Books

Books
Arts

'M Train' Is A Poetic Journey Through Life And Loss

3:12pm October 02, 2015

by Heller McAlpin

Patti Smith's new memoir is a dreamy, elegiac recollection of loved ones gone too soon, energized by her interests and travels. It jumps in time, from her husband's death in 1994 to Hurricane Sandy.

Books
Arts

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'Ms. Marvel' And Regrettable Television

2:20pm October 02, 2015

by Linda Holmes

This week's show has Ms. Marvel, terrible television, live show news, and a lot of laughing, not to mention what's making us happy this week.

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

Grief Is Unpredictable In 'After You'

12:27pm October 02, 2015

by Bobbi Dumas

Jojo Moyes' follow-up to her 2012 best-seller Me Before You picks up with heroine Lou, heartbroken after the death of her love Will. Stuck in a bad job and numb with grief, Lou must build a new world.

D. Watkins' work has appeared in The Baltimore Sun and Salon. He will start teaching English at Goucher College in the spring.

Baltimore Author Discusses 'Living (And Dying) While Black'

9:01am October 02, 2015

Author D. Watkins says that crack destroyed his East Baltimore neighborhood, and he explains how the real day-to-day of selling drugs is nothing like the movies. His new book is The Beast Side.

Queue Listen Now

Originating in Mexico City, suadero tacos have gone from a food of the poor to a widely adored filling. These tacos are made from a variety of meats, including suadero, a cut from the lower parts of a cow. The meat is cooked in a griddle-like device calle

'Tacopedia': A Mouth-Watering Tour Of Mexico's Taco Culture

4:38pm October 01, 2015

by Tove Danovich

From the smoked marlin tacos of Baja California to the fried flower tacos of Chiapas, Mexico is home to endless interpretations of this essential dish. A new tome documents this vibrant taco cuisine.

Cover photo of After You, by Jojo Moyes.

Books
Arts

A Broken-Hearted Heroine Picks Up The Pieces In Jojo Moyes' 'After You'

4:08pm October 01, 2015

by Maureen Corrigan

Moyes' follow-up to her 2012 novel Me Before You explores the depths of grief and the paths of resilience. Maureen Corrigan calls After You "an affecting [and] entertaining female adventure tale."

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

'Six Of Crows' Is A Well-Turned Heist Tale

4:06pm October 01, 2015

by Jason Sheehan

Leigh Bardugo's latest invites comparison to Ocean's 11, one of the best heist stories ever told. Critic Jason Sheehan says the teenage crows seem too mature, but praises the immersive world-building.

Books
Arts

'The Heart Goes Last' Is A Swiftian Satire Of Imbeciles In The Apocalypse

1:39pm October 01, 2015

by Tasha Robinson

Margaret Atwood's new novel started life as a digital serial about a young couple who join a strange prison-based planned community. But their hapless shallowness makes the book deeply frustrating.

The Tsar of Love and Techno, by Anthony Marra.

Books
Arts

Exclusive First Read: Anthony Marra's 'The Tsar Of Love And Techno'

1:16pm October 01, 2015

by NPR Staff

Read an exclusive excerpt of Anthony Marra's The Tsar of Love and Techno, a collection of nine interconnected stories about the journey of a mysterious painting through modern Russian history.

Books
Arts

Now Is Not The Time For Realistic Fiction, Says Margaret Atwood

11:44am October 01, 2015

by Lynn Neary

The celebrated Canadian author has a new book out, The Heart Goes Last, that began as an experimental digital serial. It's a wacky dystopian satire on economic decline and the private prison industry.

Queue Listen Now