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NPR's Book Concierge: Our Guide To 2018's Great Reads

November 27, 2018 • The Book Concierge is back! Explore more than 300 standout titles picked by NPR staff and critics.

Binyavanga Wainaina, Kenyan Writer And LGBTQ Activist, Dies At 48

Kenyan author Binyavanga Wainaina, seen here during a January 2014 interview in Nairobi, has died at the age of 48. A founder of the Nairobi-based literary network Kwani?, Wainaina had come out as gay in a country where homosexuality was illegal. Simon Maina/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Obituaries

Binyavanga Wainaina, Kenyan Writer And LGBTQ Activist, Dies At 48

May 22, 2019 • The author founded a platform for young Kenyan authors and came out as gay in a place where homosexuality has long been illegal. "Binyavanga was unbound in his imagining," said a friend and colleague.

'Theodore Roosevelt For The Defense' Makes A Libel Case Into Gripping Reading

Former U.S. President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt. AP hide caption

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Review

Book Reviews

'Theodore Roosevelt For The Defense' Makes A Libel Case Into Gripping Reading

May 22, 2019 • Gifted writers Dan Abrams and David Fisher, who previously brought us Lincoln's Last Trial, are clearly fascinated by how Teddy Roosevelt's court case played out — bringing an enthusiasm to readers.

Recently Reviewed

He Could Go 'All The Way': Joe Namath Enters His 4th Quarter

Joe Namath speaks during halftime of a New York Jets game in 2018. As quarterback, he led the Jets to a Super Bowl win in 1969. Mike Stobe/Getty Images hide caption

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Mike Stobe/Getty Images

Sports

He Could Go 'All The Way': Joe Namath Enters His 4th Quarter

May 22, 2019 • In a new autobiography, the great NFL quarterback details his ups (like a Super Bowl victory) and downs (like the Suzy Kolber incident and alcoholism) as he stares down his legacy.

He Could Go 'All The Way': Joe Namath Enters His 4th Quarter

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Book Reviews

'Unfreedom Of The Press' Is Full Of Bombast And Bile

May 21, 2019 • Right-wing Fox host Mark Levin conducts no interviews and offers no original research in his book; it is little more than a free gift with purchase: People are instead buying his message to the media.

Review

Book Reviews

Kamchatka Is A Rich Backdrop For Mystery In 'Disappearing Earth'

May 21, 2019 • Julia Phillips' debut novel takes readers through a year following the disappearance of two little girls in the remote Russian province of Kamchatka — and the way that disappearance reverberates.

Review

Book Reviews

An Author Goes 'Spying On The South' 160 Years After Frederick Law Olmsted

Fresh Air

May 20, 2019 • Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Tony Horwitz retraces the path of the famed Central Park architect — and discovers a deep cultural divide along the way.

An Author Goes 'Spying On The South' 160 Years After Frederick Law Olmsted

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Author Interviews

'Filth Elder' John Waters Says There Are Still 'Plenty Of Rules' Left To Break

Fresh Air

May 20, 2019 • The cult filmmaker, 73, has plenty of ideas about what older people should and shouldn't do. "You can't be trying too hard to rebel [when] you're older," Waters says. His new book is Mr. Know-It-All.

'Filth Elder' John Waters Says There Are Still 'Plenty Of Rules' Left To Break

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The Lavish Roman Banquet: A Calculated Display Of Debauchery And Power

The banquet of a noble Roman in ancient Rome was more than a lavish social meal, it was a crucial power tool — a way of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. Bildagentur-online/UIG via Getty Images hide caption

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The Salt

The Lavish Roman Banquet: A Calculated Display Of Debauchery And Power

May 20, 2019 • A new book profiles 10 prominent emperors who helped shape the destiny of Rome. Part of their legacy includes wild stories of hedonistic banquets, when luxury ruled even as plebeians went hungry.

Review

Book Reviews

Love Goes Global In These 3 May Romances

May 20, 2019 • This month, we're bringing you stories from around the world, featuring royals and regular boys and girls who risk it all for their happy ever after — from Vietnam to California to Scotland.

Review

Book Reviews

'There's Something About Sweetie' — Something Irrepressibly Joyous

May 19, 2019 • Sandhya Menon's followup to her hit young adult novel When Dimple Met Rishi follows a young woman with a big voice, a big personality — and to her family's dismay (though not her own), a big body.

From The Gridiron To Multigrid Algorithms In 'Mind And Matter'

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Book Reviews

Language Has Magic In 'The Candle And The Flame'

May 18, 2019 • Nafiza Azad creates a fantastical yet believable Silk Road city in her new young adult novel, building a world of humans and djinns, spices and sounds, woven through with Urdu, Arabic and Hindi.

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Book Reviews

'Red, White & Royal Blue' Reigns As Must-Read Romance

May 18, 2019 • Casey McQuiston's tale of a British prince who falls for the son of the U.S. president (who's a woman, by the way) is a snappy, banter-packed rom-com that's also empowering and uplifting.

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Book Reviews

'How Shostakovich Changed My Mind' Touches On The Music-Body Connection

May 17, 2019 • BBC music broadcaster Stephen Johnson's remarkably diverse aesthetic and personal sensitivity are on full display in his new book on the Russian composer's music — and his own personal struggles.