Book Review: 'Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish'
Alan Cheuse reviews the last book written by David Rakoff, who died last year. The novel Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish is written in verse.
Books
Use The Books, Fans: 'Star Wars' Franchise Thrives In Print
More than 200 novels, the Star Wars' book series spans 25,000 years, from the beginning of the Jedi Order to 40 years beyond where the original trilogy left off. According to The Wall Street Journal's Alexandra Alter, the books help keep fans interested between movies.
Aparecium! J.K. Rowling Revealed As 'Cuckoo' Mystery Author
The Cuckoo's Calling, a debut mystery supposedly by a former British military man, was in fact written by Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling, working under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The novel received positive reviews when it came out earlier this year.
How Scholastic Sells Literacy To Generations Of New Readers
Scholastic began as a four-page magazine for high schoolers in 1920. Today, the publisher of Clifford the Big Red Dog, The Magic School Bus, Harry Potter and The Hunger Game, has grown into a $2 billion business, and one of the biggest children's book publishers in the world.
Racing Hearts, Fluttering Wings: American 'Butterfly People'
After the Civil War, pursuing butterflies was more than a pastime for many Americans — it was a passion. In his book, Butterfly People, William Leach chronicles the infatuation, from its European roots and natural-history tradition to its eventual fall.
Searching For Clues In A Dangerous Nairobi
A dead body and a hotel bombing trigger the plot of Black Star Nairobi, the latest crime novel from Kenyan-American author Mukoma Wa Ngugi. Detectives Ishmael Fofona and David Odhiambo search for the perps during the upheaval around the Kenyan elections in December 2007.
Comedian Aisha Tyler Talks About Flipping Off Failure
In her new book, Self-Inflicted Wounds, Tyler writes about her dalliances with failure and humiliation on the long road to success. She says it wasn't easy being the geeky, tall, black girl who loves science fiction and video games. But it was worth it.
Finding Meaning In The Mosh Pit Among Often-Reviled Groupies
Pop-culture writer Nathan Rabin introduces us to some obsessive fans in his new book, You Don't Know Me But You Don't Like Me, which chronicles his experience following the followers of the bands Phish and Insane Clown Posse.
Lessons In Bigotry And Bravery: A Girl Grows Up In 'Glory Be'
It's the summer of 1964, and everything's changing for 11-year-old Glory. She was looking forward to celebrating her 12th birthday at the local pool, but the town has shut it down to avoid integration. Members of NPR's Backseat Book Club share their questions with author Augusta Scattergood.
'Blue Plate Special': A Generous Helping Of Life
Novelist Kate Christensen makes a plot line of her own life in a memoir that describes her struggles to come to terms with her family, her relationships and her sometimes violent father. A passionate lover of food, Christensen weaves recipes into a story of survival.