Books

Break It Up: Secession, Division, and the Secret History of America's Imperfect Union, Richard Kreitner

'Break It Up' Examines The History Of Secession Movements In The U.S.

11:28am August 20, 2020

by Steve Inskeep

Author Richard Kreitner tells NPR he didn't write his book as a prescription, but that "if we are talking about the end of democracy in America ... I think we need to have all options on the table."

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The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows, by Olivia Waite

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Arts

For August, 3 Love Interests Who'll Fight By Your Side

7:00am August 20, 2020

by Maya Rodale

This month, our romance columnist Maya Rodale rounds up three historical novels featuring heroines on a mission — and love interests who'll stand up for them, no matter what troubles come.

Books

'Black Bottom Saints': A Love Letter To Detroit's History

4:04pm August 19, 2020

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with author Alice Randall about her new novel, Black Bottom Saints.

Fallout: The Hiroshima Cover-up and the Reporter Who Revealed It to the World by Lesley M.M. Blume

Books
Arts

'Fallout' Tells The Story Of The Journalist Who Exposed The 'Hiroshima Cover-Up'

2:46pm August 19, 2020

by Dave Davies

Lesley M.M. Blume's new book tells the story of John Hersey, the young journalist whose on-the-ground reporting in Hiroshima, Japan, exposed the world to the devastation of nuclear weapons.

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Veritas: A Harvard Professor, a Con Man and the Gospel of Jesus's Wife, by Ariel Sabar

'Veritas' Asks How A Respected Scholar Could Be Duped By A Bumbling Fraudster

2:18pm August 19, 2020

by Tom Gjelten

Author Ariel Sabar explores the lives of Harvard's Karen King and of Walter Fritz, the porn producer who convinced her the papyrus fragment he gave her — "The Gospel of Jesus's Wife" — was genuine.

Books

'Black Bottom Saints' Is A Gorgeous Swirl Of Fiction, History And Detroit Motor Oil

11:55am August 19, 2020

by Maureen Corrigan

Alice Randall's innovative new novel chronicles the history of Black Detroit beyond Motown, and features a cast of real life artists, doctors, sports figures, activists and movers and shakers.

Books
Arts

In Hanawalt's 'I Want You,' Youthful Yearnings And Anthropomorphic Anxieties

7:00am August 19, 2020

by Glen Weldon

Before working in TV animation (Bojack Horseman, Tuca & Bertie), Lisa Hanawalt chronicled her obsessions in a funny, filthy minicomic series that's been reprinted — with a wry update.

Books
Arts

Author Carl Hiaasen Skewers Palm Beach And Florida Life In 'Squeeze Me'

2:37pm August 18, 2020

by Dave Davies

The Miami Herald columnist's new novel is a mystery featuring wealthy widows, the president and first lady, a scrappy wildlife removal specialist, and some gigantic Burmese pythons.

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Books

Orwell's 'Animal Farm,' Around For Decades, Almost Wasn't Published

7:01am August 18, 2020

by Petra Mayer

George Orwell's anti-tyranny fable Animal Farm turns 75 this week. We examine what Orwell was thinking when he wrote it, why it's lasted so long and what we can learn from it today.

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I Promise, by LeBron James and Nina Mata

Books
Arts

'I Promise' This Is A Message Book Your Kids Will Love

7:00am August 18, 2020

by Juanita Giles

Kids' books columnist Juanita Giles says message books are often nutritious and boring — but LeBron James's new I Promise combines beautiful art with real emotional impact that her kids loved.