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A Thrilling TV Adaptation Of John Le Carré's 'Night Manager'

1:23pm April 19, 2016

by John Powers

Le Carré's 1993 novel comes to life in a six-part AMC series. John Powers says the show, which jets from Egyptian streets to posh Alpine lodges, is one of the most enjoyable thrillers he's seen on TV.

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One Life Changes Forever On 'Mothering Sunday'

7:00am April 19, 2016

by Heller McAlpin

Graham Swift's slim, incantatory new novel centers around young Jane, a maid on a rural estate, and the day in 1924 that unexpectedly alters the trajectory of her life.

James Brown performs at the Philharmonie in Cologne, Germany in 2003.

The Lonely Side Of James Brown

5:58am April 19, 2016

by NPR Staff

When James McBride, a National Book Award winner for his fiction, decided to write an entire book about James Brown, he wanted to push beyond the hype and racism he says haunts Brown's legacy.

Source: Martin Droeshout/Wikipedia; Illustration by Meredith Rizzo/NPR

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In Shakespeare's Plays, Mealtimes Were A Recipe For Drama

8:25pm April 18, 2016

by Anne Bramley

It's difficult to name a play in which Shakespeare doesn't cook up a bit of conflict around the table. The juiciest plot twists often happened when characters gathered for a meal.

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'It Takes A Lot Of Bravery To Be Kind,' Says Kids' Author Kate DiCamillo

6:06pm April 18, 2016

by NPR Staff

DiCamillo says Raymie Nightingale, the 10-year-old protagonist at the heart of her latest novel, is a lot like she was as a child: "Very introverted, watching, worrying, wondering, but also hopeful."

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You Can Go Home Again: The Transformative Joy Of Rereading

10:00am April 17, 2016

by Juan Vidal

Returning to a book you've read before can feel like getting a drink with an old friend. But even though the book's the same, you yourself may have changed — and that's what makes rereading so rich.

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What If 'Pride And Prejudice' Was Set In Cincinnati?

8:28am April 17, 2016

by NPR Staff

In Eligible, Curtis Sittenfeld's retelling of the classic, Mr. Bingley is a reality TV star and Jane Bennet is a yoga teacher.

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Horrors Pile Up Quietly In 'The Other Slavery'

6:18am April 17, 2016

by Genevieve Valentine

Andrés Reséndez' new book is a careful and scholarly examination of the enslavement of indigenous people in the Americas. It lays bare a shameful chapter of history, with a clear line to the present.

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'Most Blessed Of The Patriarchs' Digs Into Thomas Jefferson's Hypocrisy

12:07pm April 16, 2016

Thomas Jefferson is one of America's founders and, even after centuries, a mystery. Annette Gordon-Reed talks about the book she co-wrote with Peter Onuf, Most Blessed of the Patriarchs.

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Political Columnist Ron Fournier Talks New Book 'Love That Boy'

10:39am April 16, 2016

Tyler Fournier has Asperger's. His dad, Ron Fournier, columnist for The Atlantic and National Journal, tells NPR's Scott Simon about what he's learned from his son and his new book, "Love That Boy."

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