Books

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'The Course Of Love' Is More Case Study Than Novel

10:00am June 15, 2016

by Heller McAlpin

Alain de Botton returns to a long-standing fascination — the arc of relationships — in his new novel. But despite its fictional trappings, the book seems more like a class on maintaining a marriage.

Go Into the Light: DC Comics relaunches its line of superheroes titles again. Still. Some more.

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DC Comics' 'Rebirth': When The Super-Villain Is Your Own History

8:30am June 15, 2016

by Glen Weldon

DC Comics has relaunched its line of superhero titles again in a bid to recapture "hope and optimism." This time, heroes fight a villain who represents the cynical tone comics adopted in the 1980s.

The 'Turkey' apricot, a hand-coloured engraving after a drawing by Augusta Innes Withers (1792-1869), from the first volume of John Lindley's Pomological Magazine (1827-1828). The Romans dubbed the apricot the "precious one." Poets praised its beauty. The

'Moon Of The Faith:' A History Of The Apricot And Its Many Pleasures

11:24am June 14, 2016

by Joel Denker

The Romans dubbed it the "precious one." Poets praised its beauty. The conquering Arabs took it to the Mideast, where the luxurious fruit was exploited in sugary confections.

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Temeraire And Laurence, At Peace At Last In 'League Of Dragons'

7:00am June 14, 2016

by Jason Heller

This week, the NPR Books Time Machine travels back to the era of the Napoleonic Wars for a look at Naomi Novik's Temeraire series, which wraps up this week with the release of League of Dragons.

Cover image of Greetings from Utopia, by Claire Hoffman

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Arts

A Childhood Of Transcendental Meditation, Spent In The 'Shadow Of A Guru'

2:09pm June 13, 2016

Journalist Claire Hoffman grew up in a utopian community in Fairfield, Iowa. At first, she says, "it was entirely magical." Then doubt crept in. Hoffman's memoir is Greetings from Utopia Park.

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Physicist Stephon Alexander shares his love of science with his students at Brown University, and his love of jazz with musicians around Providence.

Scientist Stephon Alexander: 'Infinite Possibilities' Unite Jazz And Physics

3:49pm June 12, 2016

by Ari Daniel

Stephon Alexander once downplayed the connections he saw between jazz and physics, concerned that — as "the only black person" in his professional circle — his credibility would be questioned.

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'Rich And Pretty' Author Rumaan Alam Captures Lives Very Different From His Own

7:51am June 12, 2016

The new novel "Rich and Pretty" follows two women who find themselves at a crossroad. Host Linda Wertheimer talks to author Rumaan Alam about writing characters that are nothing like oneself.

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In Debut Thriller Novel, Iain Reid Delivers Shivers Without Reader Knowing Why

7:51am June 12, 2016

Iain Reid has written a creepy but enthralling new novel, "I'm Thinking of Ending Things." It's a psychological thriller that keeps readers guessing. Host Linda Wertheimer talks with the author.

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Arts

Yes, All Men (And Everyone Else) Need To Read 'Sex Object'

7:00am June 12, 2016

by Annalisa Quinn

Jessica Valenti's powerful new memoir examines the toll sexism takes on women's lives. Sex Object doesn't offer solutions; instead, it bears witness to the daily grind of harassment and hatred.

Perkins and Wolfe lean over the novelist's unwieldy manuscript.

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The Editor's Epic: Maxwell Perkins Makes For An Unlikely Big-Screen Hero

8:27am June 11, 2016

by Lynn Neary

The legendary editor nurtured the likes of Hemingway and Fitzgerald. But it was taming Thomas Wolfe's massive tomes that was perhaps his greatest feat. Now, that struggle has inspired a film.