Books

Kim Zupan's debut novel is about the relationship between a deputy sheriff and a hardened killer. This book explores the line between good and evil in a manner that's as honest as it is unsettling.

Kirkus Reviews has been around, in varying forms, for over 80 years — but it's the new kid in town this awards season. Today, the publication announced the finalists for its inaugural Kirkus Prize.

Dunham says when she started writing HBO's Girls, she was drawn to characters with "a bit of a Zelda Fitzgerald lost, broken woman quality." Her new essay collection is called Not That Kind of Girl.

Caitlin Moran's semi-autobiographical novel is an earnestly written look at a young woman's self-reinvention. How to Build a Girl tackles class, gender and sexuality with both humor and sincerity.

Charles Blow says he was 7 years old when he was sexually abused by a cousin. His new memoir, Fire Shut Up In My Bones, is about what he says happened, his recovery and his bisexuality.

A night before the winner's declared, the writers shortlisted for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize read their works. Listen here first. Also: Thomas Pynchon might soon be coming to the big screen.

YA author Lauren Oliver's debut adult novel features an old mansion occupied by dysfunctional characters, both living and dead. Oliver fits these seemingly disparate lives together like a puzzle ring.

Richard Blanco, who read "One Today" at Obama's inauguration in 2013, explores the collision of sexual, artistic and cultural identity in his new memoir about his childhood in Miami.

Director David Cronenberg's debut work of fiction is not for the faint of heart. Consumed follows two journalists as they chase stories of cannibalism, backroom surgeries, self-mutilation and murder.

NPR's Linda Wertheimer talks to novelist Sarah Waters about her latest book, The Paying Guests. It's a historical novel and a lesbian love story, with a courtroom drama mixed in.

NPR's Linda Wertheimer speaks to Stephen Johnson about his new book and TV series, How We Got to Now. He looks at six innovations that he thinks shaped the modern world.

"It's only 10 or 15 pages," he says, "but still you got to get it right." Theroux's new collection, Mr. Bones, tells stories of the odd person out.