Books

Books
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'Descent' Is A Twisty Thriller-Plus

7:03am January 06, 2015

by Alan Cheuse

Tim Johnston's suspenseful novel follows a family that begins to come apart after their teenage daughter is abducted during a mountain vacation. Critic Alan Cheuse says his heart is still pounding.

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 19: Actor Patton Oswalt attends 18th Annual Webby Awards on May 19, 2014 in New York, United States. (Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images)

Books
Arts

From Patton Oswalt, A Movie Memoir That's Best Outside The Theater

10:02am January 05, 2015

by Linda Holmes

Comedian and actor Patton Oswalt recounts his movie addiction in the memoir Silver Screen Fiend, which finds its best stories away from the theater.

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Arts

How Tinseltown Got Tipsy: A Boozy Taste Of Hollywood History

4:59pm January 04, 2015

by NPR Staff

Mark Bailey, who detailed old Hollywood's legendary love affair with liquor in his book Of All the Gin Joints, shares stories from a bygone era over cocktails at a legendary Hollywood bar.

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John Cleese got his first big break in London's West End and as a script writer and performer on The Frost Report.

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'Comedy Is Extraordinarily Difficult': John Cleese On Being Funny

4:48pm January 04, 2015

by NPR Staff

John Cleese of Monty Python fame has written a memoir, So, Anyway ... , which brings him from boyhood in a quiet British town called Weston to the footlights of London and screens all over the world.

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In 'God Loves Haiti,' Clutching Memories When The Earth Moves

12:20pm January 04, 2015

In his debut novel, Haitian expat Dimitry Elias Legér uses the 2010 earthquake in Haiti as a backdrop to a love triangle. Leger tells NPR's Rachel Martin why he titled his new book God Loves Haiti.

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These 'Almost Famous Women' Won't Be Forgotten Again

12:07pm January 03, 2015

by NPR Staff

Megan Mayhew Bergman's new story collection focuses on the colorful tales of independent real-life, risk-taking women who've faded from the spotlight (or never cared for it in the first place).

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In 'Citizen,' Poet Strips Bare The Realities Of Everyday Racism

11:59am January 03, 2015

by NPR Staff

For her latest collection, Claudia Rankine mined her and her friends' encounters with racism. She says she wanted to talk about "what happens when we fail each other as people."

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Arts

For The New Year, Ray Bradbury's Buoyant Vision Of The Future

6:23pm January 02, 2015

by Jason Sheehan

We saw a lot of dystopias in both films and books this year. Author Jason Sheehan has had enough. He plans to celebrate the new year with some science fiction that's actually hopeful about the future.

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Books

For Working Moms, Key To Balance May Lie In Elusive Leisure Time

4:12pm January 02, 2015

If waiting for help when your car breaks down doesn't strike you as a leisurely activity, it may be time to reconsider. A new book looks at time management challenges of being a working parent.

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Books

NPR Bestsellers: Week Of January 1, 2015

4:03pm January 02, 2015

The lists are compiled from weekly surveys of close to 500 independent bookstores nationwide.