"Last Night in Twisted River," by John Irving (Random House, $28) ...more

November 1, 2009

Two weeks into the finals, and religion is playing a big role for Allen and many other singers this season on "American Idol." More than half of the remaining 11 finalists have regularly performed at places of worship. Three of those six contestants — including Allen — have worked as worship leaders at their respective churches back home. ...more

March 17, 2009

"Irreplaceable," by Stephen Lovely (Voice, $24.95) ...more

March 8, 2009

The first three finalists of "American Idol's" season eight: Alexis Grace, the soulful 21-year-old single mother from Memphis, Tenn.; Michael Sarver, the beefy 27-year-old oil rig worker from Jasper, Texas; and Danny Gokey, the spikey-haired 28-year-old church music director from Milwaukee were announced Wednesday night. The trio received the most viewer votes. ...more

February 19, 2009

Tatiana Del Toro had something else to cry about. The emotional 28-year-old crooner from San Juan, Puerto Rico, was one of nine "American Idol" semifinalists sent packing Wednesday. ...more

February 18, 2009

When Nebraska lawmakers passed a "safe-haven" law that allowed parents to abandon children as old as 18, they never seriously thought such drop-offs would become common. ...more

September 27, 2008

Pakistan's fledgling civilian government collapsed Monday, as the leaders of the main two coalition parties turned their sights on each other, only a week after banding together to force the resignation of Pervez Musharraf. ...more

August 26, 2008

The widower of assassinated leader Benazir Bhutto said Saturday that he will run for the presidency, reviving questions about his cloudy political past and the future of the U.S. alliance with Pakistan. ...more

August 24, 2008

Tens of thousands of people marched on Pakistan's capital Friday to demand the reinstatement of some 60 judges ousted by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf last year. ...more

June 14, 2008

widower, asks Quirke to skip the postmortem. The thought of his beautiful wife, Deirdre, being cut up is too much for Billy. Although Quirke agrees, his instincts lead him to go where he should not. Quirke simply cannot avoid trouble, for he has an inquisitive mind. The story places the reader directly in foggy Dublin, with its duality of church and pub. ...more

May 25, 2008