Want true crime without all the grisly details? Try a 'cozy mystery'
Danielle Kurtzleben speaks with writer Alyse Burnside about her exploration of the gentle literature genre known as "Cozy Mysteries."
Books
A parable about motherhood, 'Chouette' begins with a human birth to an owl baby
A woman gives birth to an owl-baby in the novel "Chouette." Danielle Kurzleban talks with author Claire Oshetsky about why magical realism was a good vehicle to explore motherhood.
NPR books editor Petra Mayer has died
Mayer, a self-described "resident nerd" on NPR's Culture desk, was known to her colleagues for her humor and fierce enthusiasm for sci-fi and comics, passions she shared with a national audience.
Author interview: 'New York, My Village'
NPR's Michel Martin speaks with author Uwem Akpan about his new book.
More Republican leaders try to ban books on race, LGBTQ issues
In the latest instance, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster calls on the state's department of education to look into banning a book about queer identity, saying the content is sexually explicit.
'Design To Live' details refugees' ingenuity in creating life in camps
Scott Simon speaks with Azra Aksamija about the new book, "Design to Live: Everyday Inventions from a Refugee Camp," about the ingenuity born in a Jordanian camp.
Laird Hunt proves life lays in the seemingly-mundane through the life of 'Zorrie'
Scott Simon speaks to novelist Laird Hunt about his latest book, "Zorrie."
Encore: Dapper Dan, telling stories in leather, fur and logos
NPR's Audie Cornish talks with fashion designer Dapper Dan about his memoir, Dapper Dan: Made In Harlem.
What's Making Us Happy: A Guide For Your Weekend Watching, Listening And Reading
Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: the show Love Life, the podcast The Shrink Next Door and more.
A Marine veteran says the contradictions of war can make you feel insane
Elliot Ackerman served five tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, during which time, he says, he witnessed the absolute worst — as well as the absolute best — that human beings are capable of.