Song recalls, honors slain children

By GREG GARRISON | February 17, 2012 - 4:58pm

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – After Sept. 15, 1963, the four girls killed in the Ku Klux Klan’s bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church were suspended in time and memory, never to grow up.

Greatness came to empress after struggle

By Mae Woods Bell | February 17, 2012 - 4:57pm

The story of one of history’s powerful rulers, “Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman” (Random House; $35), demonstrates how by her determination and inner strength and a coterie of loyal supporters Catherine became empress of Russia.

That new? Nah, that wouldn't be cool

By Laura Snyder | February 17, 2012 - 4:55pm

You know that feeling you get when you buy new clothes and wear them for the first time? Don’t you feel great?

First heartbreak can't be overlooked

By Laura McFarland | February 10, 2012 - 7:28pm

Love hurts. Whether you are 16 or 61, the end of a relationship can be painful.

Washington set standard as gracious host

By Mae Woods Bell | February 10, 2012 - 7:28pm

Serving up a fascinating collection of expert essays and recipes that capture the flavors of early America, “Dining With the Washingtons” (UNC Press; $35) is a beautifully bound, lavishly illustrated work that should appeal to history buffs and cooks alike.

Pros and cons of pet ownership can be hard to weigh

By Laura Snyder | February 10, 2012 - 7:25pm

There are pros and cons when it comes to owning pets. Before you adopt or buy one, you have to weigh these carefully.

Tarboro nonagenarian is the Music Man

By Laura McFarland | February 3, 2012 - 7:16pm

TARBORO – Roland Taylor’s aged hands flex on the trumpet as he plays a few tentative notes.

Mayhew recalls darks days of segregation

By Mae Woods Bell | February 3, 2012 - 7:16pm

‘The Dry Grass of August” (Kensington; $15) is a book that is difficult to put down.

Airborne cheese curds add injury to accident

By Laura Snyder | February 3, 2012 - 7:15pm

There once was a bag of cheese curds that was destined for more than a hungry man’s snack.

Germ warfare: Simple steps fight colds

By Laura McFarland | January 27, 2012 - 6:02pm

Don’t be alarmed, but your hand probably is dirty.

MacGregor teaches an ‘Objects’ lesson

By Mae Woods Bell | January 27, 2012 - 6:02pm

How humans have shaped the world and been shaped by it over the millennia is told by Neil MacGregor through carefully chosen items from the British Museum collection in “A History of the World in 100 Objects” (Viking; $45).

Adults already know, but kids won’t listen

By Laura Snyder | January 27, 2012 - 6:01pm

I wish I could somehow take all of the knowledge and information I have gained over the years and export it into my children’s heads.

Club puts archers right on target

By Laura McFarland | January 20, 2012 - 7:38pm

For Jeff Butler, hunting is all about the challenge.

Matthews plumbs a president’s foundation

By Mae Woods Bell | January 20, 2012 - 7:37pm

Chris Matthews reveals his fascination with the elusive spirit of our 35th president in “Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero” (Simon & Schuster; $27.50).

Tropics don’t meet isle ideal

By Laura Snyder | January 20, 2012 - 7:36pm

Believe it or not, the Bahamas are not warm in December.

Women take shot at being hunters

By Laura McFarland | January 13, 2012 - 6:10pm

When Heather Shepherd says she was born into hunting, she means it.

Ministry to gays was arduous service

By Mae Woods Bell | January 13, 2012 - 6:08pm

This memoir recounts how one man’s disheartened questions and comments to his pastor, the Rev.

Shipboard life reveals family's ways

By Laura Snyder | January 13, 2012 - 6:07pm

If you want to learn about another person’s personal habits, the best way to do it without asking is to go on a five-day cruise with them.

Owners' concern isn't just puppy love

By Laura McFarland | January 6, 2012 - 7:31pm

These are Susan Baker’s children. There are the cats, Bubbles and Cagney, who have never met a lap they didn’t want to try out.

Tomalin follows Dickens' life

By Mae Woods Bell | January 6, 2012 - 7:29pm

Taking on the daunting task of defining the life of Charles Dickens, Claire Tomalin succeeds in presenting a full-scale, enticing readable eponymous biography (Penguin; $36) of one of the foremost novelists of the Victorian era.

Details separate ‘good strangers,’ ‘bad strangers’

By Laura Snyder | January 6, 2012 - 7:28pm

You want to keep your kids safe but sometimes it’s difficult to explain to them how to stay safe.

Kids4Change enlists youth to reach out

By Laura McFarland | December 30, 2011 - 8:17pm

Tyler Lashley knows he can make a difference. It doesn’t matter that he is only 11 and doesn’t have tons of money to give to charity.

Seasoned journalist Brokaw looks at 21st century issues

By Mae Woods Bell | December 30, 2011 - 8:06pm

In his preface to “The Time of Our Lives” (Random House; $26), Tom Brokaw asks, “What happened to the America I thought I knew?

The definition of an adult – as seen by a 10-year-old

December 30, 2011 - 7:59pm

‘I’m 10 years old now. I’m an adult.

Charleston couple volunteers 5,500 hours

By SCHUYLER KROPF | December 23, 2011 - 3:08pm

CHARLESTON, S.C. – He’s 96 and drives an Olds Cutlass.