Books

Books
Arts

'The Wrong Dead Guy' Lives And Dies By Its Comedic Timing

7:00am March 05, 2017

by Jason Sheehan

Charlie "Coop" Cooper is back for another action packed, kooky adventure — complete with dirty jokes, an octopus robot, and an overuse of dialogue — in Richard Kadrey's newest novel.

Peter Reynolds, owner of Blue Bunny Books in Dedham, Mass., says he hopes the unique atmosphere will keep customers coming to independent bookstores like his.

Books

As Amazon Moves In, A Local Bookseller Hopes To Thrive With A Personal Touch

8:01am March 04, 2017

by Zeninjor Enwemeka

Amazon has opened its latest brick-and-mortar bookstore — the first on the East Coast. But an independent bookseller in the Boston suburb says: "I think that we're going to be OK."

Michael Rodriguez is one of more than 60 American service members who sat for a portrait by President George W. Bush. They are pictured together at Bush's 70th birthday bike ride at Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas.

Books
Arts

A Green Beret Sits For A Portrait By His Former Commander In Chief

7:41am March 04, 2017

by Scott Simon

After leaving office, President George W. Bush picked up painting — first fruit, then pets, then people. His book Portraits of Courage features paintings of more than 60 American service members.

In the Name of the Family by Sarah Dunant

Books
Arts

'In The Name Of The Family' Probes The Lives Of An Infamous Clan

7:00am March 04, 2017

by Jean Zimmerman

Sarah Dunant's latest novel follows one of history's most notorious families — the Borgias. But it's the small, domestic details, not the bigger picture, that captivate.

Writing Past The White Gaze As A Black Author

6:01am March 04, 2017

by LJ Alonge

"I wanted my characters to be respectable. I wanted them to somehow escape the judgement they'd get for just being, the same kind of judgement I've gotten for just being..."

Chimamanda Adichie's novels include Americanah and Half of a Yellow Sun. The author is pictured here at NPR in February 2017.

Books
Arts

How Do You Raise A Feminist Daughter? Chimamanda Adichie Has 15 Suggestions

6:55pm March 03, 2017

by Audie Cornish

Adichie's new book began as a letter to a childhood friend (and new mother) who had asked for some advice. It's called Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions.

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

Sanity Is Slowly Lost In 'Spaceman Of Bohemia'

7:00am March 03, 2017

by Jason Heller

It's 2018 and a mysterious cloud has appeared between Earth and Venus. A Czech astrophysicist is sent to investigate. The only problem? Hanging on to his sense of reality while alone in space.

Maj. Mary Jennings Hegar served three tours in Afghanistan. She now lives in Austin, Texas, and works as an executive coach and consultant.

A Purple Heart Warrior Takes Aim At Military Inequality In 'Shoot Like A Girl'

2:57pm March 02, 2017

Maj. Mary Jennings Hegar is part of a lawsuit that argues excluding women from combat is unconstitutional. She says the lawsuit isn't about women's rights – it's about military effectiveness.

Queue Listen Now

Tyler Cowen argues, in his new book The Complacent Class, that Americans are in a period of stagnation because we are doing less and less of what made us successful in the past: embracing change, moving to different parts of the country and associating wi

America's 'Complacent Class': How Self-Segregation Is Leading To Stagnation

1:15pm March 02, 2017

by Heidi Glenn

Economist and author Tyler Cowen worries that Americans' desire to keep changing has gone away. "The forward march of progress," he says, "is not the main story today."

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

'High Noon' Takes Aim At The Hollywood Blacklist

12:00pm March 02, 2017

by Genevieve Valentine

Glenn Frankel's new book about the making of the classic Western sets its tumultuous production against the backdrop of the Hollywood "Red Scare," drawing parallels between celluloid and reality.