Books

Parker Curry, 4, takes in Amy Sherald's painting of Michelle Obama in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. Parker has co-authored a book with her mom called Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment.

Books
Arts

In 'Parker Looks Up,' A 2-Year-Old Shares A Moment With Michelle Obama

8:03am December 08, 2019

by Samantha Balaban

In 2018, a photo of Parker Curry looking at a portrait of Michelle Obama went viral. Within a week, she got to meet the first lady. Parker tells the story in a new book she co-authored with her mom.

Books

'Blitzed' Will Leave You Feeling Warm And Tipsy

7:00am December 08, 2019

by Kamrun Nesa

The third book in Alexa Martin's Playbook series of football romances picks up with Brynn, owner of the bar where all the characters gather — and Maxwell, a defensive back for the Denver Mustangs.

Books
Arts

'Reverie' Dreams Outside The Box

10:00am December 07, 2019

by Caitlyn Paxson

Ryan LaSala's new novel imagines a world where people get swept up in dangerous, all-encompassing dreams — and only a damaged, anmesiac kid and his friends have the power to fight them.

Books
Arts

Clarity Isn't The Point In Confusing, Absorbing 'Dead Astronauts'

7:00am December 07, 2019

by Arkady Martine

Jeff Vandermeer's new novel, set on a far-future, post-apocalyptic earth, follows a trio of only vaguely human astronauts through a shifting, allegorical story that jumps back and forth across time.

Sports
Books

'Canyon Dreams:' High School Basketball On The Navajo Nation

3:33pm December 05, 2019

NBA Twitter has nothing on the fans of rez ball.

1973: Rock at the Crossroads, Andrew Grant Jackson

'1973: Rock At The Crossroads' Acts As A Mirror For One Moment In Time

10:14am December 05, 2019

by Michael Schaub

Via popular music, Andrew Grant Jackson paints a vivid portrait of a year that was the last gasp of an age of possibility, when idealism gave way to economic recession and cynical disillusionment.

H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness, the Second Volume, by Gou Tanabe

Books
Arts

'At The Mountains Of Madness,' Spheroid Space Monsters Are Just Like Us

7:00am December 05, 2019

by Etelka Lehoczky

Gou Tanabe's graphic novel adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's novella makes its monsters both terrifying and weirdly human. Even if space spheres aren't your thing, Tanabe's art still prompts wonder.

Author Adam Minter estimates that the average U.S. thrift store is able to sell only about one-third of its inventory. In his new book, Secondhand, he finds out what happens to the other two-thirds.

'The Best Thing You Can Do Is Not Buy More Stuff,' Says 'Secondhand' Expert

4:22pm December 04, 2019

by Terry Gross

"Your average thrift store in the United States only sells about one-third of the stuff that ends up on its shelves," Adam Minter says. His book explores what happens to the things that don't sell.

Queue Listen Now

NPR's Book Concierge returns with 350+ new books handpicked by NPR staff and critics. Click here to find your next great read.

Books

It's Back! NPR Unveils 2019 Book Concierge

2:53pm December 04, 2019

by Petra Mayer

The NPR 2019 Book Concierge is here! It features more than 350 recommendations from NPR staffers and trusted critics.

Queue Listen Now

Books

'She Had Me, I Had Her:' Robyn Crawford Opens Up

12:48pm December 04, 2019

The creative director for Whitney Houston's new memoir is called "A Song For You."