Books

Books
Arts

'Seveneves' Blows Up The Moon — And That's Just The Beginning

12:43pm May 21, 2015

by Jason Sheehan

Neal Stephenson's new epic starts big and gets bigger. Critic Jason Sheehan says that while the book can bog down in details, if the world really were ending, you'd want Stephenson by your side.

Books
Arts

The World Of 'Gracekeepers' Is Immersed In Water — And Secrets

7:18am May 21, 2015

by Jason Heller

Kirsty Logan's debut novel follows a traveling circus floating through a drowned world where "damplings" aspire to live on the rare patches of land, and hints of magic provide a fairytale feel.

Books
Arts

The Science Of 'Collected Fiction' Is Pure Magic

12:51pm May 20, 2015

by Amal El-Mohtar

Finnish sci-fi author Hannu Rajaniemi's new collection spans everything from haunted spacesuits to the HMV logo. Reviewer Amal El-Mohtar says her only criticism is that not every story is perfect.

Books
Arts

In 'Out Of Line,' The Many, Many Acts Of Jules Feiffer

7:22pm May 19, 2015

by NPR Staff

At 86, Jules Feiffer has drawn comic strips, written books and plays, and is now experimenting with graphic novels. A new compilation, Out of Line, takes an extensive look at his many careers.

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

A Former Country Girl Catches Fire In 'The Love Object'

7:06pm May 19, 2015

by Alan Cheuse

Edna O'Brien's first novel was burned in the small Irish village of her birth. The Love Object collects more than 30 of her fiery tales of religion and repression in "a land of sacrificial women."

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

Fun, Fast-Moving 'Nimona' Is A Perpetual Surprise

5:48pm May 19, 2015

by Tasha Robinson

Noelle Stevenson's webcomic Nimona, about a shapeshifter who aspires to be an evil sidekick, is now out in book form. Reviewer Tasha Robinson praises the story's ebullience, complexity and intensity.

Cherokee chief John Ross battled the U.S. government for decades on behalf of his people.

Books
Arts

Cherokee Chief John Ross Is The Unsung Hero Of 'Jacksonland'

12:23pm May 19, 2015

by NPR Staff

Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep's new book examines a dark chapter in American history: the Cherokee Trail of Tears and the chief who used the tools of democracy to try to protect his people.

Queue Listen Now

Promo image option 1(pebbles and greenery)

Books
Arts

'Sophie Stark' Finds It Hard To Learn How To Be Human

9:40am May 19, 2015

by Michael Schaub

Anna North's new novel is narrated by friends and family after the death of troubled filmmaker Sophie. Critic Michael Schaub calls it "a bold and graceful novel, executed with incredible artistry."

Books
Arts

'The Gracekeepers' Sets Damplings Against The Landlockers

9:18pm May 18, 2015

The world of The Gracekeepers has two types of people — those of the land and those of the sea. NPR's Rachel Martin speaks with Kirsty Logan about her novel, set in a future enveloped by water.

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

Call It A Prose Ceremony: 'Bachelor' Host Writes A Novel

11:12am May 18, 2015

by NPR Staff

Chris Harrison's new book is an amusing romance novel — and a ripe excuse for us to ask some lingering questions about the reality show juggernaut that's made him famous.

Queue Listen Now