In the Orchard, the Swallows, By Peter Hobbs

The nameless first person narrator of Peter Hobbs's second novel is 14 when he is imprisoned for falling in love with the daughter of a powerful politician in Northern Pakistan.

'The Vampire Diaries': Matt remains perfect while Klaus and Caroline give us surprise tingles

First of all, I'd like to apologize for the extreme lateness of this "Vampire Diaries" recap. In my defense, I was busy on Thursday night -- busy hanging out with Joseph Morgan and getting you all the scoop on the budding Klaus/Caroline romance -- so I'm hoping you'll forgive me just this once!Hopefully the late recap doesn't imply that I didn't love this episode. In fact, it may rank as my ...

Seasons on ice

Have a sweet tooth but afraid to ruin your resolution to avoid fattening deserts? Give Ice Bowl a try, writes Meena Sreenivasan

SENIOR POWER: Good News from Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Vermont

The state is proposing building two or three assisted living centers for aging prison inmates with medical problems as part of a new master plan for the Department of Correction.

View from the Tent Embassy: reality v news reports

The most striking factor of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy protests was the stark difference between reports of the events and the reality, writes Tracker editor Amy McQuire. Read more on the blog...