Books

Books

Ibram X. Kendi's Latest Book: 'How To Be An Antiracist'

7:29am August 13, 2019

NPR's Rachel Martin talks to author Ibram X. Kendi, who has made a name for himself tackling one of the most sensitive topics in America: racism. His latest book is How to Be an Antiracist.

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The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator, by Timothy C. Winegard

In 'The Mosquito,' Humans Face A Predator More Deadly Than The Rest

4:38pm August 12, 2019

by Gabino Iglesias

Timothy C. Winegard has written a well-researched work of narrative nonfiction that offers a history of the world through the role that mosquitoes — and mosquito-borne illnesses — have played in it.

Sister Helen Prejean has written a new memoir called River of Fire, detailing her spiritual life before her activism against the death penalty.

Sister Helen Prejean On Witnessing Executions: 'I Couldn't Let Them Die Alone'

2:32pm August 12, 2019

by Terry Gross

The Catholic nun became an outspoken opponent of the death penalty following the events in her book Dead Man Walking. Her new memoir, River of Fire, details her spiritual journey up to that point.

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Arts

Quiet, Surreal Drama — And Disappearing Objects — In 'The Memory Police'

10:00am August 12, 2019

by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Yoko Ogawa's novel takes place on a small island were objects — flowers, photographs, boats — are disappearing, and the mysterious "memory police" work to make sure they're eternally forgotten.

Individuals from all walks of life join together at Silent Book Clubs around the world to socialize, meet new people and trade book recommendations. When the bell rings, it's reading time, and people can read whatever they like, as long as it's in silence

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A Novel Concept: Silent Book Clubs Offer Introverts A Space To Socialize

7:00am August 12, 2019

by Josh Axelrod

When the bell rings, it's reading time. At over 70 chapters around the world, people gather at Silent Book Clubs to read whatever they like, as long as it's in silence.

Mitz: The Marmoset of Bloomsbury, by Sigrid Nunez

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Arts

'Mitz' The Marmoset Was Definitely Not Afraid Of Virginia Woolf

10:00am August 11, 2019

by Heller McAlpin

The success of Sigrid Nunez' The Friend sparked the reissue of this early work, also about a beloved pet — but Mitz the marmoset was real, and she belonged to Leonard and Virginia Woolf in the 1930s.

When author Andrea Davis Pinkney decided to write a book about a sit in, her husband Brian Pinkney asked, "How am I going to illustrate this, Andrea? They're just sitting." She told him: "Well, honey ... I'm sure you'll think of something." And he did. Th

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Arts

The Pinkneys Are A Picture Book Perfect, Author-Illustrator Couple

9:19am August 11, 2019

Author Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrator Brian Pinkney have been together for 30 years and collaborated on nearly 20 books. "It's fun to work with the one you love," Andrea says.

Author Téa Obreht's new Inland was inspired by myths of the American West.

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Téa Obreht's Latest Is Steeped In The Supernatural — Also, There Are Camels

8:04am August 11, 2019

by Lynn Neary

Téa Obreht's new novel, Inland, was inspired by the myths of the American West, and by a little-known episode in U.S. history: the military's unsuccessful attempt to use camels as pack animals.

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Arts

In 'A Pure Heart,' Family And Religion Both Bond And Break

7:00am August 11, 2019

by Michael Schaub

Rajia Hassib's novel wrestles with heavy themes — survivor's guilt, religion, family and revolution — but it's never didactic. It's an honest, engrossing portrait of two very different sisters.

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We're All Haunted In 'The Turn Of The Key'

10:00am August 10, 2019

by Annalisa Quinn

Ruth Ware's new novel is a clever update on Henry James' classic of paranoia, but instead of ghosts, Ware's characters are haunted by unknowable, unpredictable smart homes and surveillance technology.