Books

Covers of The Deconstructionists and Partisans

Two books dig into the 1990s for the roots of the Trump-era Republican Party

3:30pm August 09, 2022

by Ron Elving

Two veteran observers of American politics, a journalist and a historian, argue that former president Trump is not responsible for the GOP of our day but, instead, exploited it as he found it.

Books
Arts

'The Last White Man' spins a deft, if narrow, fantasy about identity

5:28am August 09, 2022

by Maureen Corrigan

Mohsin Hamid's surreal new novel centers on a white man who awakens one morning to find that his skin has turned brown. The Last White Man only seriously strains credulity at its very end.

Books
Arts

Two sisters fight for Vietnam's independence

6:57pm August 08, 2022

by Thuy Dinh

The novel Bronze Drum explores the legend of the sisters' rebellion against Chinese rule and the idea of collective memory as resistance.

Books

Why do so many bikes end up underwater? The reasons can be weird and varied

4:27pm August 08, 2022

Each year, thousands of bikes are thrown into waterways. Author Jody Rosen explains the history, and possible motivations for this strange phenomenon.

Books
Arts

Authors and bookstore owners worry a big publishing merger will affect diversity

5:40pm August 07, 2022

by Chloe Veltman

The proposed merger between Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster will likely change things for authors and readers - for better or worse

Books

Authors worry about the proposed merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster

9:16am August 07, 2022

by Chloe Veltman

As one of the largest antitrust trials to hit the publishing industry continues, how might the proposed merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster impact the book industry and readers?

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Books

NPR's top picks for 2022 fiction books

8:03am August 07, 2022

Four NPR staffers recommend new novels in an early taste of our annual Books We Love round-up: "How High We Go in the Dark," "Vladimir," "Mecca" and "The Candy House."

Books

After her mother's stroke, Lara Porzak helped finish new novel 'Properties of Thirst'

12:53pm August 06, 2022

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with novelist Marianne Wiggins about her latest book, "Properties of Thirst," along with her daughter, Lara Porzak, who helped her mother finish writing it after a stroke.

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Books
Arts

'The Devil Takes You Home' invites readers to consider the depths of darkness

6:00am August 06, 2022

by Ilana Masad

Gabino Iglesias' barrio noir may not be a cheerful book, but it still allows glimpses of love, moments of connection, and glimmers of beauty to exist.

Books

Ackerman's 'Fifth Act' focuses on the final week of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan

10:34am August 05, 2022

NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Elliot Ackerman about his new book, The Fifth Act: America's End in Afghanistan. Waves of Afghans were trying to evacuate the country.

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