The Maid by Nita Prose Ballantine Books hide caption toggle caption Ballantine Books In 'The Maid,' a devoted hotel cleaning lady is a prime murder suspect January 5, 2022 In Nita Prose's debut, a guest at a fancy urban hotel lies dead and the main suspect is Molly Gray, a devoted member of the cleaning staff who recognizes she has "trouble with social situations."
Fiona and Jane, by Jean Chen Ho Viking hide caption toggle caption Viking 'Fiona and Jane' is a life-sized story of true friendship January 4, 2022 Jean Chen Ho's debut work of fiction focuses on a long-standing friendship that rings, sometimes terribly, true, as the girls-turned-women face the trials and tribulations of life.
Harper Rep. Jamie Raskin searches for answers in 'Unthinkable' journey of trauma and grief January 4, 2022 In a new memoir, the Democratic congressman recounts a year of loss and grief after the death of son Tommy — and a motivation to right the wrongs that occurred on Jan. 6.
The Four Humors, by Mina Seçkin Catapult hide caption toggle caption Catapult In 'The Four Humors,' a woman delves into the past on a journey of self-discovery December 24, 2021 Turkish American writer Mina Seçkin's debut is an engrossing exploration of national identity, the meaning of family and loss, and what happens when a family hides its central secret.
Grove Atlantic For queer Seoulites in 'Love in the Big City,' pride and shame intertwine December 23, 2021 Sang Young Park's novel can be read as an anthropological approach to Seoulite queer lives in the 21st century: Its four linked stories capture the experience of being both visible and unacknowledged.
Grove Atlantic 'Small Things Like These' add up to a seismic change in 1980s Ireland December 22, 2021 In Claire Keegan's feminist take on Dickens, a boy born to an unwed teen builds a life as a coal merchant, husband, and father to five daughters, and faces crises of faith and conscience.
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske Tordotcom hide caption toggle caption Tordotcom 'A Marvellous Light' infuses magic and adventures into 19th century England December 22, 2021 The 19th century historical fantasy wherein magic is a layer over the already complicated strata of society is a fairly common genre, but Freya Marske makes it feel fresh in this treat of a book.
All Her Little Secrets: A Novel, Wanda M. Morris William Morrow hide caption toggle caption William Morrow 'All Her Little Secrets' asks whether we can reinvent ourselves December 21, 2021 Wanda M. Morris' All Her Little Secrets is a carefully constructed thriller wrapped in a narrative about racism, gentrification, and being the only Black person in an all-white environment.
Mothers, Fathers, and Others: Essays by Siri Hustvedt Simon & Schuster hide caption toggle caption Simon & Schuster 'Mothers, Fathers, and Others' addresses the realities of motherhood December 20, 2021 Siri Hustvedt's essays bring into focus the profound contradictions of motherhood — often eclipsed by the cultural idealization of mothers as the model of self-sacrificing nurturance.
Harper Collins In 'Sea State,' life gets rocky when a journalist gets involved with her subject Fresh Air December 20, 2021 Tabitha Lasley spent six months in Aberdeen, Scotland, interviewing men who work on offshore oil rigs. Along the way, she had an all-consuming affair with one of the very first men she interviewed. In 'Sea State,' life gets rocky when a journalist gets involved with her subject Listen · 6:53 6:53 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1064902123/1065906414" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
In 'Sea State,' life gets rocky when a journalist gets involved with her subject Listen · 6:53 6:53 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1064902123/1065906414" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Scene from Something Is Killing the Children BOOM! Entertainment, Inc hide caption toggle caption BOOM! Entertainment, Inc James Tynion continues to surprise in 'Something Is Killing the Children' December 16, 2021 The monster-fighting series has become a huge hit since its 2019 launch, so Boom! is releasing the first 15 episodes in this deluxe hardcover.
NPR Literary fiction dominates Maureen Corrigan's 2021 Best Books list Fresh Air December 13, 2021 Fresh Air book critic Maureen Corrigan says 2021 was a spectacular year for literary fiction. As such, her annual Best Books list is exclusively composed of novels and short story collections. Literary fiction dominates Maureen Corrigan's 2021 Best Books list Listen · 9:18 9:18 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1060830513/1063751353" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Literary fiction dominates Maureen Corrigan's 2021 Best Books list Listen · 9:18 9:18 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1060830513/1063751353" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors reacts after the Phoenix Suns missed a basket during a game Dec. 3. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Pop Culture From Steph Curry to 'Squid Game,' this year-end list will surprise and delight you Fresh Air December 10, 2021 As the year draws to a close, critic John Powers singles out seven revelatory people or things that made 2021 a little brighter. At the top of his list? Basketball star Steph Curry. From Steph Curry to 'Squid Game,' this year-end list will surprise and delight you Listen · 6:22 6:22 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1062646456/1063097232" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
From Steph Curry to 'Squid Game,' this year-end list will surprise and delight you Listen · 6:22 6:22 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1062646456/1063097232" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Karthika Nair (left) and Marilyn Hacker (right) Koen Broos/Julie Fay hide caption toggle caption Koen Broos/Julie Fay Books Two poets chronicle their friendship and isolation during the pandemic December 10, 2021 Marilyn Hacker and Karthika Nair were under lockdown in Paris only miles apart from each other. A Different Distance compiles the almost daily poems they wrote from March 2020 to March 2021. Two poets chronicle their friendship and isolation during the pandemic Listen · 1:54 1:54 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1062818363/1062937782" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Two poets chronicle their friendship and isolation during the pandemic Listen · 1:54 1:54 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1062818363/1062937782" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
The Veiled Throne, by Ken Liu Gallery/Saga Press hide caption toggle caption Gallery/Saga Press 'The Veiled Throne' keeps the flame of the Dandelion Dynasty burning on every page December 10, 2021 A thousand pages is a lot. But there's Ken Liu's voice to hold onto in this third installment of his epic — beautifully deployed and fully in command of the language of his imaginary universe.
Meghan Collins Sullivan/NPR A visual feast: 5 favorite art books of 2021 December 9, 2021 Most readers spend a lot of time happily immersed in words. But for a change of pace, these gorgeous art books provide hours of blissful visual diversion.
Meghan Collins Sullivan/NPR 3 YA graphic novels that highlight the timelessness of teenage themes this autumn December 7, 2021 Among the flood of titles aimed at the high-school set this fall, a few stand apart for their unorthodox stories, deft artwork and potent themes.
Call Us What We Carry: Poems, by Amanda Gorman Viking hide caption toggle caption Viking In debut poetry collection, Amanda Gorman looks at America today through its past December 6, 2021 The youngest presidential inaugural poet writes about how looking at our history tells us what our bodies are made of – and of how collective memory of strength re-energizes us in our darkest moments.
Sex Cult Nun: Breaking Away from the Children of God, a Wild, Radical Religious Cult, by Faith Jones William Morrow hide caption toggle caption William Morrow Granddaughter of cult leader tells her story of escape in 'Sex Cult Nun' December 5, 2021 Faith Jones, a successful lawyer, is the granddaughter of David Berg, founder of The Family. She tells of how she was raised in the cult from infancy until managing to leave it in her early 20s.
Catie Dull/NPR Books 12 books NPR staffers loved in 2021 that might surprise you November 30, 2021 Books We Love, formerly known as NPR's Book Concierge, is back for 2021. Here are a handful of books that NPR staffers named as some of their favorites of the year.
The Ghost Tracks, by Celso Hurtado Inkshares hide caption toggle caption Inkshares 'The Ghost Tracks' is heartwarming horror fiction November 29, 2021 Celso Hurtado's YA horror novel combines a real San Antonio legend with classic elements of YA narratives to tell a story of friendship that explores the possibility of the supernatural.
Jade Legacy, by Fonda Lee Orbit hide caption toggle caption Orbit 'Jade Legacy,' final in the Green Bone Saga trilogy, is about endings November 29, 2021 The Damocles threat Fonda Lee has let dangle over this entire series is that no one in these pages is ever safe — the world she has created is dangerous and everyone in it has a place where they end.
NPR Books Here are the Books We Love: 360+ great 2021 reads recommended by NPR November 24, 2021 Books We Love (formerly known as NPR's Book Concierge) is back with a new name and 360+ new books handpicked just for you by NPR staff and trusted critics.
These Precious Days: Essays, by Ann Patchett Harper hide caption toggle caption Harper Ann Patchett reflects on love and relationships in new essay collection November 23, 2021 Even when nominally about something else, the essays in These Precious Days are about the weight and grief of relationships. "I was asking what mattered most in this precarious and precious life."