Unseen Forces Menace 'The Houseguest'
Amparo Dávila is often described as Mexico's answer to Shirley Jackson, and The Houseguest -- her first collection to be translated into English --radiates a sense of unease and calamity.
Books
Here's What College Freshmen Are Reading
Colleges across the U.S. assign books to introduce new ideas to incoming students. This year, colleges selected books on topics that ranged from climate change to race, fiction and non-fiction
'Hardly Children' Is Restless And Strange — Just Like Humanity
The spare, slightly creepy off-white cover of Laura Adamczyk's debut collection is perfect for the uncomfortable stories within it, works that examine family, childhood, adulthood, gender and race.
'Extinctions' Digs Up Buried Memories and Unacknowledged History
The title Josephine Wilson's new novel refers to its protagonist, an elderly man who feels useless, extinct — and whose journey is to find the means for growth and change within himself.
'Heirs Of The Founders' Looks At Efforts To Stave Off Civil War
H.W. Brands brings to life a transitional era of American politics when the scope and power of the federal government was unknown, as were the boundaries of the United States.
An Artist Looks Back — Way Back — In 'I Am Young'
M. Dean's psychedelic collection of graphic short stories chronicles how music affects the lives of a group of young people in the 1960s and '70s, with masterfully nostalgia-invoking illustrations.
'Little Dancer' Brings Us To See The Person Behind The Famous Degas Sculpture
Degas's sculpture "Little Dancer Aged Fourteen" is known the world over. But who is that young lady he depicts? Camille Laurens aims to find out — and realizes something about herself in the process.
Author Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall Embarks On The Quest To Cure Hangovers In 'Hungover'
As long as humans have imbibed alcohol, they've had hangovers. NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall about his book, Hungover: The Morning After and One Man's Quest for the Cure.
'Che' Graphic Biography Explores The Myths And Truths Of The Legend
While José Hernández and Jon Lee Anderson struggle continually to balance nuanced truth with cartoony distillation, Che remains a remarkable accomplishment.
Exclusive: 'Friday Black,' 'There There' And More Longlisted For Aspen Words Prize
Other titles include Ling Ma's Severance and Elaine Castillo's America is Not the Heart. This is the second year for the prize, which focuses on fiction that addresses contemporary issues.