Books

You never know what you'll unearth in a thrift store. NPR's Scott Simon speaks to Olivia Haysman-Walker about the discovery of a rare first edition of a classic American novel in a London bookstore.

NPR's Scott Simon talks with journalist Robert Kolker about his new book, "The Vanishing Family." It's about a family with a high risk of frontotemporal dementia due to a genetic mutation.

NPR's Scott Simon talks with Min Jin Lee about her new novel, "American Hagwon." It explores the prized role of education in Korean culture (hagwons are rigorous tutoring centers).

Marlon James' new novel chronicles the events surrounding a vicious anti-gay attack in Jamaica in the late 1980s. Shortlisted for the Booker Prize, The Disappearers churns with passion and ideas.

Two years ago this week, Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina. The storm's record rainfall swamped low-lying communities and isolated mountain residents for days on end.

Rolling Stone reporter Cheyenne Roundtree says rumors of abuse followed the media mogul for years. Her book examines how Combs remained so powerful, despite decades of warning signs and allegations.

Set in the same universe as Tahir's Ember in Ashes series, Empire picks up right where the last book, 'Heir' left off — with S'rsha attached to the very monster she sought to destroy.

The Supreme Court's new term begins next month, with a conservative supermajority that has been overturning legal precedents like the Constitutional right to abortion. A new book looks at the decades-long effort by conservatives to influence the courts.

This year's shortlist is made up of former Booker winners and debut authors, with tales spanning a wide range of genres, from historical fiction to campus novel to dystopian fiction.

A lock of hair, 15 years of sleuthing and a 200-year-old question. In History by a Hair, Smithsonian Institution scholar Richard Kurin follows the DNA trail back to Thomas Jefferson.