Books and literature

Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa, Nobel literature laureate and a giant of Latin American letters for many decades, has died, his son said Sunday. He was 89.

NBC News Anchor Vicky Nguyen opens up about her parents’ daring escape from Vietnam, growing up Vietnamese-American, and how her new book, “Boat Baby”, celebrates family, identity, and the American dream. Vicky will be discussing “Boat Baby” on April 10th at 6 pm at Zibby’s Bookshop in Santa Monica.

California Live’s Jessica Vilchis sat down with former CEO of BET and business leader, Debra Lee, about her memoir “I Am Debra Lee,” now available in paperback. Hear how she broke barriers of race and gender from a segregated school in North Carolina to the C-Suite of the entertainment industry and beyond.

For more than two decades, a Tampa woman has driven over a half-a-million miles to get books into the hands of kids who might not otherwise have access. Bess the Book Bus founder Jennifer dials-in and shares how the bus and its mission is inspired by her book-loving nana.

Chudney Ross, daughter of Motown legend Diana Ross, is inspiring young minds in Los Angeles with a unique weekly read-along program designed to ignite a passion for reading in children. California Live correspondent, Lisa Breckenridge, talks with the author and reading advocate.

California Live’s Jessica Vilchis stops by the newest location of The Last Bookstore, DTLA’s iconic labyrinth style book shop, that opened up in Studio City in part of what used to be a home and design retail space.

“It’s about what it means to be a young person in a generation that is going to end, and is currently changing the world,” the lauded poet said of her new book.

The stamps commemorate the iconic 1947 children’s book and the long-running Nickelodeon animated series.

“Inner Excellence” argues people can achieve better results in their chosen fields if they look inward and change their mindset about success.

Ruby Franke’s eldest child is speaking out in a new memoir. Shari Franke is sharing her story in the book, “The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom,” set to be released on Jan. 7, more than a year after her mother Ruby pleaded guilty to aggravated child abuse.

Good Reads for Kids: “A Dollar is Magic” By Helen Braswell Kakouris, CPA Good Reads for the Inspirational Reader: “Morning Fuel” By Rebecca Faye Smith Galli Good Reads for the Entrepreneur: “She Thinks Big” By Andrea Liebross Good Reads for Seeking Alignment: “The Sacred Plate” By Sarah Vie Good Reads for Seeking Clarity: “The Yes Code” By Carol Look Good Reads...

Author and former prosecutor Marcia Clark stops by California Live to talk about her new true crime book “Trial by Ambush,” and weighs in on current cases.

Staffers at Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama, San Francisco’s City Lights Books and The Nook in Cedar Falls, Iowa, are among 600 booksellers receiving $500 holiday bonuses from James Patterson.

New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has signed a law to prohibit book bans in the state and enshrine protections against civil and criminal charges for librarians who comply with the law.

Kamala Harris and breakout star Chappell Roan were among the year’s most talked-about people. Their names were also among the most mispronounced.

Oxford University Press has named “brain rot” its word of the year.

Award-winning author TJ Klune (“The House in the Cerulean Sea”) on when he felt able to quit his day job and when he first felt like he’d made it as a writer.

California Live’s Jobeth Devera is giving us a VIP tour of Arion Press, where the art of old-world bookmaking flourishes under a single roof. This unique institution is America’s last bastion of fine press book production, combining letter press printing, hand-binding, and typecasting in a seamless operation.

California Live’s Amber Pfister heads to IAMLA to meet with author Marianna Gatto to chat about her new book and explore the new exhibit, Creative Minds, featuring Italian inventors in LA.