Books

Books
Arts

'The Portable Veblen' Goes Enjoyably Nuts

1:34pm January 19, 2016

by Heller McAlpin

Elizabeth McKenzie's novel inverts the traditional romantic comedy formula — for her odd, brainy lovers, the engagement is only the beginning of their troubles. And did we mention the squirrel?

'Dark Money': Koch Brothers' Donations Push Their Political Agenda

7:23am January 19, 2016

Steve Inskeep talks to author Jane Mayer about her new book Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right.

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The Real Woods Behind Winnie-The-Pooh's Forest

4:30pm January 18, 2016

Winnie-the-Pooh's Hundred Acre Wood is based on a real forest in the English countryside. NPR's Ari Shapiro visits Ashdown Forest with Kathryn Aalto, author of The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh.

A Birthday Cake for Washington has been the subject of much criticism because it portrays slaves as being happy.

Amid Controversy, Scholastic Pulls Picture Book About Washington's Slave

2:50pm January 18, 2016

by Eyder Peralta

The book tells the story of Hercules, a slave who President George Washington used as a chef. The book shows Hercules and his daughter happy and taking pride in making Washington a birthday cake.

Cover detail from William Grimes' narrative.

Books
Arts

When Ancestry Search Led To Escaped Slave: 'All I Could Do Was Weep'

1:49pm January 18, 2016

Regina Mason's great-great-great-grandfather, a man named William Grimes, was a runaway slave and the author of what is now considered to be the first fugitive slave narrative.

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'Fake Missed Connections' A Genre Of Its Own

8:12am January 17, 2016

Brett Fletcher Lauer was lost after his divorce and began posting fake "missed connections" on Craigslist. NPR's Rachel Martin talks to him about his book "Fake Missed Connections."

Books
Arts

'The Crooked House' Is Haunted, In A World That Denies Ghosts

7:00am January 17, 2016

by Carmen Maria Machado

Christobel Kent's literary thriller follows a young woman who reinvents herself — even taking a new name — after the mysterious murder of most of her family. But she can't escape the past forever.

Books
Arts

In 'Anything For You,' Raising A Last Glass To Blue Heron Vineyard

7:00am January 17, 2016

by Bobbi Dumas

This weekend, we're rewinding the NPR Books Time Machine to look at Kristan Higgins' beloved Blue Heron romance series, which wrapped up last month with book five, Anything For You.

Books
Arts

Family Bonds Are Never Bland In 'The Past'

10:30am January 16, 2016

by NPR Staff

In her latest novel, The Past, Tessa Hadley focuses on four siblings spending one last holiday at a soon-to-be-sold summer home. Tensions simmer, secrets break out of storage — but love remains.

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Books
Arts

'Hunters' Is A Dark, Elegant Tale Of East And West

7:00am January 16, 2016

by Nishant Dahiya

Lawrence Osborne's well-structured new novel follows a group of Western expats in Cambodia, all hunting for something nebulous — money, happiness, or even just an edge up on everyone else.