'This Great Hemisphere' tackles racism, classism, and political power struggles
Mateo Askaripour's sophomore novel is a sprawling speculative-fiction narrative that delivers a heartwarming story about a young woman learning to navigate the world.
Keanu Reeves Wrote a Book. A Really Weird One.
What if the star of “The Matrix” worked with a sci-fi novelist to tell the story of an 80,000-year-old warrior who can rip people’s arms off but struggles with loneliness?
Suzanne Nossel, Chief Executive Officer of PEN America, on Her Reading Life
Alexander Lefebvre’s new book is a ‘call to action about what we are trying to defend, and why,’ says the head of PEN America, which has been pummeled with disputes about speech, activism and Israel.
Book Review: ‘Women in the Valley of the Kings,’ by Kathleen Sheppard
In “Women in the Valley of the Kings,” Kathleen Sheppard introduces us to a group of 19th-century archaeologists who changed the field forever.
Loved “Couples Therapy”? Read These 11 Books
These stories of relationship dramas and evolving partnerships will fill the “Couples Therapy”-sized hole in your life with wisdom, schadenfreude and humor — and sometimes all of the above.
Readers Respond to the ‘Best Books of the 21st Century’
They wanted to know where the poetry and the genre fiction were — and they also wanted to let us know which books were missing.
Book Review: Best Graphic Novels in July
An unlovable heroine, a cyborg in search of missing parts, the restoration of a classic work and a series that is always worth the wait highlight four new volumes.
This absorbing debut novel about writing takes its cue from 'Mrs. Dalloway'
Rosalind Brown's debut novel, Practice, centers on an undergraduate student trying to write an essay on Shakespeare. Along the way, we are treated to the fleeting insights of the the brain at work.
A Poet Goes to War
“Revolution is the job of poets and artists,” says Ko Maung Saungkha, leader of a rebel militia fighting the Myanmar dictatorship. He is not the only poet commander in a country with a strong tradition of political verse.
Book Review: ‘The Bright Sword,’ by Lev Grossman
In Lev Grossman’s new book, “The Bright Sword,” an eager adventurer stumbles into a Camelot that has fallen into hopelessness and disarray after the death of the king.
Edward P. Jones on ‘The Known World,’ Still Acclaimed 20 Years After Publication
Our critic talks to Edward P. Jones about how he imagined “The Known World,” recently voted the best work of fiction by an American writer in the 21st century.
Book Review: ‘The Rent Collectors,’ by Jesse Katz
Jesse Katz’s true-crime narrative, “The Rent Collectors,” delivers a nuanced portrait of a community racked by poverty and violence and deprived of opportunities to get ahead.
Book Review: ‘The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum,’ by Margalit Fox; ‘The Incorruptibles,’ by Dan Slater
Two exuberant new books chronicle the heyday of New York City’s criminal underworld on the Lower East Side.
Book Review: ‘Banal Nightmare,’ by Halle Butler
In Halle Butler’s new book, “Banal Nightmare,” a 30-something woman returns to her hometown to get out of a rut and reassess her life after a bad breakup.
Book Review: ‘Bright Objects,’ by Ruby Todd
Set among the fevered residents of a remote Australian town, Ruby Todd’s debut novel considers how grief can draw people to extreme beliefs.
Simmering over summer books
We're at the peak of summer, which means sunny days on the grass with a good book! Best-selling authors Tia Williams and Jean Chen Ho join host Brittany Luse to give their recommendations for great summer reads. They also offer some armchair theories on why we love a gossipy summer novel.
Books mentioned in this episode:
The Guest by Emma Klein
Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City by Jane Wong
Hip-Hop Is History by Questlove with Ben Greenman
Devil is Fine by John Vercher
Good Material by Dolly Alderton
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
Want to be featured on IBAM? Record a voice memo responding to Brittany's question at the end of the episode and send it to ibam@npr.org.
In These Thrillers, Everyone Has Secrets. Big Ones.
Our columnist on three riveting new reads.
What “Hillbilly Elegy” Tells Us About J.D. Vance and the 2024 Election
Our critic traces J.D. Vance’s shift from bootstrap memoirist to vice-presidential candidate.
Book Review: ‘The Art of Dying,’ by Peter Schjeldahl
Peter Schjeldahl’s final book collects the essays and reviews he wrote in the years after a cancer diagnosis.
3 Book Critics Dissect the 100 Best Books List
The good news: Our “Best Books of the 21st Century” list showed surprising affection for works in translation. But where are Sally Rooney, Ayad Akhtar and others “explaining how we live now”?
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