In 'Not A Game,' The Story Of A Star Player And A Hard Fall
Sportswriter Kent Babb talks about his new book Not A Game: The Incredible Rise and Unthinkable Fall of Allen Iverson.
Books
The Heat Is On With These Summer Romance Novels
NPR Books is focusing on romance novels this summer. And our recommendations are not so-called "bodice rippers" or historical romances — they're contemporary.
BuzzFeed's Saeed Jones Recommends Books Of Transformation For Summer
NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Saeed Jones, literary editor at BuzzFeed, about his picks for summer reading. He recommends books where a character goes on some sort of journey.
Stretch Your Summer Reading List Into Southern Territory
NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Kyle Jones of the Bitter Southerner about some highly-anticipated books coming from Southern writers this summer.
'The Automobile Club' Tours Egypt's Troubled History
Alaa Al Aswany's new book sets the dynamics of a fallen family and an elitist car club against the tensions of post-World War II Egypt, but a clunky translation and too many plots keep the brakes on.
As More Women, Minorities Win Hugos, 'Sad Puppies' Blast Sci-Fi Awards
The prestigious Hugo Awards, which honor science fiction and fantasy writing, will be held Saturday. Lately, they have been given to more and more women and writers of color as the world of sci-fi opens up — and that's prompted a backlash from a group of mostly white male writers who call themselves the "Sad Puppies."
Six Friends, A Pile of Cash And A Game With Deadly Consequences
Black Chalk hinges on a plot twist that we won't give away. But we will say it's the summer thriller we've been waiting for: about a teenage game that turns dangerous as its players become adults.
'Zer0es' Takes The Cyber-Thriller To An Electrifying Extreme
Chuck Wendig's brisk new thriller deals in cutting-edge tech, but it's traditional at heart, pitting a rag-tag band of hackers against a big, sinister cyber-entity and the threat of global disaster.
'Fortune Smiles' Can Be Brilliant, But It's Never Easy
Adam Johnson's new story collection spans the globe from former East Germany to post-Katrina Louisiana. Reviewer Michael Schaub says the book is uneven but enlightening, and brilliant at its best.
Walter Mosley Remembers The Watts Riots: You Could Feel The Rage
Fifty years ago this week, race riots broke out in Watts, a Los Angeles neighborhood. Renee Montagne talks to author Walter Mosley about his memories of that time.