All Arts & Culture
10 best books of 2012 鈥� fictionHere are the Monitor's picks for the best novels of 2012.
Kate Middleton pregnant: Where is the child in the line of succession?Kate Middleton pregnant: Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge could have a boy or girl, but it won't change the line of succession. The Royal Family is "delighted' that Kate Middleton is pregnant.
More sad news on 'Three Cups of Tea' with death of co-author David Oliver RelinDavid Oliver Relin's family said that Relin was hurt, emotionally and financially, by the controversy over fabrications in 'Three Cups of Tea,' the book he聽 co-authored with Greg Mortenson.
E L James as 'Publishing Person of the Year' draws outcry from literary worldPublishers Weekly faces controversy after naming 'Fifty Shades of Grey' author E L James 'Publishing Person of the Year' for 2012.
Helicopter parent: Techy dad builds drone to hover over kidThe helicopter parent can now stay cozy at home on those cold winter days and still hover over the kids on the way to school 鈥� with a helicopter drone.聽 The techy dad who built it says his son loves it ... and we kinda do too.
Hide cigarette display and teens buy less, says new studyA virtual reality game study of teens by the New York Department of Health found that in virtual聽convenience stores, 16 to 24 percent of teens tried to buy tobacco when the cigarette display was open, compared with 9 to 11 percent when it was closed.
Fruit and nut biscottiPerfect for dunking in coffee or tea, homemade biscotti keeps for a couple weeks and is great to have on hand when friends drop by. Get creative and add any type of dried fruit or nuts to the dough.
Cookbook review: The Food52 Cookbook, Volume 2The James Beard Award winning website Food52.com has crowd-sourced another cookbook with its signature charming style.
Carrie Underwood will play Maria von Trapp in NBC's 'The Sound of Music'Carrie Underwood will take on the part famously portrayed by Julie Andrews in the 1965 film.
Fred Savage baby, holiday shopping and more: Our parenting news roundupFred Savage baby announcement, pols Joe Biden and Cory Booker try living like the people by shopping at Costco and going on foodstamps, US birthrates plunge, and ... in the best news for parents child sex abuse crimes drop.
Christmas cookies for everyone on your listReady to roll up your sleeves and get baking this December? Stir It Up! has a list of Christmas cookies recipes, plus some bonus holiday treats sure to get your kitchen in the holly jolly spirit.
Mickey Mouse poster sells for more than $100,000Mickey Mouse still sells: This week a vintage 1928 movie poster emblazoned with the iconic Mickey Mouse image, that had been part of the estate of a California collector, sold for more than $100,000.
'Downton Abbey' creator will head to NBC for a period drama'Downton Abbey' creator Julian Fellowes is set to write a series for NBC titled 'The Gilded Age.' Will it be America's answer to 'Downton'?
Child sex abuse cases dramatically decline in US, says reportDespite the headlines hyping scandals at Penn State and the Boy Scouts, child sex abuse cases in the US, by several data gauges, have dramatically declined since the 1990s, say University of New Hampshire researchers.
Philip Roth's retirement from writing is mourned by a former studentA former Iowa Writers Fiction Workshop participant who studied under Roth wonders how a teacher who instilled in him a deep love of fiction can be throwing in the towel.
Brad Pitt leads a great cast in 'Killing Them Softly'While the recessionary context is a bit overdone, the 'Killing Them Softly' features sharp dialogue and performances.
Ken Burns co-directs the powerful documentary 'The Central Park Five'The documentary goes inside the 'wilding' case that fanned racial tension.
Birth rate in US hits record low, led by decrease in births to immigrant womenBirth rates in the US fell to a record low in 2011, according to a new report by the Pew Research Center. Births to immigrant women have led the plunge.
'Hunger Games' author Suzanne Collins will release a picture bookCollins' book, which will be based around her own experiences with a father in the military, will be released this fall.
Bully or motivator? Teacher shames fourth-graders for flunkingBully or motivator? A fourth-grade teacher in Idaho had聽 students who met their reading goals to draw on the faces of classmates who failed.
