An x-ray from the book "Stuck Up"This embarrassing X-ray reveals a Buzz Light-rear doll — complete with its wings deployed — lodged inside a patient, the Sun reported.The bizarre snap is one of 100 awkward ailments that feature in new book, "Stuck Up! 100 Objects Inserted and Ingested in

Dec. 14, 2011

Portrait of a complex manVan Gogh: The LifeBy Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith(Random House)Vincent van Gogh’s autobiography is painted in luminous, powerful brushstrokes, the supreme portrait of the artist. “As my work is,” he said, “so am I.”“Van Gogh: The Life,” the intricate and panoramic biography by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith, is a provocative work about the volcanic man and his art.Van Gogh’s story has been romanticized and mythologized, especially in fiction and on film.

Dec. 9, 2011

The Tiger’s TaleBy Kim Myung-sooTranslated by Kim Ok-hee and Betty Chung(Appletree Tales)Among many stories available for children, Korea’s traditional folktales offer a unique reading experience for young readers. The fables, myths and anecdotes present humor and life lessons, as well as a glimpse into traditional values and culture.Local publisher Appletree Tales’ bilingual series of children’s books, titled “Monkey Mama,” carries the essence of Korea’s folk tales. The stories are new interpre

Dec. 9, 2011

The metaphorical bookstore of crime fiction is crowded with best-selling titles and talented writers, few of whom can outgun Michael Connelly.The prolific Connelly, 55, covered crime for the Fort Lauderdale News and Sun-Sentinel in the 1980s (where he was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize), then did the same for seven years at the Los Angeles Times. The insider’s knowledge that came with the territory has served him well.“The Drop,” in bookstores this week, is the 17th title in his police-procedur

Dec. 9, 2011

 A Joseon Dynasty king would rise about 5 a.m. each day and meet with his courtiers to study and discuss state affairs. After eating breakfast, his official schedule for the day would begin.After lunch, he would again meet with courtiers, before receiving reports from his ministers or handling civil complaints.Although his workday officially ended at 5 p.m., he was usually busy until later handling work left unfinished or meeting again with his retinue.The lifestyle resembles that of a present-d

Dec. 8, 2011

MJ book focuses on the musicMan in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael JacksonBy Joseph Vogel(Sterling Publishing), by Joseph VogelWe get it already: Michael Jackson was kind of a weird dude.In the weeks, months and now years since the music icon‘s death, news consumers across the globe have been inundated with examinations of Jackson’s life. And frankly, too much of it has focused on the sensational aspects of his 50 years on Earth.Luckily, for those of us who prefer to remember Ja

Dec. 2, 2011

Tongue: A NovelBy Jo Kyung-ran(Bloomsbury USA)Among the many female writers who broke into Korea’s literary scene in the 1990s, Jo Kyung-ran demonstrates distinctive flair. Known for her poetic prose and depiction of contemporary Korean life, Jo’s works have often dealt with human relationships and their implications. Her 2007 novel, “Tongue,” released in English in 2009, is filled with alluring danger and sensual pleasure, using the tongue as the ultimate symbol for human desire, affection and

Dec. 2, 2011

Last summer, while browsing in a used bookstore in San Luis Obispo, Calif., I discovered something I thought no longer existed ― an Agatha Christie novel I had not read. Anyone monitoring my vital signs would have thought I had discovered the next Gnostic gospel or a lost play of Shakespeare’s. Clutching it tightly as if someone might snatch it from me, I quickly bought it. I promised myself I would take my time, savor the experience and read only a few pages at a time. Instead, I finished it th

Dec. 2, 2011

Former child actor Barry Livingston, who played the cute-but-nerdy Ernie Douglas on the vintage Fred MacMurray sitcom “My Three Sons,” turned out quite well, thank you.There were a few stumbles along the way. When his career wasn’t even treading water while he was in his 20s, he did turn to cocaine. But his “lost period” lasted only about a year. He’s been happily married for nearly 30 years and has a 22-year-old son and a 19-year-old daughter. The 57-year-old Livingston likes to joke that when

Dec. 2, 2011

John O’Brien shares thoughts on marketing foreign literatureIt’s been almost a week since John O’Brien, the founder of American publisher Dalkey Archive Press, announced he will publish a series of English-language translations of Korean literary works, the first time such a project is taking place outside Korea.A joint project with Korea Literature Translation Institute, the series will consist of 25 works by Korean authors and poets. O’Brien, who founded the publisher in Chicago in 1984, is kn

Nov. 30, 2011

Jeju Island: Reaching to the Core of Beauty(Seoul Selection)Located off the southernmost coast of Korea, Jeju Island houses both beauty and rich culture. For international readers who’d like to learn more about the island, “Jeju Island: Reaching to the Core of Beauty,” jointly published by Seoul Selection and Korea Foundation, would be a great source of information and joy.The book is far from a tour guide. It begins with a brief introduction by Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio, one of the most accl

Nov. 25, 2011

When an obituary is more than just an obitDead Last By James W. Hall (Minotaur)The newspaper obituary isn‘t just the announcement of a person’s death and service schedule. Obits often are homages to a life well lived, an insightful look at a person and the impact he or she had on their world.But in the intriguing “Dead Last,” the obit becomes a sinister weapon that takes aim at Thorn, James W. Hall‘s perennial Key Largo beach bum.Thorn has never been the most sociable of characters -- content to

Nov. 25, 2011

Stephen King opens his novel “11/22/63” ― billed as an alternate universe reimagining of the John F. Kennedy assassination ― with an epigraph from Norman Mailer’s “Oswald’s Tale.” “It is virtually not assimilable to our reason that a small lonely man felled a giant in the midst of his limousines, his legions, his throng, and his security,” Mailer writes. “If such a non-entity destroyed the leader of the most powerful nation on earth, then a world of disproportion engulfs us, and we live in a uni

Nov. 25, 2011

 PARIS, Nov 24, 2011 (AFP) - Doctors should read up on Shakespeare, according to an unusual medical study that says the Bard was exceptionally skilled at spotting psychosomatic symptoms.Kenneth Heaton, a doctor at the University of Bristol in western England, trawled through all 42 of Shakespea

Nov. 24, 2011

Three years and three films into “The Twilight Saga,” Robert Pattinson can see the finish line for the role that made him famous.With the release of “Breaking Dawn ― Part 1,” he knows that the whirlwind surrounding him and his cast mates is about to peak, then subside. He says he’s relishing the end, and he’s taking it all in: the attention, the career boost and the way his peers have coped with the sudden fame of a film series whose fans are nothing if not fanatical.“I am constantly amazed that

Nov. 18, 2011