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Mat Johnson On 'Loving Day' And Life As A 'Black Boy' Who Looks White

1:31pm June 29, 2015

As a biracial child growing up in Philadelphia, writer Mat Johnson identified as black – but looked white. His new novel is about a man who returns to his hometown after inheriting a run-down mansion.

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Cover detail of Scott Sherman's Patience and Fortitude.

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'Patience And Fortitude' And The Fight To Save NYC's Storied Public Library

12:55pm June 29, 2015

by Maureen Corrigan

In his new book, Scott Sherman describes how bottom-line business logic nearly gutted New York's preeminent public library. Maureen Corrigan calls it a "slim, smart book" full of colorful characters.

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Ben Mezrich at the premiere of 21, the film adaptation of Bringing Down the House.

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A Bar, Blackjack And Best-Sellers: One Author's Big Break

8:20pm June 28, 2015

by Becky Sullivan

Ben Mezrich had been a struggling author, without a regular job and knee-deep in debt. But that all changed at a dive bar in Boston, when Mezrich saw a local college student whip out a $100 bill.

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Raised By 5 Different Families, 7 Siblings Are Reunited In 'Bastards'

10:44am June 28, 2015

by NPR Staff

In her debut memoir Mary Anna King tells the story of her fractured upbringing and how — in the face of poverty — love and hard work were not sufficient to keep her family together.

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Like Seinfeld, 'Festival' Is About Nothing... And Everything

7:03am June 28, 2015

by Jason Sheehan

Milan Kundera's new novel is short on plot, but don't mistake that for dullness. Reviewer Jason Sheehan says the book is slim, funny and stunningly profound.

Adonal Foyle (center) plays for the Orlando Magic against the Milwaukee Bucks in 2007.

How To Win The Money Game: A Former NBA Star Shares Financial Advice

7:38pm June 27, 2015

by NPR Staff

Adonal Foyle has financial advice for professional athletes. "You really have to put money in its proper place," he says. "If we do that, we will respect it — but not give it too much power over us."

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Played by Olivier or not — Heathcliff was really kind of a jerk by romance hero standards.

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Alpha, Beta, Heathcliff — An Alphabet Of Romance Heroes

10:30am June 27, 2015

by Lynn Neary

As part of the NPR Books Summer of Love series, Lynn Neary digs into the history of the romance hero, the difference between alpha and beta heroes, and why Heathcliff is really kind of a jerk.

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The Craft Sequence: Please Do Judge These Books By Their Covers

7:03am June 27, 2015

by Amal El-Mohtar

This weekend, the NPR Books Time Machine rewinds Max Gladstone's Craft Sequence. Critic Amal El-Mohtar was drawn in by great cover art and discovered a sharp, smart, unusual urban fantasy series.

Books
Arts

Friendship, Magic And Danger Blossom In 'Uprooted'

1:25pm June 26, 2015

by Amal El-Mohtar

Naomi Novik's latest is a reworked "Beauty and the Beast," with a powerful female friendship at its heart. Reviewer Amal El-Mohtar calls it "moving, heartbreaking, and thoroughly satisfying."

How Scientists Created A Typhus Vaccine In A 'Fantastic Laboratory'

1:16pm June 26, 2015

Writer Arthur Allen describes how a WWII scientist in Poland smuggled the typhus vaccine to Jews — while his team made a weakened version for the Nazis. Originally broadcast July 22, 2014.

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