The week's bestselling books, May 18
2. My Friends by Fredrik Backman (Atria Books: $30) The bond between a group of teens 25 years earlier has a powerful effect on a budding artist.
3. James by Percival Everett (Doubleday: $28) An action-packed reimagining of 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.'
4. My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende (Ballantine Books: $30) A young writer in the late 1800s travels to South America to uncover the truth about her father.
5. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Riverhead Books: $30) Worlds collide when a teenager vanishes from her Adirondacks summer camp.
6. Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (Simon & Schuster: $29) A love triangle unearths dangerous secrets.
7. Audition by Katie Kitamura (Riverhead Books: $28) An accomplished actor grapples with the varied roles she plays in her personal life.
8. Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (Flatiron Books: $29) As sea levels rise, a family on a remote island rescues a mysterious woman.
9. Silver Elite by Dani Francis (Del Rey: $33) Psychic gifts can get you killed in the first book of a dystopian romance series.
10. Strangers in Time by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing: $30) Two London teens scarred by World War II find an unexpected ally in a bereaved bookshop owner.
…
1. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins (Hay House: $30) How to stop wasting energy on things you can't control.
2. Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster: $30) A call to renew a politics of plenty and abandon the chosen scarcities that have deformed American life.
3. Life of Your Dreams by Mark Pentecost (Mission Driven Press: $28) The billionaire entrepreneur reveals the seven steps that took him from surviving to thriving.
4. The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad (Random House: $30) A guide to the art of journaling, with contributions from Jon Batiste, Salman Rushdie, Gloria Steinem and others.
5. We Can Do Hard Things by Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach and Amanda Doyle (The Dial Press: $34) The guidebook for being alive.
6. Notes to John by Joan Didion (Knopf: $32) Diary entries from the famed writer's journal.
7. Joy Prescriptions by Dr. Tiffany Moon (Legacy Lit: $29) The doctor and 'Real Housewives' alum on how to find happiness.
8. Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton (Pantheon: $27) A meditation on freedom, trust, loss and our relationship with the natural world.
9. Conquering Crisis by Adm. William H. McRaven (Grand Central Publishing: $26) The retired four-star admiral's personal stories illustrate the principles of effective leadership during times of crisis.
10. The Prism by Laura Day (Spiegel & Grau: $32) Seven steps to self-discovery and renewal.
…
1. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (Ecco: $20)
2. Table for Two by Amor Towles (Penguin Books: $19)
3. One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune (Berkley: $19)
4. The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl (Random House Trade Paperbacks: $19)
5. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (Vintage: $18)
6. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (Grove Press: $22)
7. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman (Transit Books: $17)
8. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper Perennial: $22)
9. Orbital by Samantha Harvey (Grove Press: $17)
10. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (Anchor: $18)
…
1. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder (Crown: $12)
2. The Wager by David Grann (Vintage: $21)
3. The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan (Knopf: $36)
4. Sociopath by Patric Gagne (Simon & Schuster: $20)
5. The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron (TarcherPerigee: $20)
6. The Art Thief by Michael Finkel (Vintage: $18)
7. All About Love by bell hooks (Morrow: $17)
8. The Last of His Kind by Andy McCullough (Grand Central Publishing: $22)
9. The Best of Me by David Sedaris (Back Bay: $22)
10. The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk (Penguin: $19)
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3 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Volunteers make sure Chicago's Winnemac Park is a blast — even without fireworks
Both the magician and the balloon man had arrived. Chelsea Brown was about to be the woman of the hour. Brown, the self-ordained family activities coordinator for the Fourth for All party in Winnemac Park, organized all the kid-oriented events that took place Friday afternoon. She brought in a man who makes balloon animals, a card-trick magician, a band from the School of Rock and — the most anticipated feature of the afternoon — a face painting station. Brown is a member of the Winnemac Park Advisory Council, the volunteer group that takes care of the North Side location. For the second consecutive year, the council organized a Fourth for All party at Winnemac, a free, 12-hour event open to anyone. The party was born as an alternative to the illegal firework demonstrations that, before 2024, had gone on for years in the park. Last year, the celebration drew more than 2,000 people; this year, organizers were expecting an even bigger crowd. 'This is a huge day,' Brown said. 'I'm full of nervous energy, because I'm really excited about it happening, and I really want it to go as well as it can for the community.' For many families attending the celebration, the Fourth for All party was another day at the park, albeit this time with food trucks and disc golf. After all, Winnemac Park is crowded every weekend, according to 40th Ward Ald. Andre Vasquez. For the advisory council, however, the Independence Day party meant a culmination of eight months' planning, fundraising and advertising. On the day of the event, all the volunteers wore baby blue T-shirts emblazoned with the group's willow tree logo as they buzzed around the park to ensure a smooth run of things. Council President Jacob Schuster said he spent between five and 20 hours a week, from September to July, working on the park's biggest event of the year. He also has a full-time corporate job. Comparing his presidency to 'a secondary career,' Schuster admitted that it's a hefty time commitment, but said he does it because he cares so much about the space. 'It's the best park in the city,' he said. 'It's a civic duty to help out around here.' The council has roughly 40 official members, Schuster said, though only about 10 to 12 regularly show up to meetings. Within that group, there's a powerhouse of five who made the July Fourth event happen, according to Brown. There's no money in this gig — it's all about loving the park. Tessa Groll, the advisory council's co-secretary, wore two pairs of earrings Friday. One was a dangling pair made of red, white and blue beads in a nod to Independence Day. The other was a pair of studs in the shape of two black-capped chickadees, the bird she feels represents her the best. Groll, who grew up in Naperville but lives in Lincoln Park now, is an avid birder in Winnemac Park. 'I've always been a big nature girl,' she said. Groll's love of the outdoors compelled her to get involved in the park, where she spends time every day staring at deciduous conifers that aren't native to Chicago and watching red-winged blackbirds launch attacks on passersby. When not watching birds or trees, Groll works remotely as a recruiter for an insurance company. For the last eight months, she has dedicated 10 to 15 hours a week to marketing and social media for the Fourth for All party. Brown's connection to Winnemac is similar to Groll's. They both live just a few minutes from the park and enjoy birding. Brown frequently walks her dog, Cliff, in the park, and like Groll, soaks in the diverse natural landscape. A home gardener, Brown is always looking for plant inspiration. But Winnemac is perhaps most personal for Deb and Dave Miretzky, who have lived 'three doors down' from the park for 35 years. They watched their children grow up in Winnemac Park and consider it part of home. 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USA Today
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- USA Today
LeBron downplays photo of himself at the Cavaliers practice facility
And every summer since it was built. I live here still and train every summer. Got damn yall bored man! Go get a plate of food somewhere and enjoy the 4th of July! Though LeBron James opted into the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, his future with the team has been under question because of a statement by Rich Paul about James evaluating what's best for him at this stage of his career. As a result, the moves of someone already under a microscope are being followed even more as people search for clues about what James might potentially do. If anyone knows this, it's James himself, who was photographed at the Cleveland Cavaliers' practice facility Friday with Cavs summer leaguer Denver Jones. Yet, in response to a tweet of the photo with a caption that said "LeBron at the Cavs practice facility today, James took a combative tone. "And every summer since it was built. I live here still and train every summer. Got damn yall bored man! Go get a plate of food somewhere and enjoy the 4th of July!" James said. The Hoop Central account certainly knew what it was doing by posting that caption, but it was harmless enough that James didn't need to respond so strongly... unless he wanted to draw more attention to the photo than it was already getting. In that case, mission accomplished.
New York Post
13 hours ago
- New York Post
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Hello darkness. Paul Simon underwent successful back surgery after 'severe' pain forced the legendary musician to cancel two shows. The 'Sounds of Silence' singer, 83, was forced to cancel Philadelphia shows on June 27 and June 28. 'As previously reported, Paul Simon underwent a surgical procedure this week to alleviate severe back pain that he has been experiencing for some time. Thanks to a great team of doctors, the surgery went well, as expected,' his official Instagram account read on July 3. 8 Paul Simon onstage at the premiere of 'In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon' at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. Getty Images 8 Paul Simon performs at the White House on April 10, 2024. AFP via Getty Images 8 The initial statement on Paul Simon's instagram. Paul Simon/Instagram His surgery also caused him to postpone his scheduled show on July 7 at The Terrace Theater in Long Beach, Calif. The Instagram statement continued, 'However, it has become clear he will need one additional day of rest and recuperation to ensure he is able to perform at the top of his ability in Long Beach.' Out of an 'abundance of caution,' his team decided to delay his July 7 concert by one day, the statement explained. The Simon & Garfunkel icon is on his A Quiet Celebration Tour, which he announced in February, shortly after performing 'Homeward Bound' alongside Sabrina Carpenter during the 'Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special.' It's scheduled to wrap in August. 8 New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole with Paul Simon on the field before the game on June 21, 2024. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post 8 Art Garfunkel (left) and Paul Simon on tour at the Arena in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, October 16, 2003. REUTERS 8 Paul Simon performs onstage during the 2024 PEN America Spring Literary Gala at American Museum of Natural History on May 16, 2024 in New York City. Getty Images for PEN America Previously, the 'Bridge over Troubled Water' singer retired from touring in 2018, due to hearing loss. That year, he ended his farewell concert tour at Flushing Meadows Park, where his career began: the borough of Queens. 'Hello, my friends,' he greeted his cheering crowd at the time. 'This is 2 miles from where I played high school baseball in Forest Hills.' While recording his 2023 album 'Seven Psalms,' the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer was suffering from hearing loss in his left ear that made the idea of extended live performances seem impossible. 8 Paul Simon performs on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' on June 19, 2025. CBS via Getty Images 'It was incredibly frustrating. I was very angry at first that this had happened,' Simon told 'CBS Mornings.' But after working with the Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss and his own production team, Simon revamped his entire stage setup to make performing viable again. His current tour is at intimate venues, to provide a better setting acoustically for Simon's hearing challenges. 8 Paul Simon plays 'The Sound of Silence' alongside a student protester during the March for Our Lives rally on March 24, 2018 in Stamford, Connecticut. Getty Images Simon released his most recent solo album, 'Seven Psalms,' in 2023. It was his first album since 2018 – and his first new material since 2016. Prior to his surgery, Simon's team posted another statement on Instagram explaining the canceled shows. 'Paul has been struggling with chronic and intense back pain,' a statement posted to his Instagram read on June 28. 'Today it became unmanageable and demands immediate attention. Unfortunately, we have to cancel these shows at this time, as we don't have the ability to reschedule them.' The statement didn't specify what surgery the 'Mrs. Robinson' singer had, but simply called it a 'minor surgical procedure.'
