'The Dispatcher' Is A Short Stroll In A Strange Neighborhood May 31, 2017 • John Scalzi's new novel — originally an audio book — imagines the implications of a world where 999 out of 1,000 murder victims pop back into existence, naked, confused and safe in their own beds.
'Beren And Lúthien' Reflects Tolkien's Real Life Love Story May 31, 2017 • J.R.R. Tolkien's son Christopher proves an able guide through Beren and Lúthien, his father's haunting tale of a mortal man who falls in love with the daughter of a disapproving Elven King.
In 'Boundless,' The Modern World Is Timeless May 30, 2017 • Cartoonist Jillian Tamaki's new book is packed with of-the-moment topics — a pyramid skin-care scheme, a porn sitcom, a bedbug battle — but her existential wistfulness raises them to archetype.
'Descent' Is A Witty Manifesto On Modern Manhood May 30, 2017 • English author and artist Grayson Perry realized at age 12 that he wanted to wear women's clothes. That fascination is part of his new book, a funny, engaging look at what it means to be a man today.
Books 'The Jersey Brothers' Highlights The Enduring Legacy Of World War II May 29, 2017 • Sally Mott Freeman's book, The Jersey Brothers, recounts the story of three men swept up by Word War II. The youngest brother gets captured in the Philippines, and the two others struggle to bring him home. NPR explores why stories of World War II remain so compelling to us today. 'The Jersey Brothers' Highlights The Enduring Legacy Of World War II Listen · 4:08 4:08 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/530617202/530617203" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
'The Jersey Brothers' Highlights The Enduring Legacy Of World War II Listen · 4:08 4:08 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/530617202/530617203" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Shatner's 'Spirit Of The Horse' Is An Ode To 4-Legged Friends May 28, 2017 • Yes, he was the captain of the Enterprise, but William Shatner is also a dedicated horseman and founder of the Hollywood Charity Horse Show. His love of horses is on display in his charming new book.
Hip, Hippo Hooray For 'River Of Teeth' May 28, 2017 • Sarah Gailey's alternate-history romp takes place in a United States that went ahead with a wild plan to farm hippos for meat. It's a delightful read that suffers only from being too short.
Love, Money And Betrayal Make For Great Storytelling In 'The Heirs' May 27, 2017 • Susan Rieger's new book follows an upper-crust, Upper West Side family whose certainties are thrown into doubt after their father dies and an unknown Other Woman sues his estate for child support.
'The End Of Eddy' Tells Of Growing Up Poor And Gay In Working-Class France Fresh Air May 26, 2017 • Édouard Louis' autobiographical novel is the story of a young man coming of age in a downtrodden French village. Critic John Powers calls it a "bulletin from the enraged heart of Le Pen country." 'The End Of Eddy' Tells Of Growing Up Poor And Gay In Working-Class France Listen · 7:20 7:20 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/530116072/530602539" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
'The End Of Eddy' Tells Of Growing Up Poor And Gay In Working-Class France Listen · 7:20 7:20 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/530116072/530602539" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
A Dancer Is Unstrung By Grief In 'Isadora' May 25, 2017 • The great American dancer Isadora Duncan led a tragic life, and her worst year — just after the deaths of her first two children in an accident, forms the core of Amelia Gray's powerful new novel.
Searching For A Summer Escape? These 6 Books Will Carry You Away Fresh Air May 24, 2017 • Journeys, near and far, into the past and even into near space, are the subject of the novels, memoirs and narrative histories that make up book critic Maureen Corrigan's early summer reading list. Searching For A Summer Escape? These 6 Books Will Carry You Away Listen · 8:59 8:59 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/529820189/529879882" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Searching For A Summer Escape? These 6 Books Will Carry You Away Listen · 8:59 8:59 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/529820189/529879882" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
The Power Of Music Is At The Heart Of 'Black Mad Wheel' May 24, 2017 • Detroit garage-rocker Josh Malerman's second novel follows a fictional 1950s rock bad recruited by the government to find the source of a mysterious, ominous sound emanating from the Namib Desert.
Second Thoughts About A Second Marriage In 'Standard Deviation' May 23, 2017 • Katherine Heiny's first novel for adults is a warmhearted and funny — if overly long — portrait of a man who begins to doubt his chaotic, talkative second wife after 12 years of marriage.
In 'A King's Obsession,' Anne Boleyn's True Love Is Power May 21, 2017 • Alison Weir takes a fresh look at familiar territory in this retelling of the story of Anne Boleyn. Weir's version of Anne is fiercely smart and guilty only of craving power that was hers by right.
We Have Always Been Bored — 'Yawn' Wonders Why May 20, 2017 • Mary Mann's new book digs into a phenomenon as old as humanity: boredom. Why do we get bored? Is there a cure? Yawn is a thoughtful read, but its mix of autobiography and scholarship doesn't jell.
An American Abroad Searches For Self In 'Florence In Ecstasy' May 18, 2017 • Jessie Chaffee's novel about a troubled young American woman in Florence is beautiful and exhausting; stick with it, and you'll find a thoughtful reexamination of a classic trope, the American abroad.
It's The Nuggets That Shine In 'The Golden Cockerel' May 17, 2017 • The title piece in Mexican master Juan Rulfo's The Golden Cockerel is a good story with a simple point: Life is short and then you die. It's the sketches and fragments that come after that amaze.
In 'Bad Dreams,' Tessa Hadley Serves Up Satisfying Short Stories May 16, 2017 • There are plenty of story collections out now to start your summer with, but Tessa Hadley tops the pile with Bad Dreams, ten richly complex tales of characters pushing the boundaries of their lives.
The Art Ensemble of Chicago's Free-Wheeling Style Shines In 'Message to Our Folks' Fresh Air May 15, 2017 • Paul Steinbeck's new book chronicles the antics, both on and off stage, of the storied jazz ensemble. Critic Kevin Whitehead says Message to Our Folks celebrates the band's success on their own terms. The Art Ensemble of Chicago's Free-Wheeling Style Shines In 'Message to Our Folks' Listen · 7:24 7:24 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/528464569/528483615" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
The Art Ensemble of Chicago's Free-Wheeling Style Shines In 'Message to Our Folks' Listen · 7:24 7:24 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/528464569/528483615" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
The Week's Best Stories From NPR Books 4 Romances To Kick Off Your Summer May 14, 2017 • The weather is warming, the flowers are blooming, and our fancies turn lightly to thoughts of ... well, some really good romance novels. Here are four delicious reads to make your Maytime merry.
