NEW YORK (AP) -- An online resource for literary content is hoping to create the publishing equivalent of Rotten Tomatoes.Literary Hub (lithub.com) announced Tuesday the launch of Book Marks, compiling reviews from more than 70 outlets ranging from the New York Times to the Las Vegas Weekly. Reviews will include links to the original publications, and individual books will be assigned composite letter grades by Lit Hub editors. Any work that has been reviewed three or more times will be listed i

“Ink and Bone” 　By Lisa Unger　Touchstone (352 pages, $24.99)　The Hollows, an idyllic sounding town in upstate New York, keeps calling to author Lisa Unger. This fictional town that attracts those seeing a respite from New York City or want a smaller community to call home also has a dark side that rears its head and takes residents on emotional roller-coasters that test their mettle and moral compass.　Each of Unger’s novels set in The Hollows follows a different set of characters with the town a

“Becoming Wise” 　By Krista Tippett　The Penguin Press (288 pages, $28)　Most of us can only dream of the dinner parties Krista Tippett could put together. We’re lucky, then, that her new book is the next best thing to an invitation to sit down, make ourselves at home and prepare for a mind-expanding exploration of what it means to be human.　With “Becoming Wise: An Inquiry Into the Mystery and Art of Living,” Tippett expands on interviews that became fascinating fodder for her award-winning NPR pro

“Dear Mr. You” 　By Mary-Louise Parker　Scribner (228 pages, $25)　In the imaginative and evocative “Dear Mr. You,” sexy “Weeds” actress Mary-Louise Parker hints at her compelling life story through a series of love letters to key men in her life.　Each letter is a chapter, addressed to figures she mostly names only as Yacqui Indian Boy, Blue, Big Feet, Little Owl and the like. (You may find yourself googling her to try to suss out details.) As she explains in the titular first chapter, she’s writin

NEW YORK (AP) -- In a surprise appearance, Beyonce delighted a glittery fashion crowd Monday evening, showing up unannounced to accept the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Fashion Icon award.Usually, organizers announce the name of the Fashion Icon winner well in advance, but this year they kept it under wraps until the end of the ceremony, when designer Diane von Furstenberg took the stage to introduce the pop superstar, saying she was everything women aspire to be. Designer Calvin Kle

Online videos are rapidly evolving into independent cultural content covering topics ranging from beauty, food and online games to news, increasingly replacing conventional media. 　In line with such trends, a festival shedding light on emerging Web-based content will be held from June 23-26 in Gwangju, inviting some of the most popular YouTube channel content creators. 　“Web-based content has been expanding to the point where it challenges existing traditional media such as television programs,

Korean Food Foundation head Yoon Sook-ja aims to imbue Korean cuisine with culture in promoting hansik abroad

Seo Jin-kyung, 33, frequently visits Seoul Library’s Sky Yard, a rooftop garden located by the cafe on the fifth floor, where the panoramic view of the country’s capital city refreshes her.　Upon opening the glass door at one side of the cafe, a green space filled with various types of hibiscus syriacus – the national flower of South Korea –- and wooden benches under a blue sky welcome visitors. 　“I tend to relax with a cup of tea or talk on the phone here when I study at Seoul Library. I think i

As a major urban city, Seoul’s dense quarters leave little space for those with green thumbs to enjoy the relaxing pleasures of gardening within the confines of one’s home. However, one of the latest trends in combating Seoul’s lack of space is to utilize one’s rooftop. There are an increasing number of private homes independently creating their own rooftop Gardens of Eden, separate from the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s “Rooftop Greening Project” that seeks to revitalize public and private ro

Social enterprise Urban Bees Seoul sees the city through the eyes of honey bees

Urban farmers on the rise, with more city dwellers seek healthy food and comfort in farming

One of my long-standing problems in the kitchen is ambition versus execution.That dilemma always comes up during strawberry season.Strawberries are such a fleeting crop. And so, I never pass up an opportunity to bring home quarts and buckets and flats of berries.I try to put up jars of strawberry jam; regular, low sugar and no sugar. I try to make batches of old-fashioned strawberry preserves, where the berries are suspended in sauce. The preserves are so beautiful and make great holiday gifts.

Coffee M Works aims high with house-roasted, artisanal brews

Busan Sea FestivalThe annual Busan Sea Festival is gearing up for its 21st year, kicking off this year’s weeklong festivities on Aug. 1. The festival was launched 20 years ago in an effort to promote the harbor city of Busan as a port-side tourist destination and was Korea’s first general ocean festival. However, now the event has grown to be one of the city’s biggest festivals, offering visitors of all ages the opportunity to view and experience various cultural programs and performances. The f

Beat the summer heat at Sheraton Grande WalkerhillSheraton Grande Walkerhill presents its seasonal bingsu promotion “Frozen Sweet” at the lobby lounge The Pavilion until Sept. 11.The promotion offers a selection of bingsu, including the hotel’s signature Milk Patbingsu with red bean paste and organic condensed milk, and Konggaru Bingsu with bean powder. Visitors can select fruit toppings from among apple mangos or blueberries.All the bingsu items use smooth and sweet iced-milk for well-balanced