A Collection Of Poems That Offers An Unlikely Kind Of Hope October 18, 2014 • In his second poetry collection, The New Testament, Jericho Brown weaves together strains of religious invocations with his uneasy identity as a southern, gay, black man into a beguiling self myth.
This Week's Must Read Oscar Pistorius' Sentencing And The Classic True Crime Novel October 17, 2014 • Oscar Pistorius, superstar athlete, was back in court this week for his sentencing hearing, after a culpable homicide conviction. Journalist Mandy Wiener says his case reminds her of a favorite book.
'Accidental Highwayman' Stands And Delivers October 17, 2014 • Ben Tripp's young adult debut is a charming romp through a thoroughly theatrical 18th-century England populated by swashbuckling highwaymen, fairies and circus performers.
Rebooted Comic Heroine Is An Elegant, Believable 'Marvel' October 16, 2014 • Author G. Willow Wilson and artist Adrian Alphona introduce the new Ms. Marvel — a 16-year-old Muslim girl from Jersey City — with elegant line work and utterly believable characterizations.
'The Assassination Of Margaret Thatcher' And Other Stories From Hilary Mantel October 15, 2014 • Heads tend to roll, figuratively and otherwise, in Mantel's writing. Critic Maureen Corrigan says this new short story collection — about grotesque characters in the modern world — is breathtaking. Listen Loading… 6:28 Download Playlist
When Good Kids Go Feral, Bloody 'Brood' Hits Its Stride October 15, 2014 • Gratuitous, gore-soaked and reveling in poor taste, Chase Novak's Brood is a true B-movie sequel — and just as fun. But despite its body count, the book still could have used a little more blood.
A Hero's Journey Turns Dark In 'Clariel' October 14, 2014 • The long-awaited new novel in Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series goes back in time to follow a powerful young woman on a difficult path. Fans will get a chill when Clariel's final destiny is revealed.
Book Review: 'J' October 13, 2014 • A review of J by Howard Jacobson. Listen Loading… 2:09 Download Playlist
The Feathery Saga Of A 'Sucker For Unwanted Birds' October 12, 2014 • Michelle Raffin's new The Birds of Pandemonium is an impassioned but occasionally jumbled memoir of her adventures in the noisy, smelly, exhausting, rewarding world of rare bird conservation.
A Slow Simmer Of Grief And Strength In 'Nora Webster' October 11, 2014 • Colm Tóibín's new novel is set in his Irish home town in the early 1970s, and follows the titular Nora as she and her family struggle to cope with the loss of her beloved husband.
This Week's Must Read For This Baseball Season, Roger Angell Has Just The 'Ticket' October 10, 2014 • The American League Championship Series begins tonight. Writer Kate Tuttle says Roger Angell's 1988 collection of essays, Season Ticket, is the perfect accompaniment to the postseason. Listen Loading… 2:27 Download Playlist
Simple Sketches Of A Complicated Cure In 'The Hospital Suite' October 9, 2014 • Cartoonist John Porcellino details a decades-long health struggle in his new graphic memoir. Reviewer Etelka Lehoczky says Porcellino's spare art is a powerful way to engage with the topic of illness.
In Cronenberg's 'Consumed,' An Appetite For Sex, Death And The Latest Gear October 8, 2014 • Director David Cronenberg's debut novel is about two journalists chasing after sensational stories. This book is admirable in its unflinching gaze and beautiful in its depiction of a twisted reality. Listen Loading… 3:55 Download Playlist
A Hairy, Sardonic Fable In 'The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil' October 8, 2014 • Stephen Collins' debut graphic novel depicts a bland, comfortable, conformist world turned upside down by one man's sudden growth of a bristly, twisty, unstoppably anarchic beard.
'Ancillary Sword' Examines Life On The Fringes Of A Galactic Empire October 7, 2014 • Ann Leckie's eagerly awaited sequel to last year's Ancillary Justice quickly wraps up dangling plot threads, and sends heroine Breq on a brand new adventure, this time at the helm of her own ship.
'Florence Gordon' Isn't Friend Material, But You'll Appreciate Her October 6, 2014 • Brian Morton's novel features a 75-year-old woman — an icon of the Second Wave Women's Movement — who's a self-described "difficult woman." It's a witty, nuanced and ultimately moving novel. Listen Loading… 7:33 Download Playlist
This 'Book Of Witches' Casts A Fascinating, Sobering Spell October 5, 2014 • A new Penguin compendium of documents relating to three centuries of witch trials lays the blame on fractured communities and cruel governments — and draws unsettling parallels to current events.
This Week's Must Read Behind The Sunglasses: The Lives Of Secret Service Agents October 3, 2014 • This week, following a series of security lapses, the Secret Service director resigned. For a look at the agency beyond the scandal, author Ben Dolnick recommends the novel Big If by Mark Costello. Listen Loading… 3:02 Download Playlist
cover detail hide caption itoggle caption Two Dead Writers Come Alive In New Collections October 2, 2014 • Italo Calvino's Into the War and Philip K. Dick's We Can Remember It for You Wholesale, two posthumously published books of short fiction, contrast greatly but deliver stimulating reading experiences. Listen Loading… 3:55 Download Playlist
A Poetic Look At A Medical Pioneer, 'Dr. Mütter's Marvels' Jolts The Heart October 2, 2014 • Moving ably from verse to historical prose, poet Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz chronicles the life and work of an unsung medical innovator in the exhaustively researched Dr. Mütter's Marvels.
'Lies' May Be Fiction, But Its Story Rings True October 2, 2014 • Robin Talley's new young adult novel about the first group of kids to desegregate Southern schools combines hard truths about the civil rights struggle with a thrilling, head-over-heels love story.
Book Review: 'Once In The West' September 30, 2014 • Tess Taylor reviews Christian Wiman's new collection of poems, "Once in the West." Listen Loading… 3:12 Download Playlist
