Speeches in book form are a reliable cash cow for publishers, and tend to fall into the "last minute gift idea" category. But David McCullough's new The American Spirit is a happy exception.
Kristen Radtke is an experienced writer and artist, but her graphic memoir — about grief, loss and obsessive travel — disappoints with rudimentary illustrations and spotty storytelling.
From ugly fish like sea robin to the discarded parts of livestock, like ox cheeks and chicken feet, a new book celebrates repugnant-looking but flavorful foods, and urges us to eat more of them.
Sofia Samatar is the creator of an award-winning fantasy world; she sticks closer to earth in her powerful first story collection, but it's not always the earth we might recognize.
No matter what's happening in this new collection of work from the late Filipino writer Nick Joaquin, it's probably already too late — but that doesn't stop his characters from struggling.
Pajtim Statovci's debut novel follows a Kosovar immigrant to Finland who meets a singularly unpleasant anthropomorphic cat in a Finnish gay bar. But while the story is imaginative, it lacks polish.
A new book goes behind the scenes of Clinton's presidential bid. "There is no Big Reveal," says NPR's Ron Elving. "Instead we get a slow-building case against [her campaign's] concept and execution."
Elizabeth Kostova's deep love for her adopted homeland grounds this story of a young American woman in Sofia, who finds a mysterious urn full of ashes and has to piece together the lives behind it.
Becky Albertalli's new young adult novel is a snappy romance that'll bring you back to the pain and elation of young love. It follows two sisters trying to balance their relationship with new crushes.
Sarah Gerard's lucid, atmospheric essay collection draws on her experiences growing up in Florida for a candid memoir that mixes first-person memories with thoughtful big-picture reporting.
Prince on defining his music: "The only thing I could think of, because I really don't like categories, but the only thing I could think of is inspirational."
From brontosaurus gas station mascots to vintage fiberglass triceratops replicas in post-World War II motel courts, the roadside dinosaur is classic American kitsch.
Genre: Crime fiction. Plot: Outraged by the coverup of a prostitute’s death in Luxor, therapist Wylie Melville and his oddball posse investigate a ring of powerful sex-traffickers and their brutal enforcer.
In his new book, statistician Ben Blatt loads thousands of books, new and old, into a vast database and uncovers intriguing patterns in how our favorite authors write.
Sarah Dunant's latest novel follows one of history's most notorious families — the Borgias. But it's the small, domestic details, not the bigger picture, that captivate.
In a new book, journalist and author John Pomfret tackles a relationship that stretches back to America's earliest years and is now more important — and challenging — than ever.
Critic John Powers discusses the Italian documentary, Fire at Sea, and the novel, These Are the Names. The works take very different — but nonetheless poignant — approaches to the refugee situation.
The narrator of Zadie Smith's new novel is never named — fitting, for a book about the illusions of identity and the ways people try and fail to know and define themselves.
Martin Cruz Smith's new World War II thriller follows a Venetian fisherman who saves a Jewish girl from pursuing Nazis — a predictable scenario, but one that surprisingly never goes stale.
Fisherman Kirk Lombard's new book teaches people to fish and forage along the northern California coast, while urging them to harvest in moderation, follow regulations and respect sea creatures.
