Book Reviews

Books
Arts

'Those Who Knew' Is An Explosive Moral Molotov Cocktail

7:00am November 06, 2018

by Heller McAlpin

Idra Novey's taut second novel focuses on the silencing of assault victims and the remorse that comes from not speaking up to power. It's not as winning as her first, but there's plenty to admire.

The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes 30th Anniversary Edition

Books
Arts

Enter 'Sandman': Anniversary Edition Celebrates 30 Years Of Dream-Spinning

8:32am November 04, 2018

by Etelka Lehoczky

Neil Gaiman's most famous creation first appeared in the comics 30 years ago, but the Sandman is still shaping our dreams — and his stories look and feel just as cool now as they did in 1989.

'Punks Not Dead,' And Neither Is This Intrepid Granny

11:48am November 01, 2018

by Etelka Lehoczky

David Barnett and Martin Simmonds' comic about a troubled teen haunted by the ghost of Sid Vicious really gets going when it introduces centenarian (but immortal) ghost-buster Dorothy Culpepper.

A plaque marks Emmett Till's grave site in Aslip, Ill.

Books
Arts

'Let The People See': It Took Courage To Keep Emmett Till's Memory Alive

2:13pm October 30, 2018

by Maureen Corrigan

Historian Elliott J. Gorn's new book revisits the 1955 death and public funeral of the African-American teen. Critic Maureen Corrigan says it's a timely story about the fragility of collective memory.

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

'The Proposal' Knocks It Out Of The Park

7:00am October 30, 2018

by Kamrun Nesa

Jasmine Guillory's new romance kicks off with her heroine rejecting an over-the-top public proposal at a ball game — luckily, there's a hot, sensitive doctor on hand to help her with the backlash.

Books
Arts

'Little' Considers Power, Personhood, And Wax Artistry

7:00am October 28, 2018

by Amal El-Mohtar

Edward Carey's new novel is about the life of wax museum pioneer Madame Tussaud — but it's also about the French Revolution, about humans, bodies, art and loneliness, and it's deeply, painfully sad.

Books
Arts

In 'Red Moon,' Too Much Information Eclipses The Story

7:00am October 27, 2018

by Jason Sheehan

Kim Stanley Robinson's new book kicks off with a murder on the moon — which sounds exciting, but Red Moon spends too much time wandering off on digressions about science, technology and politics.

"A transformation is for me a much more interesting way to look at narrative than a 'story,' " Jenny Hval has said of her work.

In 'Paradise Rot,' Jenny Hval Traces A Surrealistic Sexual Awakening

11:28am October 25, 2018

by Mina Tavakoli

In this tactile novel, the celebrated Norwegian musician Jenny Hval places two entropic lovers within a converted Australian brewery to explore sexuality, decay and freedom.

The Light Between Worlds, by Laura E. Weymouth

Books
Arts

Getting Too Old For Narnia In 'Light Between Worlds'

7:00am October 25, 2018

by Caitlyn Paxson

Laura Weymouth's new novel follows two sisters struggling with the aftermath of their adventures in a magic land. That struggle is the vivid heart of the book, but its Narnia-lite doesn't quite work.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles, by Hiro Arikawa

Books
Arts

'Travelling Cat' Chronicles Friendship, Loss And Life On The Road

1:29pm October 24, 2018

by Ilana Masad

You don't have to be a cat lover to enjoy Hiro Arikawa's novel about a man and his cat, traveling across Japan to visit old friends. And you may find yourself tearing up by the end.