Books

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride book cover on a blue background.

Books
Arts

James McBride's 'Heaven & Earth' is an all-American mix of prejudice and hope

1:30pm August 14, 2023

by Maureen Corrigan

Set in a neighborhood where Blacks and immigrant Jews have lived next to each other for decades, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is one of the best novels critic Maureen Corrigan has read this year.

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Books

Author Daniel Kraus on his new thriller 'Whalefall'

9:39am August 13, 2023

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe and bestselling author Daniel Kraus speak about his new thriller, "Whalefall."

Books

Steamy novels to dive into this summer, according to a romance author

7:55am August 13, 2023

by Ayesha Rascoe

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe asks Robinne Lee, author of the buzzed-about romance "The Idea of You," for some steamy summer reading recommendations.

School librarian Amanda Jones endured harassment and threats after speaking out in defense of a diverse selection of books in the public libraries of Livingston Parish, La.

The plot thickens: The battle over books comes at a cost

5:43pm August 12, 2023

by Tovia Smith

No longer are just books under fire, but also the library administrators, teachers and long-beloved librarians who are defending them.

Books

Scottish poet Don Patterson on his memoir 'Toy Fights'

7:58am August 12, 2023

by Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with acclaimed Scottish poet Don Patterson about his memoir, "Toy Fights."

Books

'Emile and the Field' started off as a bedtime rhyme for the author's son

7:58am August 12, 2023

by Scott Simon

Poet Kevin Young and illustrator Chioma Ebinama talk about their collaboration on the children's book, "Emile and the Field."

Books

How much should a mother divulge to her daughters? Ann Patchett weighs it up

4:21pm August 10, 2023

by Manuela López Restrepo

In the new novel Tom Lake, a mother bonds with her daughters who are home for the pandemic. But how much of her past is she expected to share?

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Author Ann Patchett on writing about family secrets in her novel 'Tom Lake'

4:42pm August 09, 2023

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with author Ann Patchett on her latest novel Tom Lake, which tackles family, maternal love and the secrets a mother may choose not to share with her children.

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Pulling the Chariot of the Sun, by Shane McCrae

Books
Arts

A poet pieces together an uncertain past in 'Memoir of a Kidnapping'

3:29pm August 09, 2023

by Tonya Mosley

When Shane McCrae was almost 4 years old, his maternal grandparents, who were white supremacists, took him from his father, who is Black. His new memoir is Pulling the Chariot of the Sun.

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Books
Arts

Jamie Lee Curtis' graphic novel shows how 'We're blowing it with Mother Nature'

12:54pm August 09, 2023

by Mandalit del Barco

This project was motivated by the climate crisis: "We are heading into a very, very dangerous place," Curtis says. The story explores the environmental decisions one generation makes for the next.

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