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'Portable Veblen' Puts A Quirky Spin On Marriage And Family

1:56pm January 26, 2016

by Maureen Corrigan

Elizabeth McKenzie's new novel about the pitfalls of approaching marriage is a sharply written romantic comedy with elements of experimental fiction. Maureen Corrigan calls it "totally endearing."

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'All The Birds' Overturns Sci-Fi And Fantasy, Gently

7:00am January 26, 2016

by Jason Heller

Charlie Jane Anders' debut novel follows a girl with magical powers and a technically brilliant boy, uneasy friends since childhood, who get caught up in an apocalyptic war between science and magic.

Producer Harvey Weinstein has loved War and Peace ever since he first read it (slowly) at age 12. "It's sexy; there's nudity. It's unbelievable," he says. Above, James Norton as Andrei and Lily James as Natasha.

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Harvey Weinstein Promises His 'War And Peace' Miniseries Isn't Homework

8:17pm January 25, 2016

by Mandalit del Barco

Weinstein's new miniseries is an updated retelling of Leo Tolstoy's Russian classic. Nevermind the daunting page count — "It's got honest-to-God great action, great sex, great love story," he says.

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J.K. Rowling's books have frequently been the target of censorship.

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PEN American Center Awards Free-Speech Prize To J.K. Rowling

2:20pm January 25, 2016

by Petra Mayer

The PEN/Allen award is given annually to big-name authors who embody the organization's mission "to oppose repression in any form." Rowling is a frequent target — and vocal opponent — of censorship.

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Deconstructing Gov. Chris Christie's 'Bridge To Redemption'

1:47pm January 25, 2016

Journalist Matt Katz discusses Christie's rise to power in New Jersey, the "Bridgegate" scandal and his performance in the '16 Republican presidential primary. Katz is the author of American Governor.

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Ariell Johnson has combined her love of comic books with a place where people can socialize in her new business, Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse.

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Move Over, Comic Book Guy: Philly Comics Store Prizes Diversity In Its Heroes

9:57am January 25, 2016

by NPR Staff

At Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse in Philadelphia, owner Ariell Johnson says diversity isn't just an afterthought. She tells NPR's Michel Martin that new faces keep the heroics interesting.

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Finnish Authors Heat Up The Speculative Fiction World

10:00am January 24, 2016

by Jason Heller

Finland hosts the World Science Fiction Convention in 2017 — but if you can't make it to Helsinki, hit the library: more and more Finnish speculative fiction authors are getting English translations.

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Arts

Passion And Obsession En Pointe In 'Girl Through Glass'

7:47am January 24, 2016

by NPR Staff

Author Sari Wilson's new novel follows a young dancer in New York City in the 1970s, and a grown professor of dance years later — both of whom find their lives upended by dangerous relationships.

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Death Memoirs: Why The Grave Subject Sells So Well

7:47am January 24, 2016

Why do we love to read about dying? NPR's Rachel Martin asks critic Michelle Dean about the enduring popularity of books like "The Last Lecture" and "Tuesdays with Morrie."

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'The Road To Little Dribbling' Is A (Mostly) Pleasant Journey

7:00am January 24, 2016

by Annalisa Quinn

Bill Bryson follows up his classic travelogue Notes From A Small Island 20 years later — older, grayer, and definitely crankier. It's a charming trip, though marred by a little too much grumpiness.