Alaa Al Aswany's new book sets the dynamics of a fallen family and an elitist car club against the tensions of post-World War II Egypt, but a clunky translation and too many plots keep the brakes on.
The prestigious Hugo Awards, which honor science fiction and fantasy writing, will be held Saturday. Lately, they have been given to more and more women and writers of color as the world of sci-fi opens up — and that's prompted a backlash from a group of mostly white male writers who call themselves the "Sad Puppies."
Black Chalk hinges on a plot twist that we won't give away. But we will say it's the summer thriller we've been waiting for: about a teenage game that turns dangerous as its players become adults.
Chuck Wendig's brisk new thriller deals in cutting-edge tech, but it's traditional at heart, pitting a rag-tag band of hackers against a big, sinister cyber-entity and the threat of global disaster.
Adam Johnson's new story collection spans the globe from former East Germany to post-Katrina Louisiana. Reviewer Michael Schaub says the book is uneven but enlightening, and brilliant at its best.
Fifty years ago this week, race riots broke out in Watts, a Los Angeles neighborhood. Renee Montagne talks to author Walter Mosley about his memories of that time.
Mona Eltahawy says as a female in Saudi Arabia you have two options: "To lose your mind or become a feminist." Rafia Zakaria says it's crucial to reclaim the identity of the modern Muslim woman.
Ruth Ware's In A Dark, Dark Wood brings together a group of 20-something women in an isolated rural house for a bachelorette party — a perfect setting for buried secrets and terrible deeds.
Stephanie Clifford's debut novel, about the desperate social strivings of a young woman in Manhattan, has its roots in the tragic, old-money fascinations of Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth.