‘Apollo 8’ tells thrilling story of moon mission
Khan plans book for young people
‘Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon’ (Henry Holt), by Jeffrey Kluger
In “Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon,” author Jeffrey Kluger takes readers inside the capsule of the Apollo 8 mission, the first one to journey to the moon and back, which paved the way for the Apollo 11 mission less than seven months later.
Kluger takes a fly-on-the-wall approach to the beginning of the American space race, showcasing the various men who would become astronauts. With the end of the 1960s rapidly approaching, the deadline unveiled by President John F. Kennedy to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade seemed a lost cause. Bold and dangerous decisions had to be made.
Apollo 1 ended in tragedy when the three men inside the capsule perished in a fire during a test on the ground. That put off missions for a while, but when they resumed, the astronauts did nothing more than work in Earth’s orbit. When it came time for Apollo 8, the heads of NASA realized that if they were going to achieve Kennedy’s dream, they had to make a bold move.
It was decided that Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders would make the first journey to the moon, orbiting it several times and photographing potential landing sites on the lunar surface.
Fascinating
Every agonizing moment both prior to the mission and the mission itself unfolds in fascinating detail, and Kluger makes the reader more than just an observer while events transpire.
Those familiar with the early history of NASA and the Apollo missions will love “Apollo 8,” and those who were born in later years will discover a full understanding of a tumultuous time and the fascinating people who helped make a dream a reality.
“Full Wolf Moon” (Doubleday), by Lincoln Child
One-half of the writing team of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child delivers his latest novel featuring Jeremy Logan, a man who seems to attract paranormal phenomena wherever he goes. In “Full Wolf Moon,” Child uses cutting-edge science and the beautiful Adirondacks landscape to tell a quick and tense story.
Logan is known in certain circles as an “enigmalogist” due to his uncanny ability to find the truth behind what seems to be supernatural in origin. This time he’s not seeking a puzzle to solve, he just wants peace and quiet. He has a reservation for a cabin in an isolated area of the Adirondacks to work on a book he’s struggling to find time to write. He hopes the isolation and atmosphere will inspire him.
Then a dead hiker is found and it appears he was mauled by a bear. Residents become concerned that a rogue animal might be running around in the woods. Someone whom Logan knows but hasn’t seen in some time arrives to ask for his help in uncovering the truth.
“According to a Source: A Novel” (Thomas Dunne Books), by Abby Stern
Do you ever wonder how celebrity gossip outlets uncover all that juicy info? How can media sources gain access and report
Image released by Henry Holt shows ‘Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon,’ by Jeffrey Kluger. (AP)
on the private moments of Hollywood starlets? The job is a huge undertaking, both physically and emotionally, in Abby Stern’s debut novel, “According to a Source.”
Ella Warren is a reporter for the online celebrity news website The Life. She’s paid to attend A-List parties and grand openings of the hottest clubs in Los Angeles and to meet her famous friend Holiday Hall for drinks at Chateau Marmont. Thanks to Holiday’s connections, Ella is able to infiltrate inner circles and VIP areas without hesitation.
Although she’s good at her job, Ella lives in a constant state of anxiety that her cover will be blown and her reputation will spiral away into the abyss, along with her career.
Also:
NEW YORK: Khizr Khan, the Gold Star father who became a national celebrity after speaking at last year’s Democratic National Convention, has a book planned for young readers.
Khan’s “This Is Our Constitution” comes out Nov 14, Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers told The Associated Press on Thursday. The book arrives the same day as his memoir “An American Family,” announced last fall.
Khan is an immigrant from Pakistan whose son Capt Humayun Khan was killed in Iraq in 2004. At the convention, Khizr Khan taunted Donald Trump for his divisive comments about Muslims and held up a pocket-sized edition of the Constitution, wondering if the Republican candidate had read it. According to Knopf, “This is Our Constitution” will help educate readers ages 10 and up about American history.
NEW YORK: Two short fiction collections by Jhumpa Lahiri have convinced prize judges that she’s a worthy recipient of the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story.
Lahiri will receive $5,000 and will read at a December ceremony in Washington, DC.
The award selection committee on Wednesday praised her for “deep introspection” and “meticulous attention” to language. It cited her books “Unaccustomed Earth” and “The Interpreter of Maladies,” a debut book of stories for which she won the Pulitzer Prize in 2000.
She also has written the novels “The Lowland” and “The Namesake.” The Malamud prize is named for late author Bernard Malamud. Previous winners include Saul Bellow, Alice Munro and George Saunders.