Pop Culture Happy Hour: Judy Blume's New Book And Lifetime's 'UnREAL'
On this week's show, a beloved author of books for kids writes another one for adults, and Lifetime sets a drama behind the scenes of a reality dating show.
Book Reviews
Book Review: 'The Uses Of The Body,' Deborah Landau
Poet Tess Taylor reviews The Uses of the Body by Deborah Landau.
Get A 'Grip' On This Goofy Noir Sci-Fi Tale
This reissue of Gilbert Hernandez's series starts out noir — a young man with amnesia and a mysterious lipstick trace — but quickly gets weird. Critic Etelka Lehoczky says it's full of "goofy joy."
For This Nostalgia Trip, 'We Don't Need Roads'
This oral history of the Back to the Future movies offers a wealth of fascinating historical trivia — but critic Genevieve Valentine says it's carefully broad scope can mean a lack of sharp analysis.
'Philosopher Kings' Leaves Plato's Republic Far Behind
The second volume of Jo Walton's trilogy about the creation of a real-world Republic picks up 30 years after events of the first book. Reviewer Amal El-Mohtar says it's an expectation-shattering read.
After 25 Years, A Comics Publisher Pauses To Collect And Reflect
A massive new anthology collects the impressive and varied work of the Montreal-based publisher Drawn And Quarterly, whose comics and graphic novels represent a deeply human kind of storytelling.
A Lyrical Coming Of Age Tale In 'Bird Hill'
Naomi Jackson's first novel follows a pair of Brooklyn sisters sent to live in their mother's small Barbados hometown. Critic Michael Schaub says "it's not a perfect book, but it's a lovely one."
'Patience And Fortitude' And The Fight To Save NYC's Storied Public Library
In his new book, Scott Sherman describes how bottom-line business logic nearly gutted New York's preeminent public library. Maureen Corrigan calls it a "slim, smart book" full of colorful characters.
Like Seinfeld, 'Festival' Is About Nothing... And Everything
Milan Kundera's new novel is short on plot, but don't mistake that for dullness. Reviewer Jason Sheehan says the book is slim, funny and stunningly profound.
Friendship, Magic And Danger Blossom In 'Uprooted'
Naomi Novik's latest is a reworked "Beauty and the Beast," with a powerful female friendship at its heart. Reviewer Amal El-Mohtar calls it "moving, heartbreaking, and thoroughly satisfying."