5 new fantasy novels invigorate old tropes
Spell books, dragons, mermaids, fairies and a magic circus all take on new life in the pages of these five enchanting tales hitting shelves in May and June.
Books
Andy Cohen created a reality show empire but being a dad is his biggest challenge yet
Talk show host and The Real Housewives creator Andy Cohen's fifth book, The Daddy Diaries: The Year I Grew Up, describes how becoming a dad has completely changed his life.
New adaptations of 'Great Expectations' are breaking some hearts
Some of the new adaptions of one of Charles Dicken's most beloved novels, Great Expectations, have been controversial, leading to a debate about how far new adaptations should stray from the original.
In 'Dances,' a Black ballerina's big break brings immense pressure
Author Nicole Cuffy talks about her debut novel, "Dances."
A free speech group is suing a Florida school district over book bans
The largest book publisher in the country has joined free speech group PEN America, parents and authors to push back against book banning, filing a federal lawsuit in Florida's Escambia County.
A historian details how a secretive, extremist group radicalized the American right
Matthew Dallek says the John Birch Society, which was active from the late '50s through the early '70s, propelled today's extremist takeover of the American right. His new book is Birchers.
The eternal paradox, and 'Quantum Criminals,' of Steely Dan
What does it mean to illustrate the world of Steely Dan? NPR Music contributor Marissa Lorusso spoke with the Danfans behind the new book Quantum Criminals.
Stories in 'Sidle Creek' offer an insider look at Appalachia
The 22 stories in Sidle Creek charm, surprise, and convey a deep love of the people and place — the Appalachian plateau of western Pennsylvania — that author Jolene McIlwain has long called home.
'Age of Danger' explores potential risks because AI doesn't understand rules of war
NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Thom Shanker, co-author of the book Age of Danger, about the threats artificial intelligence poses to national security.
Kwame Alexander's memoir began as a book of love poems but morphed into so much more
NPR's Michel Martin speaks with author Kwame Alexander about his new book: Why Fathers Cry at Night: A Memoir in Love Poems, Recipes, Letters, and Remembrances.