Books: Book Reviews, Book News, and Author Interviews NPR's brings you news about books and authors along with our picks for great reads. Interviews, reviews, the NPR Bestseller Lists, New in Paperback and much more.

Books

Subscribe to Books Newsletter

NPR

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.

Author Interviews

Isaac Mizrahi: From Following Mom Into The Fitting Room, To Fashion Fame

February 23, 2019 • Growing up in an Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn, Mizrahi says he stood out like "a chubby, gay thumb." He's written about his unlikely path into the fashion industry in his new memoir, I.M.

Isaac Mizrahi: From Following Mom Into The Fitting Room, To Fashion Fame

Audio will be available later today.

Recently Reviewed

Review

Book Reviews

Chronin's Elegant, Minimalist Samurai Adventure Is – Literally – Timeless

February 23, 2019 • Alison Wilgus' graphic novel imagines a time-traveling history student from 2042 New York who finds herself trapped in Japan in 1864, masquerading as a male warrior as she tries to find a way home.

Review

Book Reviews

In 'Saturn's Return,' Astrology Is A Framework, But Not A Fix

February 21, 2019 • Sara Gran's first novel, now reissued, takes an astrological concept as the jumping-off point for a messy, prickly, realistic depiction of a difficult year in a young woman's life.

EXCLUSIVE: Aspen Words Literary Prize Unveils Its Finalists

The 2019 Aspen Words Literary Prize shortlist (clockwise from top left): There There, by Tommy Orange; Friday Black, by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah; An American Marriage, by Tayari Jones; Brother, by David Chariandy; and Gun Love, by Jennifer Clement. Courtesy of the publisher/Photo illustration by NPR hide caption

toggle caption

Courtesy of the publisher/Photo illustration by NPR

Book News & Features

EXCLUSIVE: Aspen Words Literary Prize Unveils Its Finalists

February 20, 2019 • Five books remain in the running: Tommy Orange's There There; Tayari Jones' An American Marriage; David Chariandy's Brother; Jennifer Clement's Gun Love; and Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah.

Review

Book Reviews

Stories Converge In A Flooded 'Bangkok'

February 20, 2019 • Pitchaya Sudbanthad's novel follows a broad cast of characters who gradually come together in and around a condominium tower in Bangkok. It's a promising debut that expertly evokes a sense of place.

Fresh Air

February 19, 2019 • "We don't have a lot of experience with investigating presidents of the United States," McCabe says. "There is not a standard S.O.P. on the shelf that you pull down to say, 'Here's how it's done.' "

Andrew McCabe: FBI Investigations Into Trump 'Were Extraordinary Steps'

Listen · 44:03 44:03

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/695646320/695993187" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Review

Book Reviews

'Tram Car 015' Is A Delightful Ride

February 18, 2019 • P. Djèlí Clark's novella about about two supernatural investigators on the trail of a malign spirit in a magical alternate Cairo packs wonderful characters into a thoughtfully-built world.

A Chance Meeting Changes Lives In Sophie Kinsella's Latest

Listen · 6:22 6:22

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/695191491/695536927" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Review

Book Reviews

In 'The City In The Middle Of The Night,' Big Ideas Lead To Big Upheavals

February 17, 2019 • Charlie Jane Anders' new novel, set on an inhospitable alien planet, is about rebels, smugglers and lobster-like monsters, but also about how grand political ideas break down — and who that hurts.

Former Teacher Blames Education Policymakers For Atlanta Cheating Scandal

In 2011, Emma Hutchinson School was one of the Atlanta Public Schools identified by a state government report as part of a widespread cheating scandal. John Bazemore/AP hide caption

toggle caption

John Bazemore/AP

Education

Former Teacher Blames Education Policymakers For Atlanta Cheating Scandal

February 16, 2019 • Shani Robinson was one of 11 Atlanta teachers convicted of altering standardized test results in 2015. In None of the Above, she pleads her innocence — and points a finger at systemic failure.

Former Teacher Blames Education Policymakers For Atlanta Cheating Scandal

Listen · 7:44 7:44

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/695344751/695488120" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Review

Book Reviews

'Eugene V. Debs' Resurrects A Stubborn Question: Why Is Labor History So Boring?

February 16, 2019 • Turn-of-the-last-century labor leader Eugene V. Debs lead an interesting life — but this graphic biography misses plenty of opportunities to render the most interesting parts of it on the page.

Review

Book Reviews

Real Life Provides The Origin Story In 'Comics Will Break Your Heart'

February 16, 2019 • Faith Erin Hick's sweet new YA novel is reminiscent of the real-life conflict between Batman co-creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger — and asks what happens when the next generation meets up.

Review

Book Reviews

McCabe's 'The Threat' May Be Darkest Vision Of Trump Presidency Yet

February 14, 2019 • Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe said Thursday that top Justice Dept. officials discussed invoking the 25th Amendment. But his new book is about far more than that.

McCabe's 'The Threat' May Be Darkest Vision Of Trump Presidency Yet

Listen · 3:10 3:10

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/694670497/695054864" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Love Is: A Crowdsourced Valentine's Day Poem

Listen · 7:02 7:02

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/694635029/694635030" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Review

Book News & Features

This Valentine's Day, Make A Date With A Book

February 13, 2019 • Sure, it's great to celebrate love, but why not escape all the relationship pressures, buy yourself some chocolate and make a date with a good romance novel? Here are five our our all-time favorites.