Author: Barbara VanDenburgh, USA TODAY

Book bans are at a record high. Here are the books that were targeted the most, sometimes removed from schools, libraries and public institutions.

Poet Smith writes in lyrical vignettes of finding herself in middle age after the disintegration of her marriage and her path to healing.

Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”) and Mireille Enos (“The Killing”) discuss their new comedy and the “drop of hope” it brought to their lives.

This spring brings new books from Paris Hilton, Rainn Wilson, and Laura Dern with her mother Diane Ladd. Here are 20 books we can’t wait to read.

Strong storytelling, even stronger women and a bit of humor. Here’s why we chose Claire Jimenez’s debut novel as the book to read this week.

A new podcast is shining a spotlight on “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling’s rhetoric on transgender women, and it’s got people fired up.

Romance author Susan Meachen returned to social media this week. The problem? Her suicide was announced two years ago. We explain the controversy.

These are the 18 books USA TODAY critics gave perfect ★★★★ (out of four) reviews.

Talk show host Kelly Ripa makes her literary debut with “Live Wire,” and Namwali Serpell returns with haunting novel “The Furrows.”