Books

Local researcher and ghost-tour guide Jeff Provine recently published “100 Things to Do in Oklahoma City Before You Die” (third edition), which adds to his collection of Haunted Oklahoma and Haunted Oklahoma City publications.

Co-authored with TV producer Dennis Spielman of “Uncovering Oklahoma,” the newest book features a bucket list of 100 attractions that are great picks for families, singles, older folks and anyone wanting to see something new, such as hunting for fairy homes at Will Rogers Gardens or visiting the Pigeon Museum.

Published by Reedy Press, the book shows there is no excuse to be bored in Oklahoma.

– Staff report, The Oklahoma 100

Summer stretches before us welcoming lazy days for reading books and warm nights to enjoy movies. A great way to do that is to start by reading the book and then watch the movie.

For the family:

• “Peter Rabbit” by Beatrix Potter

• “The Night at the Museum” by Milan Trenc

• “Anne of Green Gables” by Lucy Maud Montgomery

• “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” by Richard and Florence Atwater

• “Bridge to Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson

For teens & adults:

• “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” by Ann Brashares

• “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett

• “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak

• “Divergent” series by Veronica Roth

– Rebecca Hastings, The 100 Companies

I avoid rich people, but I’ve spent decades listening to wealthy people.

Rich people are on a mission to spend their money. It’s not always pretty. They squander it. Wealthy people are on a quest to leave something to future generations – just as they may’ve inherited it from previous ones.

Rich people tell others about their money. Wealthy people tell their money to go and make more money. When wealthy people talk to people about money, they often whisper. I’ve been listening – and taking notes. Now I’ve written a book with their secrets so I could share them with you.

“Money Secrets: A Little Book of Wisdom” published Friday, Nov. 4. Find it, and my other books, on Amazon.

– Jeff Arnold, RIGHTSURE, The Arizona 100

Stephen Chbosky, the Pittsburgh native known for his highly acclaimed book, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” released his second Pennsylvania-set novel, “Imaginary Friend,” in 2019.

The tense story follows a boy named Christopher, who’s tasked with a mission that will determine the fate of his family and the entire town. He must build a treehouse in the woods before Christmas – or everyone around him will die. Woven into the narrative are references to Pittsburgh region landmarks such as Primanti Bros., South Hills Village Mall and historic coal mines.

If you’re a horror lover, add it to your Halloween reading list.

– Maggie Medoff, WordWrite, The Pittsburgh 100

Midway through dinner, as the tequila was starting to work its magic, Chuck Norman said, “Chris, tell us about your company – and please tell us about your hair.”

When Chuck and I finally stopped giggling and slapping each others’ shoulders, I told the others about my story. I also told them Chuck was the very first person who knew me well before my surgery who had seen me in person (not on Zoom) and had the courage to say something about it in front of others.

We grabbed the empty tequila bottle and staged a photo to commemorate the moment. 

Order here on Amazon. Or on Headscape.me.

– Chris Schroder, The 100 Companies

For nearly three hours, as I leaned back in a surgical chair that left my scalp exposed for their work, they employed a device called a microfue with synthetic saffire that is harder and more precise than a steel blade.

They encircled each graft, made a small incision into my scalp to encapsulate the roots, and removed my follicles. They were able to capture one to three follicles in each graft. 

They then began reversing the earlier procedure – instead of extracting hair follicles, they spent the next three hours planting them in rows around the area outlined on my scalp. 

Order here on Amazon, or on Headscape.me.

– Chris Schroder, The 100 Companies

Summer is here, and if you’re going on vacation you’re probably starting to think about which books to pack. We’ve scoured the 2022 summer beach reads lists and compiled our top eight picks, including reads by Black, Latino, Asian and LGBTQ+ authors. Grab a book and get comfy, it’s going to be a long, hot summer.

Novels:

• “Astonish Me” – Maggie Shipstead

• “Olga Dies Dreaming” – Xóchitl Gonzalez

Romances:

• “Boyfriend Material” – Alexis Hall

• “By the Book” – Jasmine Guillory

• “People We Meet on Vacation” – Emily Henry

Mystery Thrillers:

• “Counterfeit” – Kirsten Chen

• “Portrait of a Thief” – Grace D. Li

• “The Guest List” – Lucy Foley

– Taylor Lawrence, Jones PR

My new barber Kevin suggested I become a special client – those who had no hair on top but lots on the sides. “I take clients several times a year to Istanbul, Turkey and accompany them to a famous doctor there. He can move your hair follicles from the side and put them on top and you’ll have a full head of hair again!”

“I’m too old for that,” I’d say.

“Turkey is the world’s center for hair transplantation,” Kevin said. “I’m telling you, Chris, you would look amazing. You will look so much younger and you’ll be so much happier.”

Order here on Amazon, or on Headscape.me.

– Chris Schroder, The 100 Companies

My girlfriend Edith, overhearing me tell a prospect how we’d find each other – “I’m 6’1” and balding,” – giggled uncontrollably.  “You’re not balding, you’re bald.” 

Later, before Jan and I got married, she and her daughter Catherine went shopping for her wedding dress. A sales clerk behind the counter was talking about a book she was reading. “The premise of the book is there are aliens already living amongst us,” the woman said. “They look like regular humans, but they are always bald and wear glasses.” 

Jan burst out laughing and told the group, “Oh my gosh. I’m marrying an alien!”

Learn more about “Headscape” or order via Amazon.

– Chris Schroder, The 100 Companies

During my first wedding at age 22 – three weeks after the partial meltdown of nuclear reactor No. 2 on Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island – college fraternity brother Hank West grabbed the small remaining dollop of my brown forehead hair, proclaiming to the entire wedding party, “Two Mile Island!”

In Greenville, South Carolina, I caught the eye of the young cavalier publisher, Bern Mebane, who had a penchant for promoting managers and then assigning and deploying patronizing nicknames. Whenever I entered his orbit the next three years, he’d proclaim – “Herr Schroder!” – cleverly mocking my German last name and, it seemed, my departing hair.

Learn more about “Headscape” or order via Amazon.

– Chris Schroder, The 100 Companies