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Playful And Serious? 'How To Be' Is Both

December 6, 2014 • Ali Smith's new How To Be Both combines inventive structural trickery and warm, sardonic writing in in parallel tales of a bereaved modern teenager and an Italian renaissance fresco painter.

This Week's Must Read

After The California Downpour, 'The Drought' Offers Some Dry Reading

December 5, 2014 • It rained in California this week. That might not sound like news, but the state is experiencing a record-setting drought. Jason Heller turns to science fiction to reflect on the strange weather.

Set In Appalachia, This Rewarding Story Collection Is 'Rich And Strange'

December 4, 2014 • Ron Rash's best short stories from the past 20 years take you to a land apart psychologically and geographically. His writing is powerful, stripped down and very still.

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Book Review: 'A Map Of Betrayal'

December 2, 2014 • Alan Cheuse reviews "A Map of Betrayal" by Ha Jin.

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Watch Your Head When Checking Out Murakami's Strange 'Library'

December 2, 2014 • Haruki Murakami's 2008 novella about a young student trapped in an eerie library has just been translated into English. Critic Alan Cheuse calls it awfully weird and utterly down to earth.

An Aging Rake, An Ingenue, And A Strapping Young Painter In 'Tristana'

November 30, 2014 • NYRB Classics has just reissued Tristana, an 1892 novel by the great Spanish author Benito Pérez Galdós. Critic Juan Vidal says Tristana's intelligence and emotional richness is comparable to Dickens.

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Purple Spirit Ninjas And Mohawked Foxes: 'Shutter' Is A New Adventure

November 29, 2014 • The first six issues of Shutter have been released as a trade paperback, and critic Etelka Lehoczky praises the comic's decidedly pointed take on classic exploration and adventure narratives.

This Week's Must Read

After The Ferguson Decision, A Poem That Gives Name To The Hurt

November 28, 2014 • This week, a Missouri grand jury decided not to indict Darren Wilson, the officer who killed Michael Brown. Writer Syreeta McFadden turns to Audre Lorde's poetry to make sense of this decision.

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North-Of-The-Border Horror In 'Go Down Together'

November 26, 2014 • Cold, dark winter nights are the perfect time to dip into Gemma Files' chilling new story collection, We Will All Go Down Together. Critic Jason Heller praises Files' "ghostly, magical storytelling."

Games & Humor

Lighten Your Thanksgiving Trek With These Audiobooks, Comedy Albums

November 25, 2014 • An estimated 46 million Americans will take to the road this Thanksgiving. We survey some of the best recorded comedy and audiobooks so you can laugh away the tension if you're stuck in traffic.

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Book Review: 'Lunch Poems' Reissue

November 24, 2014 • In honor of the 50th anniversary of "Lunch Poems" by Frank O'Hara, City Lights Books has reissued an expanded version of the collection.

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These Tales Of Transformation Are Both 'Rich And Strange'

November 23, 2014 • Ron Rash's latest collects 34 of his best short stories; critic Alan Cheuse says they're searingly beautiful, "as if someone has taken a stick from a blazing fire and pressed it into your hand."

This Week's Must Read

These 'True Tales' Add Nuance To The Immigration Discussion

November 21, 2014 • President Obama announced an executive action on immigration this week. For an in-depth look at the issue, author Gustavo Arellano recommends two nonfiction collections about Mexican immigrants.

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Book Review: 'Citizen: An American Lyric'

November 20, 2014 • Poet Tess Taylor reviews "Citizen: An American Lyric" by Claudia Rankine. It's been nominated for a National Book Award.

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'Redeployment' Explores Iraq War's Physical And Psychic Costs

November 20, 2014 • In his short story collection, former Marine Phil Klay takes his experience in Iraq and clarifies it. On Wednesday, he won the National Book Award for fiction.

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There's More To Asking Than Just Art

November 20, 2014 • Amanda Palmer's new The Art of Asking outlines a well-intentioned but hazy philosophy of asking for help. Critic Annalisa Quinn says Palmer glosses over societal realities of who has access to help.

'Unspeakable' Gives Voice To Things We All Think, But Don't Say

November 19, 2014 • Meghan Daum's essay collection is intensely personal, but also universal. Critic Tomas Hachard says that on a deep level, it's about the process of growing up and deciding whether to conform or rebel.

A 'Garden' Full Of Dazzling, Whimsical Tales

November 18, 2014 • Young Woman in a Garden brings together 24 previously published short stories by the fantasy fabulist Delia Sherman. Reviewer Jason Heller says it's full of dazzle and heart, with a dark edge.

Back To The Future — The Grim, Grimy, Chrome-Coated Future

November 16, 2014 • Richard Kadrey's first novel, the cyberpunk cult classic Metrophage, has been reissued. Critic Jason Sheehan calls this tale of dystopian L.A. "a time capsule from the chrome-and-neon literary past."

'Operation Sea Lion' Is A Flawed But Fascinating Look At WWII

November 16, 2014 • Historian Leo McKinstry sheds new light on the British homefront and the failure of Nazi invasion plans, but reviewer J.P. O'Malley says the book is marred by a jingoistic nostalgia for the Empire.

Spend Some Time 'Loitering,' And Feel Less Alone

November 15, 2014 • Charles D'Ambrosio's new essay collection wanders through topics journalistic and personal; reviewer Annalisa Quinn says it delivers a primal pleasure of reading: the feeling of being understood.

This Week's Must Read

After Catalonia's Independence Vote, An 'Homage' To George Orwell

November 14, 2014 • This week Spain's northeast region voted in favor of independence. But the results weren't recognized by the Spanish government. The situation reminds poet Rowan Ricardo Phillips of a favorite book.

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A New Collection, Well-Furnished With Munro's Best

November 13, 2014 • Family Furnishings collects 24 of short story master Alice Munro's best works. Reviewer Jane Ciabattari calls it a superb introduction to Munro, and a reminder that she's a writer to be cherished.

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The Two-Way

American Hostage In Yemen Killed In Failed Rescue Attempt

In this 2013 photo, Luke Somers, 33, an American photojournalist who was kidnapped over a year ago by al-Qaida, poses for a picture during a parade marking the second anniversary of the revolution in Sanaa, Yemen.

Asia

Half A Million Flee To Shelters As Super Typhoon Nears Philippines

Hundreds of residents take shelter Friday inside the provincial capitol of Surigao city close to central Philippines in anticipation of typhoon Hagupit which is expected to hit land Saturday afternoon. About a year the country was lashed by Typhoon Haiyan, which left more than 7,300 people dead.

Media

Defining Narrative Questioned In 'Rolling Stone' UVA Rape Story

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The Two-Way

American Hostage In Yemen Killed In Failed Rescue Attempt

Asia

Half A Million Flee To Shelters As Super Typhoon Nears Philippines

Media

Defining Narrative Questioned In 'Rolling Stone' UVA Rape Story