Search results for

Emily Croy Barker's debut novel follows a struggling grad student into an otherworldly adventure pitting fairies against magicians. Reviewer Genevieve Valentine says The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic is a classic portal fantasy with occasional stumbles in characterization

Goliarda Sapienza's sprawling, posthumously published epic, The Art of Joy, follows the life of Modesta, born in Sicily on the first day of the 20th century. Reviewer Maria Russo says the book lacks editing, but that ultimately doesn't matter to a story of such "scale and seductive libertinism."

Few have as intense a relationship with monsters as filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. His award-winning film Pan's Labyrinth depicted real and fantastical monsters, while The Strain — the best-selling fantasy trilogy del Toro just wrapped up — re-imagines vampires as anything but romantic.

Jenny Offill's new book, Dept. of Speculation, uses anecdotes and bits of poetry to tell a nonlinear story of love, parenthood and infidelity. Offill tells NPR's Rachel Martin that her experiences as a mother inspired the book — but that her own marriage is far less dramatic than the one in her novel.

Saturday is the winter solstice — which means it will be the longest night of the year. For many artists and poets, that thought is far from depressing: instead, night's darkness is invigorating. Filmmaker Phil Cousineau has edited a new collection on the allure of the night, and Jeff Dowd — the inspiration for "The Dude" — wrote the foreword.

For 44 years, British author Penelope Lively has been publishing children's books, short stories and novels. Her latest book, Dancing Fish and Ammonites, is subtitled "A Memoir," but critic Ellah Allfrey says it is "more a collection of thoughts, a scattering of advice and a reading list to treasure."

Helen Garner, 80, embraces the many-sidedness of life. Her books crackle with curiosity and unpredictability — they win big prizes, kickstart controversies and say things other people rarely dare.

If you're tired of political competition, there's always athletic competition. And if your team stinks, we can offer sympathy and a selection of the year's best books about sports to ease the sting.

NPR's Life Kit has tips on discovering your next favorite read.

Ralph Fiennes is tasked with the election of a new pope in director Edward Berger's lush intellectual thriller, Conclave, based on the pulpy 2016 novel by Robert Harris.