Glasser advanced to third after a throwing error from Elio Prado Joe Naranjo came in with a two RBI single and Harrisburg made it 6-3 The Fightin Phils were unable to respond in the bottom of the ninth and the Senators took game two Last fall, we came to you with a recap of our first experience having our auras captured on film — a life-changing morning with psychic and aura photographer This time around we had a newfound sense of spirit: we knew a little more about auras but were eager to learn more With graduation less than a week away and life as we know it about to completely change we wanted to see how much senior year had impacted us and hopefully learn what to do next Sometimes stressing about jobs leads you down unexpected paths we received clearance — via a relatively cryptic text from Jim — to bring along The State News’ multimedia editor and our dear friend This also meant we had to confess to Jim that we were writing a story for "the school paper," something we neglected to mention a year ago We were ready to meet our fate (and have it documented in more ways than one). we’d try to volunteer more personal information Jim had asked a series of questions we weren't sure were rhetorical or not This time we would take a little more agency over the process. After nearly an hour in the car — during which Brendan confessed he thought we were going to the Meridian Mall in Okemos — we arrived back where this all began: a small house on Eerie Road we waited a few minutes before getting out of the car No matter how many times you get your aura photographed and analyzed and PJ Pfeiffer chat during the car ride from East Lansing to Parma on April 25 Despite us having been here exactly one year ago the kitchen and living room had been fully renovated along with the basement after a mouse chewed through wire to somehow cause a flood No worries — Jim’s huge zebra painting was still there as was the familiar setup of photography equipment the palm scanner and a bookcase riddled with essential oils and self-published works. We're beginning to think sitting close together might just be part of the procedure wide-eyed and riddled with spring allergies Jim didn’t have to explain too much – we had already decided PJ was going first and our personal information still lived in the aura reading system Jim told both of us our auras have moved in tandem from orange to yellow chakras and personalities as much as last time While we did learn that a yellow personality is optimistic and joyful and is the "brightest happiest and most childlike personality on the color spectrum," we also had a long one-sided conversation about Hitler and serial killers for what felt like 30 minutes this reading experience was different. Though I don’t love how I look in my photograph it’s easily better than many yearbook photos I’ve taken I didn’t know what color I expected to show up and it changed from orange because I had "grown and developed" through this last year my house was destroyed by a flood (right there with you Jim) and I’m getting ready to head to Ireland right after school followed by moving to New York City for an indefinite time but I’m looking forward to more growth on my next journey: discovering myself post-graduation which is my connection to "the Creator." According to Jim Jim reads from a computer screen while PJ Pfeiffer places his hand on an aura-reading machine in Parma My throat chakra is correlated to my communication with myself and others This was similar to last year’s reading when he brought up the fact that I tend to be negative toward myself Thankfully my heart chakra has grown in a year This chakra communicates between the three lower chakras (Earth-bound) and upper ones (spiritual) Jim explained that being more vulnerable helps the Heart chakra grow — it helps me grow As I’m in a transitional period right now — moving looking for jobs — Jim said my sacral chakra will be important when developing intimate closer relationships with people who will stick around in my life Apparently I’ve made a big shift: my core is now yellow which was wild to hear because the core is the hardest shift to make Having a yellow aura means that I’m joyful and optimistic "That means you’ve been doing some work," Jim said As I flipped through the 15-page packet Jim gave us again I found the numbers 153 219 scribbled randomly on the back of one page I have no connection to that string of numbers maybe the Creator (that I don’t believe in) — that these numbers will be important to me in the future I’m unsure where I’ll see them — a plane ticket confirmation number a future address — or if I will ever see them The trick is to not pay too much attention or try too hard to find it; it’ll come to me "You have to be careful of what you’re allowing to influence your life," Jim said while Jim was talking to Claire about her aura Jim stopped midway through a sentence and stared at me for an uncomfortably long moment My center personality is joyful and optimistic It’s how others see me and oftentimes how I see myself The packet revealed that my mental state is intelligent and analytical: I lean into my logical side with my thoughts It’s not ideal when I’m trying to follow my intuition because my current mental state tries to dissect everything Jim said I need to start allowing more stuff to happen to me since my higher dimension energy is "leading me where I want to be." Okay "The door is open but you’re not stepping through it." It was around this time when I sometimes zoned out of intently watching Jim and instead looked at the room’s accessories I felt the zebra’s eyes on me; I tried reading the title of every single self-help and tarot explanation book; I looked at the pictures and paintings scattered around he started talking about Hitler and serial killers His fascination had even led him to name a virtual hockey team’s entire roster after serial killers. Thank god we had already been in his house once before or else we probably would have left right then and there Claire and Brendan all glanced around at each other he was trying to teach us about empathy — explaining the very basic need to consider "what happened to someone to make them this way." PJ Pfeiffer smiles as Claire Donohoe listens to Jim explain her aura photography reading in Parma Jim explained that I’m passionate: I experience a lot of emotions but I can’t let anger flourish and spearhead how I feel It’s not productive and won’t lead to any good I need to work on expressing my thoughts with others better and letting my emotions guide certain conversations in an effective way — be a full yellow aura "We’re masters at putting masks on," he said There wasn’t an elongated monologue like last time and he didn’t ask me as many rhetorical questions as last year — he talked at me more this time I was fine with it because he took the time that would’ve been dedicated to me If it weren’t for him brushing over only the important chakra points then all three of us wouldn’t have known that his family lives near Detroit but he “doesn’t love it out there,” or that he’s had strange encounters with people in his church over the years At that moment I thought about requesting his email so I just asked him questions about his intriguing past Maybe I’ll just schedule another aura appointment in a year. The packet gave me possible careers: athlete I’d rather die than be a personal fitness trainer and I know nothing about cars Maybe I’ll give stand-up a shot in between sending my resume to other jobs I’m going to use this packet to fuel my future Every so often I’ll think about both aura experiences driving to Parma and listening back to Jim talk about my energy I’ll get nostalgic about these trips; I can imagine myself in Austria presenting about local media and its value to democracy but in the back of my mind I’ll remember everything Jim said even the parts about serial killers and Hitler I’m going to have you take a few deep breaths I struggled through three long breaths (thank you I warily placed my hand on the scanner – still warm from PJ’s grinned for my photo and took my seat. I say 'our' because it’s becoming apparent to me that PJ and I really are birds of a feather my picture indicates more of a green tint above my head But you don’t get the nickname "peas in a pod" by accident (There is one paragraph in my packet discussing this green tinge Apparently I’m a good friend and "natural healer." Somehow this also means I am prone to feelings of resentment and jealousy PJ and I are "easy-going souls" with a "wonderful sense of humor." I’ll take it intelligent and measure life by feelings of happiness rather than productivity Apparently yellows also have a childlike spirit Maybe this was why Jim motioned his hand over my picture and said "there’s a lot of inner child stuff going on" with nothing more but a knowing glance Jim reads from Claire Donohoe's aura photography packet at his house in Parma Jim didn't spend as much time with my packet as last time either Perhaps he figured PJ and I were seasoned enough to explore it on our own time I did learn that my mental state is social and my crown chakra is entirely open — though there are some signs of blockage or disbelief My next highest chakra is the solar plexus — which corresponds to personal power Everything else appears to be vibrating in the middle I was reminded my heart has grown but is still guarded — with little to no explanation or advice on how to un-guard it — and that my aura was still really jumping out even though the packet reported it’s of average size. Jim asked me if I was into numerology — angel numbers and the like what happened next affirmed to me that I could not. For those that remember last time’s experience Jim took a similar pause during which I recall thinking he was going to throw up. He broke the hundred-yard stare and moment of silence reporting that he felt a "strong energy" right after asking me that he would "not pass out … but it made (him) feel a little woozy I considered what the three of us would do if my aura power did cause this man to faint. it was then that I had to tell him that I do see one single angel number frequently — but it’s 9:11 on the clock which obviously isn’t super fun to talk about. seemingly out of nowhere again: "Do you read people's minds?" This was around when he told me I was psychic Apparently it’s "really easy" for me to connect with a "psychic "You can suppress them and you can shut them off if you want He let me know that I "wouldn't have (this ability) so freely if you weren’t supposed to use it." "And there’s places you can go to hone that if you want to," he said. It was going to be hard for him to top that news Apparently my heart chakra is still guarded — caused by some kind of unnamed "big wound." "Forgiveness is one of the most simple things in the world to do You might remember that last year he told me there was much I needed to let go of. affirming that I was in a "gigantic" period of transition and that self care would be important to me I agreed with this — earlier this academic year I had to take a step back from school to focus on my mental and physical health a month-long journey that resulted in me nearly entirely reframing my relationship to self care It appeared my overpowering silence kept interrupting him My energy really seemed to disrupt his trains of thought As he continued glossing over my other chakra levels — which vibrate in the middle and report a pretty average energy level across the rest of the board — he paused again and shook his head. psychically read you … but it is so overpowering it is unbelievable Jim processes Claire Donohoe's aura reading on his laptop in Parma Perhaps I would’ve been less alarmed if he elaborated on any of these sudden He continued this by periodically half-claiming half-asking things like "is there depression in your family?" and telling me I can be a bit of a perfectionist in some respects always putting pressure on myself to be high achieving — which can come from parents who do the same thing to themselves Both of my parents are high-achieving eldest children themselves but I wouldn’t agree that "depression is a learned behavior" or that my family is "money hungry" — two other things he said out of nowhere. Jim followed this cute family "history" by telling me I’m in the business of "asking the questions" and "not listening for the answers." There are more creative ways to tell someone they are stubborn. I was clearly looking for some sort of answer constantly trying to apply emotional logic to situations and "figure out" why things happened driving to Parma and sweating all over a palm reader He somehow went from flipping through my packet to talking about Hitler and the empathy we need to give to serial killers and then asking Brendan if he would ever want his aura photographed — matter-of-factly saying he’d be an "easy read." I leafed through the rest of my packet back at home it was recommended I practice Tai Chi. My packet did say that those with a yellow aura are more focused on "enjoying" rather than "accomplishing" and they "inherently know how to accept whatever is happening in their lives." I thought I was a perfectionist but would rather claim this definition. I also learned "yellow personalities may have a fear of relationships" and a "deep seeded fear of commitment." Sounds … joyful and optimistic We also might "run away" from our responsibilities Claire Donohoe reacts to Jim's reading of her aura in Parma While this check-up was enlightening for many new reasons (i.e watching Brendan’s reactions to everything and being told I should be tapping into my psychic abilities) I will admit that this experience did not exactly match the energy — no pun intended — of that first session. A few things were a little contradictory as well I walked away not knowing if my energy was overpowering Am I optimistic like yellow personalities claim to be or am I too disbelieving in all of this like Jim said how could my energy be so powerful as to make a grown man feel like he might "pass out?" Maybe time will tell Maybe this is good practice on asking questions and actually listening for the answers. Brendan "You’d be an easy read" Mullin’s perspective I’m used to being on the outside of a community It’s very unusual for me when I am roped into the unfolding of a story like this one The room was small and the topics were personal It is hard to stay completely separate from three "powerful" auras like Jim’s when Jim stopped himself while talking to Claire to say he had felt a "strong energy," I think he just lost his train of thought I had moved from taking over-the-shoulder photos from behind Claire to a position in the opposite corner of the room likely distracted by me moving through little space between the posse and the secretary desk Jim’s assertion that I’d be "an easy read," made me chuckle speaking hypothetically about how I came from a military family and that perhaps I was the first to break from that tradition to pursue the arts and become a photographer But neither of my parents served in the military; I did I know I don’t have the physical presence to imply I was a Sergeant of Marines It was important to check in on our energies and now we know we didn’t hallucinate that first experience back in May 2024. we’re not entirely sure we learned more about ourselves we thought we’d get more about our life plans — some guidance on where we should be pointing next But maybe some endings are meant to be left open for a while We know that Claire could be a full-on psychic our hearts are cracking open and our energies are disruptive enough to make a man feel woozy We also need to work on the disbelief and logic we come at these topics with. Something about this experience was certainly different It only exists in our mind." So can we even make comparisons to that first "We time travel all the time and we don’t realize it," he said. Intuition says that sounds like an invite back for next year Jim speaks after performing an aura photography reading at his house in Parma Share and discuss “COLUMN: We had our auras read in a stranger’s home … again” on social media Writers and Guardian readers discuss the titles they have read over the last month I was so impressed with Álvaro Enrigue’s You Dreamed of Empires that I am on my second reread As all around me institutions fall and norms fail I feel the moment requires audacious re-imaginings of history or possibilities of thought and on both a political and imaginative level Enrigue delivers with his wild telling of the meeting between Hernán Cortés and Moctezuma I’d be remiss not to shout out the Australian essayist Vivian Blaxell’s sharp and amusingly tart new collection Worthy of the Event These essays span years – the book seems to contain a whole library of experience my entire relationship to plants has been altered by having read The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlanger which explores the possibility of plant intelligence plant behaviour and even plant consciousness became a visitation with other beings – a truly life-expanding book Guardian readerI’ve been reading Tim Winton’s 1991 novel Cloudstreet – quite an old book now but a really warm account of two families occupying one old house in Perth I’ve also been enjoying Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer I’m constantly amazed at Kingsolver’s ability to get inside characters and her capacity to communicate the natural world (in this case entomology) I picked up a copy of Brian by Jeremy Cooper recently on a whim I was drawn in by the novel’s central location the novel follows the titular character Brian community and escapism from the humdrum and isolation of his daily life inside the dark walls and bright screens of the cinema Free weekly newsletterDiscover new books and learn more about your favourite authors with our expert reviews Cooper’s style is a clever blend of fiction and film criticism I’m no film-buff (at least not by Brian’s standards) and the narrator’s sprawling thoughts on postwar Japanese arthouse films for the most part flew over my head But Cooper’s novel is a sweet and at times devastating portrait of how fulfilment can be found through a quaint The book also acts as a critique of the way cinema-going has declined as we have entered a joyless age of streaming Reading it was a much-needed reminder for me to ditch the laptop viewing and head to my local cinema instead Looking at War by Victoria Amelina and Once the Deed Is Done by Rachel Seiffert They both tell of people’s innate courage and kindness in the face of deliberate cruelty.