Aug

Dear Abby,

My daughter passed away last year, and we received custody of our grandson, who was 15 months old at the time. He is now nearly 2 1/2 years old. My daughter wanted him to call me Mamaw because that’s DEAR ABBY what she called my mother, so JEANNE I’ve always referred to myself that way, but recently, he has PHILLIPS started calling me Mommy. I say Mamaw back to him and sometimes he will say Mamaw, but more often it’s Mommy.

I’m uncomfortable not honoring my daughter as his mommy. We display her photos, and he will say that that’s his mommy, but I also don’t want to hurt his feelings by saying I’m not his mommy. His father isn’t in the picture, so my husband and I are the only parents he knows. My husband seems uncomfortable with him calling me Mommy and when he hears it, he tries to correct him. Should we allow him to call us Mommy and Daddy or continue to correct him? Getting It Right In North Carolina

Please accept my sympathy for the loss of your daughter. I see nothing positive to be gained by not allowing your grandson to call you what he wants. You and your husband have made clear that his mommy is in heaven, but right now the boy needs a “Mommy” right here on Earth. It is not at all disrespectful of your late daughter’s memory to allow him that.

Dear Abby,

I have been happily married to my husband for five years. When we married, money was tight, so we agreed to use temporary wedding rings and upgrade to our final official set later. Well, we finally did it, and my ring is what I always wanted. It is stunning.

The problem: When friends and family (and sometimes even strangers!) compliment me on my ring, it is often accompanied with, “Can I try it on?” or more forcibly, “Let me try that on!” I would never ask to try on something so precious to someone else, and I never want to see someone else wearing my wedding rings. Why do women do this and how can I politely tell them “NO WAY”? Shocked In New York

The women want to see it on their own hand and imagine for a moment that the ring is theirs. Feeling as you do, convey your message by smiling and replying, “I never remove my wedding rings other than to clean them.”

Dear Abby,

I live in Florida, and the rest of my big family lives in Canada. Last year, five of my nieces/nephews were admitted to the hospital for varying health reasons. Rather than send flowers, I sent each a check for $50.00. I thought money would be more useful.

Well, last week my daughter was diagnosed with malignant melanoma after a mole was removed. After I emailed the news to my sisters, I received one response from a sister saying, “Give your daughter our best!” Other than that, there have been no cards — nothing. Am I petty in thinking they should have at least sent my daughter a card? Petty In Florida

Your relatives apparently didn’t consider the thoughtfulness you displayed to their children something to be reciprocated. How sad. In situations like this, it isn’t the tangible item that’s most important, it’s the thought, and it appears your relatives didn’t want to put in the effort. I do not think it’s petty to recognize that fact and feel disappointment. You are human.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069. Pearls Before Swine

Classic Peanuts

Garfield

Zits

By Stella Wilder

Born today, you are likely to achieve a very high standing in the professional arena and to serve as an example to others about how to balance professional accomplishment and success with personal contentment. You are able to keep things very much in perspective, and you are not the kind to let even your own publicity go to your head. You understand that you are and always will be the same “you” that you were when young.

If it sounds like you are simply too good to be true, that may well be the case! You are certainly well-rounded, carefully balanced and always willing to see your place in the world accurately and without embellishment. You are a genuinely caring and generous individual, and you may well become famous for your ongoing philanthropic efforts.

Also born on this date are: Jennifer Lawrence, actress; Ben Affleck, actor and director; Napoleon Bonaparte, statesman; Julia Child, celebrity chef; Debra Messing, actress; Mike Connors, actor; Ethel Barrymore, actress.

To see what is in store for you tomorrow, find your birthday and read the corresponding paragraph. Let your birthday star be your daily guide.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — Your energy and drive are enough today to see you through almost any challenge. You become interested in something that used to leave you cold.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — The personal and the professional can be combined in a clever way today — but not indefinitely. You don’t want to miss the window!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — You have some hard work in store today, but it’s of a kind that really inspires you. You can include a friend Dark Side of the Horse

and double your fun, perhaps!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — You’re preparing for a journey that you must take alone, but for now you can work with others to ensure you make a strong start.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — You can make the most of an opportunity you very nearly missed altogether today. A few more will come knocking — and you’ll be ready.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — You may find yourself fighting against environmental forces that you can’t easily resist. A change of venue lets you turn things around.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Your relationship with someone who shares certain responsibilities with you may be somewhat affected today by something beyond your control.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) — You may not start the day quickly, but you’ll have your goals squarely in mind, and it’s not likely that they’ll elude you. It’s a good day.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) — You may find yourself asking questions about the overall tenor of certain things — but the answers you can provide may not be satisfying.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — That which you cannot control you must learn to accept — and you can begin today. Certain key developments give you reason to make a move.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — You may be struggling at this time with a certain doubt or insecurity. A friend steps in and eases a burden. You solve a fleeting mystery.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) — Getting it all done today is as easy as one-two-three, but that assumes that your methods are as efficient and effective as possible.

COPYRIGHT 2021 UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC. Daily Maze

WITH BOB JONES

©2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC WEEKLY BRIDGE QUIZ Q 1 - Neither vulnerable, as South, you hold:

♠ J 10 5 3 ♥ J ♦ A 9 6 5 3 ♣ A 8 5

Partner opens 1D and right-hand opponent passes. What call would you make?

Q 2 - North-South vulnerable, as South, you hold:

♠ 10 8 ♥ K 8 6 ♦ A K J 10 7 ♣ K 7 5

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH 2♥ Pass Pass ? Q 4 - Both vulnerable, as South, you hold:

♠ A Q 10 5 ♥ 7 ♦ 8 7 5 3 ♣ K J 10 8

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH 1♦ Pass 1♥ ?

What call would you make?

Q 5 - North-South vulnerable, as South, you hold:

♠ A Q 7 6 ♥ K J 10 6 ♦ A J 10 ♣ J 4

Partner opens 3D and right-hand opponent passes. What call would you make?

Q 6 - East-West vulnerable, as South, you hold:

From left, John Cena as the Peacemaker, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Idris Elba as Bloodsport, and King Shark, voiced by Sylvester Stallone, star in”The Suicide Squad.” DC/Warner Bros.

By KATIE WALSH

Tribune News Service

hen it comes to the Suicide Squad, Wperhaps, two wrongs do make a right. After David Ayer’s much lambasted (and yet, Oscar-winning) “Suicide Squad” bowed to critical disdain in 2016, it seemed the gleefully chaotic crew of DC Comics anti-heroes were done for. Then, lauded “Guardians of the Galaxy” director James Gunn was fired from “Guardians 3” by Disney after a rash of unsavory tweets were turned up, and DC/Warner Bros. snapped him up to direct the “Suicide Squad” sequel, “The Suicide Squad.” Though Gunn has since been reinstated on “Guardians,” his turn with the bad kids of comics feels like the writer/ director has been unleashed in the best way. It’s also a return to his roots, as Gunn came up in the world of splatter-fest genre imprint Troma Entertainment, under the tutelage of Lloyd Kaufman. The result is a movie that’s a bloodsmeared maniacal grin: funny, gory, blackly humorous, and all James Gunn.

Many of Gunn’s repertory players make an appearance in “The Suicide Squad”: Michael Rooker; his brother, Sean Gunn; Nathan Fillion; etc. He wastes no time at all getting the crew of misfits together and setting them up on a mission, as orchestrated by the ruthless government official Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), who yanks supervillains out

3 stars out of 4 INDUSTRY RATING: R, for strong violence and gore, language throughout, some sexual references, drug use and brief graphic nudity RUNNING TIME: 2 hours, 12 minutes WHERE TO WATCH: In theaters and streaming on HBO Max today

See SQUAD C2

By CHRISTIE D’ZURILLA

Los Angeles Times

Tony Bennett observed his 95th birthday on Tuesday, and he’s celebrating with Lady Gaga’s announcement of their second album of duets.

“The day we released ‘Cheek To Cheek’ in 2014, itstonybennett called me and asked me if I wanted to record another album with him, this time celebrating the songs of Cole Porter. I’m always honored to sing with my friend Tony, so of course I accepted the invitation,” Gaga tweeted Tuesday.

“Today, I am so excited to announce that our new album ‘Love For Sale’ will be released October 1,” she continued in a second tweet, which included an audio clip. “You can pre-order the album and listen to our first single ‘I Get A Kick Out Of You’ everywhere now!”

“Love for Sale” was recorded by Bennett and Gaga over the course of two years. The release is being billed as Bennett’s last after the revelation earlier this year that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016.

In February, AARP the Magazine reported that unlike some Alzheimer’s patients, Bennett could still recognize friends and family members, did not wander from home and had not demonstrated signs of terror, rage or depression often prompted by the debilitating disease.

Bennett

By CHUCK BARNEY

Mercury News

And the TV shows just keep on coming.

We’re still more than a month away from the start of the new fall broadcast season, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to watch in August.

There are still a few more days of competition in the Olympics, which wind down with the closing ceremony (Sunday, NBC). Also, the final seasons of “Brooklyn NineNine” (Aug. 12, NBC) and “The Walking Dead” (Aug. 22, AMC) both launch in the coming days.

For football fans, there’s “Hard Knocks with the Dallas Cowboys” (Tuesday, HBO). For lovers of dating shows there’s “Bachelor in Paradise” (Aug. 16, ABC). And for those of you looking for some scares, “American Horror Story” (Aug. 25, FX) is back in all its gory glory.

In addition, here are five brand new offerings that have us excited for August: ‘Fantasy Island’

Yes, we’re pretty much fed up with TV’s relentless obsession with reboots. On the other hand, they occasionally pique our curiosity.

Such is the case with this update in which Roselyn Sanchez (“Devious Maids”) plays Elena Roarke, a descendent of Ricardo Montalban’s iconic character and steward of a mysterious tropical resort. There, guests have their deepest desires fulfilled, but rarely in a way they expect. Per the Fox synopsis, Elena has “set aside her own ambitions, and even the love of her life, to uphold her family’s legacy.”

Our only question: Will there be someone around to shout “De plane! De plane!”?

Details: Premieres Tuesday, Fox. ‘Homeroom’

Oakland High School’s class of 2020 is the subject of this provocative and inspiring 90-minute documentary from director Peter Nicks.

Nicks takes a fly-on-thewall approach to chronicle the resilient OHS seniors as their

Roselyn Sánchez welcomes you to a brand new version of “Fantasy Island.” Miller Mobley/FOX/TNS

At the first sign of trouble, parents want to jump in and fix things. But experts say we should fight that

urge. Vecteezy.com

By HEIDI LYNN BORST

Washington Post

ays of pride beamed from my 7-year-old’s cherubic face as he held his drawing up for my assessment. “Ten out of ten?”

Rhe asked. Though I wanted to be honest (this artwork was far from his best attempt), my fear of triggering his harsh inner critic took over, and I nodded in approval.

When providing feedback that might bruise my son’s self-esteem, I’m ultra careful. A borderline perfectionist, he’s hard on himself and extremely sensitive to criticism. Still, I worried whether praising my son for a subpar effort was the right move. It felt good in the moment, but experts say that loading kids with validation, a common parenting perspective in the ‘90s, does more harm than good in the long run.

Kids with low self-esteem constantly worry “Am I good enough?,” but parents who regularly check in and show affection help buffer against the negative outcomes of low self-esteem, says Amy Brausch, a professor of psychology at Western Kentucky University. A 2014 study Brausch co-authored found that close parental relationships help moderate worrisome risk factors such as anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation.

As parents, it’s painful to watch our children struggle. At the first sign of trouble, we want to jump in and fix things. But experts say we should fight that urge. Instead, parents should promote their child’s self-efficacy, defined as the ability to complete a task or challenge using the appropriate strategies on one’s own.

Actively bolstering kids’ competence is much more beneficial than swooping in to save the day. Sugarcoated feedback like I gave my son might protect a child’s feelings, but it won’t help them improve. So what can parents do to increase their children’s selfefficacy? I spoke with experts to get their advice: IDENTIFY SPECIFIC IMPROVEMENTS

It’s not enough to simply tell kids to try harder. “If kids are learning to draw, they need to learn perspective. If they’re learning to play baseball, they need to learn the correct way to hold the bat,” says Eileen Kennedy-Moore, a Princeton, N.J., clinical psychologist and author of “Kid Confidence: Help Your Child Make

Friends, Build Resilience, and Develop Real Self-Esteem.” “Lavish praise doesn’t help, because if I’m already wonderful, why would

I try hard or practice? Competence means not only developing skills, but also embracing the learning process.”

She advises parents to give specific suggestions about what kids can do to achieve a goal in attainable steps: “Effort without strategy is demoralizing. When a kid has had many experiences of failure, why in the world would they believe that if they struggle now, it will pay off?”

Based on this approach, I reassessed my son’s drawing. Noticing he’d rushed through the areas of Godzilla’s body that required more attention to detail, I found an online tutorial for him to watch. Observing carefully, he followed the steps, slow and purposeful in this second attempt. His hard work paid off, and the result was an effort he was proud of.

LET KIDS PROBLEM-SOLVE ON THEIR OWN

Parents should give kids the freedom to figure things out for themselves, serving as gentle guides rather than running the show. “It’s a fool’s errand to think that we can protect our children from the world,” says Ned Johnson, president and founder of testpreparation and tutoring company Prep Matters and co-author of “The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your

Kids More Control Over Their Lives.” “If your kid has the sense that if something bad happens, Mom is going to fall out of the ceiling like Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible’ and extricate them, that’s (problematic). What we want to do is teach them the skills to be able to protect themselves, and if they’re not able to protect themselves, how do they look for help?”

Real competence results from repeated experience coping with tolerable stressors and uncomfortable feelings on our own,

Johnson says. “You can have a wall full of trophies from ‘Most

Improved’ to ‘Trier,’ but real self-esteem has an internal locus of control, not an external one,” he says. “I don’t have to be saved by superheroes. I get to be the epic hero of my own life. Kids cannot have real self-esteem without feeling like they are capable and able to handle things on their own.” Before lending a hand, consider whether your child is capable of accomplishing some or all of a task solo, says Giacomo Bono, associate professor of psychology at California State University at Dominguez Hills and co-author of “Making Grateful Kids: The Science of Building Character.” “Help them only enough so they can get it done, but not more than that,” he suggests, adding: “Don’t attempt something so challenging that you can’t help them achieve it, because it could backfire, and maybe they’ll give up on the sport or the hobby or whatever it is.” EXPRESS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE True self-esteem is rooted in unconditional love, not undeserved praise, Johnson says: “There’s a difference between thinking that every picture you make is a masterpiece, or every note you play on the piano is inspired genius, as opposed to innately knowing, I’m loved.” Unconditional regard fills our kids with the confidence to believe in their ability to succeed on their own, bolstering their selfesteem, Bono adds. “When you have conditions, it exerts control on the child,” he says. “It is important for a child to believe that you value them no matter what. No matter what happens now, if you fail, that doesn’t determine how I value you, and I believe you have something important to contribute.” Tell your kids exactly what you love about them that doesn’t have to be earned, Kennedy-Moore says: “The greatest compliment we can give our kids is to say, ‘I really enjoy your company.’ It’s really important for kids to learn that love doesn’t have to be earned — the alternative is to be on a treadmill of constantly having to prove their worth.” Letting your kids see the real you, flaws and all, will help them accept themselves and their own imperfections. “You don’t want your kids to see you as this perfect person that doesn’t make mistakes,” Brausch says. “Give examples of a difficulty or challenge you had and how you found your way through it. Modeling that everybody makes mistakes and learns from them is really helpful.” The next time my son says, “Isn’t this drawing the best?” I’ll be sure to tell him how much I love his passion for art, offering feedback if I see room for improvement, along with ideas for making it better. I believe in him, no matter what, but I want him to learn to believe in himself, too.

From C1

special year suddenly brings unprecedented circumstances and anxious uncertainty amid a rapidly developing pandemic. Meanwhile, a group of students passionately work to remove police officers from their campus against the backdrop of growing nationwide demands for systemic change. (Check out a review of the film).

“Homeroom,” executiveproduced by Bay Area native Ryan Coogler, is Nicks’ final chapter in a trilogy of Oaklandbased films, following “The Waiting Room” (2012) and “The Force” (2017). All three examine the challenges faced by struggling institutions, including Highland Hospital and the Oakland Police Department.

Details: Premieres Aug. 12 on Hulu. (“The Waiting Room” and “The Force” will also be available on Hulu). ‘Heels’

Even people who don’t closely follow pro wrestling know names like “The Rock” and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. But megawatt superstars are the rare exception in a brutal business that finds many of its warrior hulks toiling far from the TV spotlight — for paltry pay — in the hardscrabble indie circuit.

That world is the setting for this saga about two sibling rivals (Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig) in Georgia who spar over the leadership of their family’s small-town wrestling league after the death of their father.

So which one is the “good guy,” and which one is the “heel” — the name given to ring villains?

Details: Premieres Aug. 15; Starz. ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’

The first time Nicole Kidman teamed up with screenwriter David E. Kelley and Aussie author Liane Moriarty, it resulted in the blockbuster miniseries “Big Little Lies.” Could they have another big hit on their hands?

Kelley adapts Moriarty’s novel about nine city dwellers who arrive at a secluded health and wellness resort seeking to reinvigorate their lives. They soon realize that this place — and the mysterious woman who runs it (Kidman) — are nothing like they expected.

The impressive cast includes, among others, Melissa McCarthy, Luke Evans, Regina Hall and Bobby Cannavale.

Details: Premieres Aug. 18 on Hulu. ‘The Chair’

Sandra Oh (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Killing Eve”) has done plenty of drama in her career. Now she takes a shot at headlining a satirical comedy.

For this six-episode series, Oh plays Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim, the newly appointed chair of the English department at a university faced with declining enrollment and a host of other challenges. We’re in a “dire crisis,” she proclaims. Can she fix it? Bring on the clashes, scandals and comedic mishaps.

Jay Duplass and Holland Taylor also star. The series is written by Amanda Peet and includes former “Game of Thrones” show runners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss among its executive producers.

Details: Premieres Aug. 20 on Netflix.

From C1

of prison for dangerous missions on her Task Force X team. But there’s mischief in the timeline, which hops around to days and minutes earlier, showing us things that happened while we were with other characters, or revealing a complete bait-and-switch.

The team that we end up following is comprised of Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), Polka Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), and King Shark (Sylvester Stallone). They link up with Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and Col. Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) in an effort to infiltrate a South American island nation, Corto Maltese, which has just been taken over in a military coup. Waller wants the Suicide Squad to destroy a former Nazi experimentation site in Corto Maltese, where an extraterrestrial beast is rumored to reside, and contain all threats to the U.S.

It’s your basic black ops mission, but with incredibly colorful characters, and Gunn keeps the tone light and lively. Elba and Cena banter and smack-talk their way through, these two otherwise tough guys finally allowed to be funny, for once. Robbie, in what is one of the most indelible screen performances of the 21st century as Harley Quinn, is now three for three on home runs in this role. She’s simply mesmerizing as the seductive and silly jester princess. But the other characters are welcome additions as well, especially Melchior as a girl whose superpower is (checks notes) controlling rats.

What’s remarkable about “The Suicide Squad,” is that for all its bloody sneering and snark, you care about all of these characters, who actually feel like real people. Even as it climaxes in a surreal and hallucinatory kaiju explosion that’s a cartoonish mashup of “Godzilla,” “Alien” and even Gunn’s 2006 directorial debut, “Slither,” the actual conflict is grounded in real political history, and the film makes a razor-sharp commentary on American intervention overseas, especially in Central America. It’s not often a comic book flick will have you critiquing Reagan-era politics while also enjoying the lizard-brain pleasures of a creature feature smash-emup, but that’s just the special sauce that James Gunn brings. Here’s hoping he heads to the dark side again soon.

MPAA rating: R (for strong violence and gore, language throughout, some sexual references, drug use and brief graphic nudity)

Running time: 2:12

Where to watch: In theaters and streaming on HBO Max Friday

From C1

He struggled to identify everyday objects, however, and when recording his upcoming album with Lady Gaga from 2018 to 2020, he had lost his vigor and awareness in the studio.

“There’s a lot about him that I miss,” his wife, Susan Benedetto -- that’s Bennett’s legal last name, by the way -- said in the AARP article. “Because he’s not the old Tony anymore. ... But when he sings, he’s the old Tony.”

Despite all that, Bennett and his protege will perform together Tuesday and Thursday at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. The nearly sold-out shows are titled “One Last Time: An Evening With Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga.” He also has a couple of solo shows planned for September and October.

Bennett’s Twitter account rounded up birthday wishes Tuesday from the likes of Alec Baldwin, Robert De Niro, Cyndi Lauper, U2’s Bono and the Edge, the Pointer Sisters, Billy Joel, Keith Richards and Paul McCartney and Katie Couric, who posted video of herself playing “I Get a Kick Out of You” for Bennett in 2016.

“God gave you a great, great gift, and you really have put it to good use,” Baldwin said in his happy birthday video. ------

Los Angeles Times staff writer Christi Carras contributed to this report. ------ (C)2021 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

wdt.me /tomato_recipes

Big Little Summer Tomato Pizza. Scott Suchman/Washington Post SUMMER STUNNER

By ANN MALONEY

Washington Post

Ithink tomato season should be its own, added to the other four. Who’s with me?

Yes, I know tomatoes come into their own in the summer, but there is a window of time when they are at their very sweetest and juiciest. That’s when I like to make them the stars of meals.

This little pizza does just that. It also allows me to select from the various colors and sizes of tomatoes - yellow, orange, red, big and round, slender and small - that look so tempting this time of year at farmers markets and grocery stores.

If you get a pretty variety, this dish ends up looking a bit like a stained-glass

See TOMATOES C6

Pexels

By CHUCK BARNEY

Mercury News

Television’s appetite for cooking shows is clearly insatiable.

A quick scan of broadcast networks, cable channels and streaming platforms reveals that culinary-minded fare is everywhere. And each week, it seems, new shows arrive featuring fresh, cameraready chefs and/or a different way to turn cooking into a cutthroat competition.

If you’re hungry for more shows to add to your viewing menu, here’s a sampling of series arriving soon:

“Guy: Hawaiian Style” — We’ve lost track of how many shows Guy Fieri headlines. This one consists of four episodes and follows Fieri and his family through Maui, Oahu and the Big Island as they drop in on some favorite eateries and discover new ones along the way. Begins streaming Aug. 28, Discovery+.

“Cooking With Paris” — Celebrities who can’t really cook, but desperately want to are fueling a suddenly robust genre. Now, Paris Hilton’s takes her shot. The heiresssocialite-reality TV star invites viewers into her kitchen as she learns to saute, sear and zest with some of her famous friends. Begins streaming Wednesday, Netflix.

“Money Hungry” — Hosted by Kal Penn, this series puts taste buds to the rigorous test. It has accomplished chefs, restaurant critics, cookbook authors and home cooks sampling various meals and being challenged to identify specific ingredients. The reward? $50,000. Premieres 10 p.m. Aug. 8, Food Network. The show moves to its regular time slot 10 p.m. Aug. 10.

“Bake Squad” — In each episode, four standout bakers battle it out to see whose dessert will be chosen for someone’s extra-special day. The bakers on the show have been recruited by Milk Bar founder Christina Tosi, who built a bakery and dessert empire on delicious cookie dough. Begins streaming Aug. 11, Netflix.

“Well Done With Sebastian Maniscalco” — Need some laughs with your meals? In this seven-episode series, the stand-up comedian is joined by family and friends on a journey to explore food culture and etiquette. Scheduled to appear are comedians Russell Peters, Bert Kreischer, Anjelah Johnson and Fortune Feimster, along with journalist Rich Eisen, and actors Gillian Jacobs and Oscar Nunez. Starts streaming Aug. 12, Discovery+.

“Ben & Jerry’s: Clash of the Cones” — What would summer be without mondo amounts of ice cream? Molly Yeh hosts

Guy Fieri’s newest show is “Guy: Hawaiian Style,” a four-episode series that begins streaming Aug. 28 on Discovery+.

Discovery+

By M. CARRIE ALLAN

Washington Post

Having over the years consumed drinks containing ingredients from beet juice to charcoal to pine needles, when I first heard of Ranch Water, I’ll admit I cast up a quiet plea to heaven: Please Lord, do not let this drink contain ranch dressing. Next I thought of actual ranches I’ve been to, where the water in play was usually brown hollers encircled by slurping cows or mud-slathered pigs.

Now that I’ve looked into it, I’m happy to report that Ranch Water — which after sloshing around Texas for decades has recently galloped around the country at such speeds that entrepreneurs are betting their ranches on it — contains neither buttermilk nor pigrinsings.

At its most basic, the drink that sweltering Texans are throwing together is just tequila, lime juice and mineral water. That makes for a pretty tart drink, so many add some form of sweetener, often orange liqueur.

Bars all over Texas have some variation on their menu. The three-ingredient version is a bright lowsugar sip; adding orange liqueur makes for something like a margarita in highball form. And it’s easy to adlib, throwing in some jalapeño slices, adding summer fruit, switching up the spirit.

“A bunch of people out here refer to it as the Ranch Water because cowboys are out there working hard all day, and they want good water, but they want it a little bit spiked,” says Eloise Bryan, lead concierge at the Gage Hotel in Marathon,

By MARK ATHITAKIS

Star Tribune

“What Strange Paradise” by: Omar El Akkad; Alfred A. Knopf (256 pages, $25.95)

In his 2017 debut novel, “American War,” Omar El Akkad spotlighted Middle East humanitarian crises by reimagining them on U.S. soil. Perhaps, the novel implied, Americans might pay refugees and sectarian violence closer attention if we witnessed them in a near-future dystopian South.

His follow-up, “What Strange Paradise,” doesn’t strive to be nearly so high-concept. Indeed, it’s simple in the way that novels like “The Stranger” or “Of Mice and Men” are: brief, taut, coolly delivered but with seas of emotion swirling beneath.

Here, the focus is on Middle Eastern migrants, centered on the travails of one boy, Amir. He and his family are escaping Syria, but El Akkad dwells little on the particulars of the conflict there. He is simply a member of “the oldest tribe, the tribe of endless leaving.” The novel opens with the aftermath of that departure, with Amir washed up on the beach of an unnamed island.

Fleeing the authorities, he finds a protector in Vanna, a teenage girl with more compassion than her parents, the police or the tourists who see a grounded ship full of migrants as an inconvenience.

In the “Before” chapters, El Akkad relates Amir’s trek from Syria to Egypt, where he sneaks onto an overcrowded and ill-piloted ferryboat heading north. The “After” chapters follow his and Vanna’s efforts to get him to safety. El Akkad cleanly renders the inherent tensions in both timelines. Will Amir successfully navigate the squalor and danger of the ramshackle boat? Will he somehow find his way to freedom?

Though Amir is the story’s center, he’s enveloped in El Akkad’s stiffer metacommentary on the migrant crisis from secondary characters. When a bureaucrat tries to cool down a vindictive military officer by saying, “It’s not a colonization, it’s just a bunch of people on boats,” he snaps back: “All colonization is just a bunch of people on boats.”

A migrant on the ferry lectures the passengers to keep their ambitions for freedom low: “Go ahead, change your country, change your name, change your accent, pull the skin right off your bones, but in their eyes they will always be engines and you will always, always be fuel.”

The novel is strongest when El Akkad’s lens is trained on Vanna and Amir. He refers to them together as “children,” which is factually true, but also emphasizes the point that surviving in a hardhearted environment — even thinking of survival — requires a certain innocence. And a late twist in the novel applies some of that innocence to the reader. We’re too easily tempted to apply pleasant, novelistic arcs to human lives, El Akkad suggests. He uses his own novel to remind us to distrust that instinct.

Mark Athitakis is a reviewer in Phoenix.

By RICHARD LIPEZ

Washington Post

If you don’t want to think about the pandemic any more than you have to, rest assured COVID-19 is nowhere to be found in three of this month’s most noteworthy mysteries and thrillers. The virus is a factor in a fourth entry, and in a fifth it’s the foundation for a plot too ingenious to miss. Take your pick.

‘Clark and Division,’

By Naomi Hirahara

The Ito family, at the center of Naomi Hirahara’s vibrant suspense novel set in World War II Los Angeles and Chicago, were four of the more than 120,000 Japanese Americans rounded up by a U.S. government gripped by racial hysteria and transported to grim internment camps. Late in the war, many of those people were relocated to cities with labor shortages. Months after smart, takeno-guff Rose Ito, 23, arrives in Chicago, she is run over by a subway train and dies. Younger sister Aki scoffs at the coroner’s verdict of suicide and sets out to uncover the ugly truth. Author of the Mas Arai and Ellie Rush mysteries, Hirahara has drawn a devastating picture of a family in crisis and a nation’s monumental blunder. (Available Aug. 3)

‘False Witness,’

By Karin Slaughter

Throwing a case may be the worst thing a defense attorney can do. But that’s what otherwise ethical Leigh Collier plans with the case of accused rapist Andrew Tenant. Karin Slaughter’s (the Will Trent series, et al.) latest non-series thriller, set in Atlanta at the outset of the pandemic, is cunningly conceived and written — not to mention massive; don’t drop it on an unshod foot. As teens, Leigh and her sister Callie babysat young Andrew, and he thinks — correctly — that they killed his violent pedophile dad and got away with it. Complicated? Very. But also deeply satisfying.

‘Felonious Monk,’

By William Kotzwinkle

William Kotzwinkle, author of the cult hippie novel “The Fan Man,” as well as dozens of other novels, children’s stories and screenplays, brings a similar engagingly outre vibe to this tale of a conscience-stricken mob scion who finds peace as a Benedictine monk. That is, until his Uncle Vittorio, a corrupt priest, leaves Brother Tommy a fortune; others think it belongs to them. The amiably satirical novel takes place in Paloma, Arizona (read Sedona), a world gathering place for “cartoon spirituality” and New Age hustlers. It’s where the previously celibate Tommy hooks up with Cheyenne, an alluring con artist who tries unsuccessfully to exorcise what — to the monk’s bafflement — she refers to as his “slimy entities.” (Available Aug. 30)

‘56 Days, ’

By Catherine Ryan Howard

At or near the top of any list of superb Irish thriller writers these days is Catherine Ryan Howard, an Edgar nominee for “The Liar’s Girl” in 2018. Her fifth stand-alone, the masterly “56 Days,” is set mostly during a 2020 COVID lockdown in Dublin and brings two vulnerable and insecure 20-somethings together for an anxious, pandemic-limited, let’s-see-how-itgoes romance. Each, however, harbors a doozy of a secret, one of them blood-curdling. Timely, surprising, emotionally alive, this is about as good as suspense fiction gets. (Available Aug. 17)

‘Not a Happy Family,’

By Shari Lapena

Shari Lapena’s eighth standalone thriller — 2016’s “The Couple Next Door” may be her best known — is such a quintessential “beach read,” I half expected sand to fall out of it. This one brings lurid family mayhem to the Hudson Valley. When wealthy, psychologically sadistic Fred Merton and his fretful wife, Sheila, are massacred in their mansion, their three grown children — ragefilled Dan, materialistic dermatologist Catherine and purplehaired “outlier” Jenna — are all plausible suspects. With her cascading short chapters and teasers by the dozen, you stick with Lapena eagerly despite the flavorless scene-setting and generic cops. Bring sunscreen.

Richard Lipez writes the Donald Strachey PI novels under the name Richard Stevenson.

By GABBY TORRENTI

Booktrib.com

“China Deception, Part 1” (Gatekeeper Press) by Leroy Field provides a chilling perspective on the COVID-19 p a n d e m i c i n t h e U n i t e d States and around the world through the medium of dystopian fiction. During a time characterized by worldwide fear and placing blame on various members of the global community for inciting the virus, this novel explains how a quest for world domination can turn into one of the deadliest events in modern history. Let this novel serve as both a thrilling read and a warning.

To open this cautionary tale, Field backtracks to Wuhan, China in 2014, when Dr. Li Wen first was appointed to general director of the W u h a n I n s t i t u t e o f V i r o logy. The Institute had spent many years studying various c o r o n a v i r u s s t r a n d s , s p ecifically focusing on whether viral cells in bats could be transmitted to humans, thus uncovering the root of the SARS virus in 2016.

Shortly after this discovery, Dr. Wen was approached by the Ministry of State Security (MSS). This highly secretive police agency assigned him with a singular task: to create a new strain of the virus with a long mutation period, high mortality rate and the ability to rapidly mutate. What Wen believed to be a practice in vaccine development ended up placing the weapon for “the largest biological mass murder in history” in his own hands. THE FATE OF THE WORLD HANGS IN THE BALANCE

Fast-forwarding a bit, the story travels overseas to document the election of a new United States president, a candidate with minimal political background and a strong reputation in corporate America (sound familiar?). Weighing national debts and the country’s position as “well overdue for a recession,” President William Thomson meets with his staff to discuss the options for offsetting debt. Among these options are middle-class tax credits, an economic reinvigoration agreement with North Korea, additional tariffs on Chinese imports and interference with Russia’s control of the oil trade.

With America seeking to impose its will on these three nations, a multinational triad emerges with one primary goal: to defeat the new American leader in his advances. Armed with the recentlydeveloped virus incubated in Wuhan, the leaders from North Korea, China and Russia decide to release the biological weapon.

BLENDING FICTION

WITH REAL EVENTS

By this point, each has developed a vaccine to control the vector and extent of destruction among their own people. They are banking on two things to prevent America from containing the virus once it reaches its shores: the ego of the American president and the population’s resistance to what they will perceive as attacks on individual freedoms — such as, oh, following recommended guidelines for stopping the virus’s rapid spread. The fact that the virus is accidentally released ahead of plan doesn’t really make much difference in the outcome, which is as devastating as we know it to be.

From this point forward, the story progresses much like life has over the past 65 weeks or so around the world: hospitals become inundated with cases, media outlets struggle to keep up with breaking news, foreign leaders clash, and people around the globe anxiously await vaccines to hopefully reduce their chances of contracting the virus.

Field does an excellent job of blending fiction with very real events, allowing the reader to escape into its pages even as we see the first glimmers of hope that a return to normal is around the corner. This story is entertaining and eerie, but also expertly written and makes a very clear point: in the quest for world domination, no winner can emerge without far too many casualties.

Tribune News Service

Here are the bestsellers for the week that ended Saturday, July 24, compiled from data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide, powered by NPD BookScan. HARDCOVER FICTION

Knopf 8. Nine Lives. Danielle Steel. Delacorte 9. False Witness. Karin Slaughter. Morrow 10. It’s Better This Way. Debbie Macomber. Ballantine

9. Caste. Isabel Wilkerson. Random House 10. Frankly, We Did Win This Election. Michael C. Bender. Twelve MASS MARKET

10. Shakeup. Stuart Woods. Putnam

TRADE PAPERBACK

WITH BOB JONES

©2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

FINDING THE JACK Neither vulnerable, West deals

NORTH ♠ A Q 5 2 ♥ 5 2 ♦ Q 8 5 3 2 ♣ Q 10 WEST EAST ♠ 10 ♠ 7 6 4 ♥ A Q 9 8 7 6 4 ♥ K 10 3 ♦ J 6 4 ♦ A 7 ♣ 9 7 ♣ A 8 4 3 2 SOUTH ♠ K J 9 8 3

♥ J ♦ K 10 9 ♣ K J 6 5

The bidding: WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH 3♥ Pass 4♥ 4♠ All pass Not only was four hearts an easy make for East-West, four spades has legitimate play, needing only to find the jack of diamonds.

So u t h r u f f e d t h e h e a r t continuation at trick two, cashed the king of spades, and led a spade to dummy’s ace. He left the last trump outstanding and set out to see what he could learn about the deal. He led the queen of clubs, which East won with his ace and led his remaining spade to South’s jack. Two diamond discards from dummy would not help South, so he led the king of clubs, crashing dummy’s 10, and continued with the jack of clubs and a club ruff.

South’s excellent technique taught him everything he needed to know. West had started with 1-7-3-2 distribution. East had to have the ace of diamonds, or West would have opened one heart rather than three hearts. South led a diamond to his king, winning the trick, and then ran the 10 of diamonds, knowing it would lose to the now singleton ace. Very nicely played! Answers on C6 Answers on C6

Answers Next Week

By Stella Wilder

Born today, you believe wholeheartedly in the adage “seek and ye shall find” — and from an early age you will no doubt seek out all that you want and, with a little luck and help from your friends, attain it! You have a keen mind, a quick wit and a perception of the world that allows you to take full advantage of situations as they arise. You are never fooled by a false sense that things should be easier than they are.

You have keen and expensive tastes, and you know how to spend money on the best of whatever it is that strikes your fancy. Fortunately, you also know how to make money as well — which will certainly be a useful skill for you, considering that you don’t like to compromise where your “favorites” of anything are concerned.

Also born on this date are: Madonna, singer; Steve Carell, actor; Angela Bassett, actress; James Cameron, director; Kathie Lee Gifford, TV personality; Julie Newmar, actress; Timothy Hutton, actor; Eydie Gorme, singer; Fess Parker, actor.

To see what is in store for you tomorrow, find your birthday and read the corresponding paragraph. Let your birthday star be your daily guide.

MONDAY, AUGUST 16

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — You’re likely to want more than what you currently have — but is it a question of need? You must determine what is really necessary today.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — It’s a good day for you to clear out some of the clutter that’s been getting in your way — literally and figuratively. Start with yourself!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — You can pass the time most productively today, especially when you don’t have anything pressing to take care of at work or on the home front.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Some may not give you the credit you feel you’ve earned, but that’s likely in accordance with the rules. You must adjust your thinking.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — You are awaiting something that cannot come to pass until someone else does one simple job — and this is not something you should do!

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — A burst of activity is likely to take it out of you, but you can bounce back quickly. The current contest is likely to last some time.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Only after you overcome certain obstacles and obliterate certain barriers will you be able to do what you had hoped to do — but you can do it!

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) — You are devoted to a certain central idea that will see you through anything that happens today with flying colors. Others follow suit.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) — You may have to interrupt your work today to assist someone who is trying to do too much at one time. This is something you know about!

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — You are eager to be reunited with those who helped you get where you are today. You may find that it’s very much as if no time has passed.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21) — You’re likely to encounter someone who doesn’t fall under your spell quite as quickly as others — but this can be quite attractive to you.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) — You’re going to ask questions and supply some answers, and by day’s end, you’ll come to a conclusion that sets you up for future success.