Books

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Arts

'Hominids' Is A Deeply Human Collection Of Speculative Fiction

10:54am August 11, 2015

by Jason Heller

Nalo Hopkinson's new collection mixes up her Afro-Caribbean influences with classic literature and historical fantasy. Critic Jason Heller says her stories dazzle with a hard-won sense of hope.

D. Randall Blythe is the lead vocalist of the metal band Lamb of God.

'Dark Days': Retracing The Steps Of A Heavy Metal Tragedy

8:56pm August 10, 2015

by NPR Staff

When a stage diver died after a Lamb of God concert, singer D. Randall Blythe was arrested for manslaughter. In his memoir, Blythe unpacks the incident — and why he returned to Europe to stand trial.

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Books

'Scream' Meets Agatha Christie In 'A Dark, Dark Wood'

4:45pm August 10, 2015

by NPR Staff

Author Ruth Ware's new thriller takes place at a bachelorette party in an isolated English country house. The book blends the creepy voyeurism of a Scream movie with the setting of a Christie novel.

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Beverly Jenkins says her mission is to write about the parts of black history you don't learn in school — and wrap them up in a good love story.

Books
Arts

Beverly Jenkins Wraps Bitter History In Sweet Romance

3:55pm August 10, 2015

by Petra Mayer

Beverly Jenkins writes historical romances — about free black towns, lawmen and cowboys and Civil War vets. She says her mission is to illuminate the parts of black history you don't learn in school.

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A poll worker hands out "I Voted Today" stickers in Washington, D.C., in 2012. Journalist Ari Berman says a 2013 Supreme Court ruling opened the door for new voting restrictions that disproportionately affect poor people, young people and people of color

Block The Vote: A Journalist Discusses Voting Rights And Restrictions

3:37pm August 10, 2015

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed racial discrimination in voting. But author Ari Berman says a 2013 Supreme Court ruling blocks the act's enforcement — and opened the door for new restrictions.

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Books

'The Stuff Was Company': One Man Cleans Up His 'Mess'

9:54am August 09, 2015

NPR's Rachel Martin talks about the plight of hoarders with Barry Yourgrau, author of a new memoir, Mess: One Man's Struggle to Clean Up His House and His Act.

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Arts

Things Left Unspoken Haunt Hard-Hitting 'Dragonfish'

7:03am August 09, 2015

by Tasha Robinson

There are a few confessional speeches in Vu Tran's noirish debut novel, but what people write is more important than what they say: Anguished notes, letters and secret diary all drive the action.

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Arts

Novel Highlights The Shocks Facing First-Generation College Students

5:33pm August 08, 2015

by NPR Staff

Jennine Capó Crucet, author of Make Your Home Among Strangers, was inspired by her experiences as the daughter of Cuban immigrants and the first person in her family to attend college.

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Arts

History Hijacks Life In 'All That Followed'

10:03am August 08, 2015

by Michael Schaub

Set in Spain's Basque Country, Gabriel Urza's new novel chronicles three lives in the aftermath of the 2004 Madrid train bombings. Critic Michael Schaub calls it "unsparing and beautiful."

Books
Arts

Life Through The Lens Of A Falling 'Fishbowl'

7:03am August 08, 2015

by Tasha Robinson

Bradley Somer's new novel follows (literally) Ian the goldfish, who's catching glimpses of life and love in the apartments he passes as his bowl plummets from a 27th-floor balcony.