Books

Books

'The Family Chao' centers on good food made by a not-so-good person

9:48am February 05, 2022

by Scott Simon

Lan Samantha Chang's novel "The Family Chao" has a lot in common with Dostoevsky, except it revolves around a Chinese-American family in Wisconsin. Chang discusses the new work with Scott Simon.

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Books

Wordle — don't forget your roots. 'The Puzzler' details puzzle fads through time

9:32am February 05, 2022

by Scott Simon

Wordle is hardly the first puzzle to take the nation by storm. Scott Simon speaks with A.J. Jacobs, journalist and author, about his new book on the power of puzzles.

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Books

Jason Epstein, founder of 'The New York Review of Books,' dies at 93

9:11am February 05, 2022

by Scott Simon

Jason Epstein, a towering figure in the New York City's intellectual scene who co-founded "The New York Review of Books" as well as the Library of America series, died this week at 93.

'Tell Everyone on this Train I Love Them' is an outsider's view of an imperfect union

4:26pm February 04, 2022

NPR's Tamara Keith talks with Irish comedian Maeve Higgins about her new book Tell Everyone on this Train I Love Them, which is a series of reflections on the various imperfections of America.

Books
Arts

Coming of age with three contemporary YA novels

3:21pm February 04, 2022

by Caitlyn Paxon

In each of these stories — Full Flight, Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman, Ophelia After All — a girl stands at a junction in her life, on the brink of deciding who she wants to be.

Books

In 'Black Agenda,' thought leaders pose solutions to complicated issues

3:21pm February 04, 2022

NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman about an essay collection from Black experts that suggests solutions to issues that range from climate policy to criminal justice reform.

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Arts

'The Family Chao' is a riveting story of identity and belonging

9:38am February 02, 2022

by Ilana Masad

There are notable parallels to The Brothers Karamazov in Lan Samantha Chang's new novel about three brothers and the contentious relationship between them and their domineering father.

Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century, by Kim Fu

Books
Arts

Sci-fi, fantasy, crime fiction blend in 'Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century'

8:55am February 02, 2022

by Gabino Iglesias

Kim Fu's book contains 12 stories that peel away layers of normalcy to reveal weird, creepy things; though very different from each other, they share elements, giving the collection a sense of unity.

Books

Yale professor teaches influence and she says it's your superpower

7:53am February 02, 2022

NPR's A Martinez speaks with Zoe Chance about her book: Influence is your Superpower.

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Books

8-year-old Idaho boy hides his self-made book on library's shelf

5:52am February 02, 2022

Librarians discovered the book -- The Adventures of Dillon Helbig's Crismis — by Dillon Helbig 'His Self.' But they didn't take it off the shelf — they made it an official library book.