Charlie And Lola Are Back In 'Absolutely One Thing'
Lauren Child has a new "Charlie and Lola" book after a long hiatus. She tells NPR's Scott Simon that she needed a break, but then she missed her popular characters.
Arts & Life
Sleep Deprived: We're Recharging Our Phones, But Not Ourselves
Arianna Huffington says we're in the midst of a sleep deprivation crisis and that Donald Trump really shouldn't be bragging about needing only four hours of sleep a night.
'Every Heart' Is A Doorway To Winning Fantasy
Seanan McGuire's new novella takes the classic portal fantasy — a group of kids who stumble into magical worlds and are forever changed — and gives it poignant new life.
Grief Goes Explosive In 'Demolition' And 'Louder Than Bombs'
Louder Than Bombs and Demolition both deal with car crashes and grieving men, but the damage looks very different.
Will Superhero Movies Go The Way Of Old Westerns?
Western movies once ruled Hollywood the way comic book movies seem to now. NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Brooks Hefner of James Madison University about how Westerns faded from popularity, and whether the same thing will happen to superhero movies.
An Ancient Route Rolls On: Questions For Author Of 'The Silk Roads'
It's been centuries since camel caravans crisscrossed Eurasia along the Silk Roads. Now historian Peter Frankopan's new book puts the fabled roads at the center of a new view of world history.
Some Relationship Advice From Pope Francis
In his new exhortation, "The Joy of Love," Francis addresses marriage, sex and love. For a 79-year-old man who has taken a lifelong vow of celibacy, the pontiff has some pretty solid tips.
From India To North Korea, Via Japan: Curry's Global Journey
From British colonials who fell in love with "curry powder" in India, to Koreans who encountered the taste in Imperial Japan, the story of curry is one of globalization writ on a dish.
'Gateway To Freedom': Heroes, Danger And Loss On The Underground Railroad
Historian Eric Foner recently won the American History Book Prize from the New York Historical Society for Gateway to Freedom, about the underground railroad. Originally broadcast Jan. 15, 2015.
Pop Culture Happy Hour: Best Bad Movies And A Punishing Quiz
On this week's show, original PCHH panelist Trey Graham returns to chat about bad movies and to be less humiliated than the rest of us by a quiz about pop culture returns.