'A Friend Is A Gift' For Crime Novel Fans
William Boyle's new novel follows mob widow Rena, her granddaughter and an ex-porn-star neighbor, on the run from a crazed mafia enforcer in — what else? — a 1962 Chevy Impala.
Books
Is Your Child An Orchid Or A Dandelion? Unlocking The Science Of Sensitive Kids
Some kids seem resilient from the start — readily able, like dandelions, to cope with stress and adversity. But pediatrician Thomas Boyce says biologically reactive kids need more support to thrive.
'Say Nothing': Murder, Memory And A Masterful History Of The Troubles
Patrick Radden Keefe's new book begins with the 1972 disappearance of a 38-year-old widowed mother in Belfast, then spins into an epic account of Northern Ireland's bloody sectarian conflict.
Beyond The Numbers, Living Through Chicago's Gun Violence In 'American Summer'
Alex Kotlowitz talks to NPR's Michel Martin about his book American Summer: Love and Death in Chicago. It explores the effects of daily gun violence on the spirit of individuals and the community.
T Kira Madden On 'Long Live The Tribe Of Fatherless Girls'
T Kira Madden's debut memoir chronicles her life as a queer biracial teenager as the niece of famed shoe designer Steve Madden. She talks to NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro.
'The Border' Is Shakespeare For Our Times — Seriously
Don Winslow's sprawling, operatic epic about the War on Drugs has some flaws, but it does the same thing Shakespeare's histories did: It simplifies current events into messy, bloody, gripping theater.
Albert Woodfox On Serving More Than 40 Years In Solitary Confinement
Albert Woodfox served more than 40 years in solitary confinement in Louisiana's Angola Prison for a crime he says he didn't commit. NPR's Scott Simon talks with Woodfox about his new book, Solitary.
What 'The Heavens'? This Extraordinary New Book Feels Like 5 Novels In One
Sandra Newman tells the story of a woman whose recurring dream feels increasingly real. The Heavens is historical fiction, time traveling fantasy, political allegory, social realism and a love story.
For Better Or Worse, New Novel Shows 'A Woman Is No Man'
Etaf Rum's new novel draws from her own experiences of arranged marriage and early motherhood in the close-knit Palestinian American community where she grew up — and which she eventually left.
This 'Devil's Daughter' Has Charm To Spare
Lisa Kleypas mashes up two of her romance sagas — the Regency-era Wallflowers and the Victorian Ravenels — in a delightful story about a sheltered widow and her roguish suitor.