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NPR: Book Reviews Summary judgment on books of note, from NPR personalities, independent booksellers and critics from across the public-radio spectrum.

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'Ghost Wall' Is An Eerie Coming-Of-Age Tale That Begs For A Second Read

Fresh Air

January 15, 2019 • Sarah Moss' beautifully written novel is set in the 1970s in the rugged countryside of the far north of England, where a group of campers are reenacting the daily lives of Iron Age Britons.

'Ghost Wall' Is An Eerie Coming-Of-Age Tale That Begs For A Second Read

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'Inheritance' Investigates A Family Secret, With Self-Discovery At The Core

January 15, 2019 • Dani Shapiro, at age 54, is shocked to learn that the man she thought was her biological father wasn't a blood relative. Her memoir, a quest for the truth, reads like an emotional detective story.

'Muhammad: Forty Introductions' Isn't Setting Out To Satisfy

January 15, 2019 • Michael Muhammad Knight's new book on the religious figure is designed to seduce, educate, and irritate its audience into curiosity about Islam and Muhammad — and on all three fronts it succeeds.

Keeping A Famous Theater's Myth Alive In 'Showtime At the Apollo'

January 13, 2019 • This new graphic adaptation of Ted Fox's history of the Apollo Theater captures countless electrifying performances, but goes easy on the grittier aspects of the fabled theater.

'The Water Cure' Makes Toxic Masculinity Literal

January 13, 2019 • In Sophie Mackintosh's tart, twisted fairy tale, a family hides away on a remote island to escape a world in which men may actually be toxic. But their lives are upended when three castaways wash up.

'Untouchable' Delivers Twisty Turny Romantic Thrills

January 12, 2019 • Romantic suspense stalwart Jayne Ann Krentz's latest — it's part of a series, but works as a standalone — will keep you flipping pages with its complex bad guy and tangled but propulsive plot.

For January, 3 Romances That Understand It's Complicated

January 12, 2019 • Yes, a romance novel has to have a happy ending — but that doesn't mean the stories take place in a fantasy land. This month, we're showcasing three books that draw on the challenges of real life.

Existential Dread Is Deceptively Simple In 'Mouthful Of Birds'

January 10, 2019 • Samanta Schweblin has a gift for treating the otherworldly with a matter-of-fact attitude; her new story collection proves that she's a master of elegant, uncanny fiction.

'Hollywood's Eve' Feeds Renewed Interest In L.A. 'It' Girl Turned Writer

January 10, 2019 • Eve Babitz had long been forgotten, when a profile by Lili Anolik triggered a reissuing of the former Hollywood glamour girl's literary works. In a new book, Anolik fills some, but not all, the gaps.

'The First Conspiracy' Details Foiled Hickey Plot To Assassinate George Washington

January 9, 2019 • Thriller author Brad Meltzer and documentary producer Josh Mensch offer an intriguing look at a true-life, foiled plan that, had it succeeded, may have killed the American dream before it even began.

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist Explores Flaws Of The Justice System In 'Burned'

January 8, 2019 • In a new book, Edward Humes raises question after troubling question, pointing to frustrating subjectivity and the power of damning narratives that feed the ponderous process of criminal justice.

Kamala Harris' 'The Truths We Hold' Demonstrates What's Wrong With Campaign Books

The book, not coincidentally, comes as Sen. Kamala Harris is expected to launch her presidential campaign in the coming weeks. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Kamala Harris' 'The Truths We Hold' Demonstrates What's Wrong With Campaign Books

January 8, 2019 • Though not a literary masterpiece, the California senator's book is effective as a campaign tool: She makes an argument for a chance at the presidency — like the prosecutor she is.

Suspenseful 'Water Cure' Dips Into 2019's Dystopian Zeitgeist

Fresh Air

January 7, 2019 • Sophie Mackintosh's debut novel centers on four women living in a decrepit hotel on an isolated island. Critic Maureen Corrigan says The Water Cure is "everything this age seems to be demanding."

Suspenseful 'Water Cure' Dips Into 2019's Dystopian Zeitgeist

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'Amsterdam Noir' Finds Its Darkness Inside Us

January 6, 2019 • Akashic Books' Noir series continues with a visit to Amsterdam — and finding the shadowy side of a peaceful city where crime is low proves a challenge for editors René Appel and Josh Pachter.

'The Disasters' Could Be The Beginning Of A Great Story

December 19, 2018 • M.K. England's new novel starts with a bang: A group of space-school rejects must save the universe. It never quite delivers on that premise, but the characters are so appealing, you'll want more.

'Fresh Air' Favorites: Our Critics Pick 2018's Best Books, Movies, Music And TV

Cardi B; Ethan Hawke in First Reformed; Sandra Oh in Killing Eve. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for iHeartMedia; A24; Sophie Mutevelian/BBC America hide caption

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Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for iHeartMedia; A24; Sophie Mutevelian/BBC America

Arts & Life

'Fresh Air' Favorites: Our Critics Pick 2018's Best Books, Movies, Music And TV

Fresh Air

December 18, 2018 • Find everything our critics loved this year, all in one place: Maureen Corrigan's book list, movie pairings from Justin Chang, music recommended by Ken Tucker and David Bianculli's must-see TV list.

2018 'Ghost List' Revisits The TV, Books And Movies A Critic Wishes He Covered

Ben Whishaw voices the perpetually well-meaning bear in Paddington 2. Warner Bros. hide caption

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Warner Bros.

Arts & Life

2018 'Ghost List' Revisits The TV, Books And Movies A Critic Wishes He Covered

Fresh Air

December 17, 2018 • Each year, Fresh Air critic-at-large John Powers finds himself haunted by the books, movies and shows that he loved but wasn't able to review on the air.

2018 'Ghost List' Revisits The TV, Books And Movies A Critic Wishes He Covered

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Code Switch

Code Switch's 2018 Book Guide

December 12, 2018 • We checked in with authors, poets and great literary minds to see what books they think everyone should read this holiday season.

Code Switch's 2018 Book Guide

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For December, 3 Romantic Holiday Escapes

December 11, 2018 • Get away from holiday stress and crummy weather with our romance picks for December. We've got great contemporary stories and a charming inversion of that classic Regency trope, the forced engagement.

Maureen Corrigan Picks The Best Books Of 2018, Including The Novel Of The Year

Click here to browse more than 300 recommended titles in NPR's 2018 Book Concierge. NPR hide caption

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Maureen Corrigan Picks The Best Books Of 2018, Including The Novel Of The Year

Fresh Air

December 10, 2018 • Fresh Air's book critic recommends her 10 favorite books of the year, including The Great Believers, Rebecca Makkai's sweeping story about the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s.

Maureen Corrigan Picks The Best Books Of 2018, Including The Novel Of The Year

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Book Reviews

'Ghost Wall' Is An Eerie Coming-Of-Age Tale That Begs For A Second Read

Fresh Air

'Ghost Wall' Is An Eerie Coming-Of-Age Tale That Begs For A Second Read

'Inheritance' Investigates A Family Secret, With Self-Discovery At The Core

'Muhammad: Forty Introductions' Isn't Setting Out To Satisfy

Keeping A Famous Theater's Myth Alive In 'Showtime At the Apollo'

'The Water Cure' Makes Toxic Masculinity Literal

'Untouchable' Delivers Twisty Turny Romantic Thrills

For January, 3 Romances That Understand It's Complicated

Existential Dread Is Deceptively Simple In 'Mouthful Of Birds'

'Hollywood's Eve' Feeds Renewed Interest In L.A. 'It' Girl Turned Writer

'The First Conspiracy' Details Foiled Hickey Plot To Assassinate George Washington

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist Explores Flaws Of The Justice System In 'Burned'

Kamala Harris' 'The Truths We Hold' Demonstrates What's Wrong With Campaign Books

Suspenseful 'Water Cure' Dips Into 2019's Dystopian Zeitgeist

Fresh Air

Suspenseful 'Water Cure' Dips Into 2019's Dystopian Zeitgeist

'Amsterdam Noir' Finds Its Darkness Inside Us

'The Disasters' Could Be The Beginning Of A Great Story

Arts & Life

'Fresh Air' Favorites: Our Critics Pick 2018's Best Books, Movies, Music And TV

Fresh Air

Arts & Life

2018 'Ghost List' Revisits The TV, Books And Movies A Critic Wishes He Covered

Fresh Air

2018 'Ghost List' Revisits The TV, Books And Movies A Critic Wishes He Covered

Code Switch

Code Switch's 2018 Book Guide

Code Switch's 2018 Book Guide

For December, 3 Romantic Holiday Escapes

Maureen Corrigan Picks The Best Books Of 2018, Including The Novel Of The Year

Fresh Air

Maureen Corrigan Picks The Best Books Of 2018, Including The Novel Of The Year

Art Restores The Soul In 'Museum Of Modern Love'

Book News & Features

In 'Trish Trash,' Roller Derby — And Anti-Capitalist Parable — On Mars

'Mary Queen Of Scots' Is A Case Study On How Political, Human Narratives Get Crafted

'Broken Ground' Balances Location, Character And Props In Perfect Proportion