Books

Books
Arts

'To Paradise' is an inspired and vivid puzzle that doesn't quite come together

12:00pm January 15, 2022

by Maureen Corrigan

Hanya Yanagihara's much anticipated 700-page novel is a deliberately difficult work, made of up dazzling moments that tend lose their luster when pressed together.

Books

Carl Bernstein's new memoir honors the 'glorious chaos' of the newsroom

11:15am January 15, 2022

by Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon talks to Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame about his memoir, "Chasing History: A Kid in the Newsroom."

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Books

In Elizabeth George's new book, Thomas Lynley delves into the London underworld

11:15am January 15, 2022

by Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon talks to author Elizabeth George about her new mystery, "Something to Hide."

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You save a stranger's life — then what? A new novel explores the aftermath

5:21pm January 14, 2022

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with author Antoine Wilson about his novel, "Mouth to Mouth." It explores the complicated, unexpected ripple effects of saving a stranger's life.

Present Tense Machine: A Novel, by Gunnhild Øyehaug

Books
Arts

In 'Present Tense Machine,' the allegory of The Fall becomes a linguistic accident

12:09pm January 14, 2022

by Thúy Đinh

In Gunnhild Øyehaug's novel, a mother and daughter are separated and forgotten to each other, yet continue to exist as thinkers and artists in their respective worlds, each missing something unknown.

Illustration of an exhausted person bent over a desk with their head in their hands. The room is spinning, and the person is surrounded by clocks, stacks of books, a cup of coffee, a laptop and a smartphone.

Books
Arts

22 tips for 2022: To fight "laziness," slow down and focus on your values

5:04pm January 13, 2022

by Elise Hu

Feeling "lazy" is probably more a sign of needing to take a break, not do more. Try the values clarification exercise to help get rid of the guilt of not doing "enough."

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Writer Gwen Kirby on debut collection and how being a complicated woman is empowering

5:10pm January 12, 2022

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with author Gwen Kirby about her debut collection of short stories Shit Cassandra Saw and why it is empowering to get to be a complicated woman.

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Books
Arts

Gwen E. Kirby's stunning collection of short stories takes readers on a wild ride

1:06pm January 12, 2022

by Michael Schaub

While Kirby has a clear predilection for the bizarre, she plays some of her stories in her new book, Shit Cassandra Saw, straight — and those are just as entertaining as the fantastical ones.

Books

New book details how California prosecutors took down sex trafficking site Backpage

12:56pm January 12, 2022

NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Maggy Krell, an ex-California state prosecutor, about her book, Taking Down Backpage: Fighting The World's Largest Sex Trafficker.

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Books
Arts

'To Paradise' packs a staggering amount into its alternate histories

10:47am January 12, 2022

by Gabino Iglesias

Hanya Yanagihara worked three centuries of imagination into this novel — undoubtedly an achievement. But the onslaught of details and stories muddle the narrative, weighing on the reading experience.