Books

The Personal Librarian, by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

Books
Arts

J.P. Morgan's Personal Librarian Was A Black Woman. This Is Her Story.

5:00am July 04, 2021

by Karen Grigsby Bates

Belle Da Costa Greene was one of the most prominent career women of her time, but the world didn't know she was Black. A new novel from Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray tells her story.

Books

Marshall Allen's New Book Helps Patients Navigate A Confusing Health Care System

10:31am July 03, 2021

NPR's Leila Fadel talks with ProPublica reporter Marshall Allen about his new book, "Never Pay the First Bill," which advises how to manage medical debt.

The Enigma of Arrival, by V.S. Naipaul, The Lover, by Marguerite Duras, Last Words from Montmartre, by Qiu Miaojin and Slow Lightning, by Eduardo Corral

Books
Arts

Immigration Doesn't Just Mean Coming To America. These 4 Books Are Good Reminders.

5:00am July 03, 2021

by Rachel Martin

Author Ocean Vuong recommends four books on the immigrant experience — but he wants to de-center America in these stories: "Immigration is a species-wide legacy," he says, and always has been.

Brad Simon (Adam Demos) and Billie Connelly (Sarah Shahi) in Sex/Life on Netflix.

Books
Arts

What's Making Us Happy: A Guide For Your Weekend Watching, Listening And Reading

12:02pm July 02, 2021

In our weekly roundup of shows, movies, books and music that brought us joy, Pop Culture Happy Hour recommends: Sex/Life, the Jean Smart renaissance and Arooj Aftab's album Vulture Prince.

Books
Arts

Fierce Girls And Giant Robots Battle An Empire In This YA Adventure

5:00am July 01, 2021

by Caitlyn Paxson

In Zoe Hana Mikuta's new Gearbreakers, a talented pilot and a daring rebel have the same goal — take down a giant, evil empire. But first, they have to learn to trust each other — and maybe more.

Books
Arts

'The Netanyahus' Turns The Campus Novel Into A Sly Fable About History And Identity

2:18pm June 30, 2021

by John Powers

Joshua Cohen offers a fictionalized version of a real-life campus visit by the father of the former Israeli prime minister. The novel offers a funny take on serious things.

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A Pakistani shopkeeper cleans toilets on display inside his shop in Lahore.

Half The World Lacks Proper Sanitation. Is It Possible To 'Transform The Toilet'?

2:10pm June 30, 2021

by Dave Davies

In Pipe Dreams, Chelsea Wald examines the health issues related to sanitation and looks at global efforts to manage human waste, including turning it into fuel and fertilizer.

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According to one new account of the Trump presidency, even telling the story of Donald Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis was difficult due to the chaos in the White House. Here, Trump removes his mask after being discharged from the Walter Reed National Military

The 1st Wave Of Post-Trump Books Arrives. And They Fight To Make Sense Of The Chaos

12:36pm June 30, 2021

by Danielle Kurtzleben

Authors are unearthing fresh details on the pandemic response and election fallout. The difficulty they face discerning the truth and meaning from all of that reflects the turmoil of the Trump years.

Books
Arts

These Short Stories Don't Have Much Plot — And That's Their Beauty

5:00am June 30, 2021

by Clare Marie Schneider

In her debut story collection, New Yorker editor Clare Sestanovich takes anodyne everyday moments and layers them with meaning and observation for a series of snapshots that reveal a whole world

New Books About Trump Presidency Unveil Details (Like How Gravely He Had COVID-19)

7:35pm June 29, 2021

by Danielle Kurtzleben

Publishers have new books coming that attempt to make sense of the chaotic Trump presidency, with journalists uncovering behind-the-scenes details and former staffers trying to explain their actions.