RadioTime: what's on radio.

Book Tour (Book Reviews)

  • Genres: Book Reviews
  • Location: United States
  • Language: English
  • Networks: NPR
Last updated 306 days ago Update show info

'Rag And Bone': In Search Of The Holy Dead

Wed, Apr 22 Listen
From dismembered toes to leathery tongues, Peter Manseau explores the centuries-old obsession with relics, the body parts of long-dead saints and spiritual leaders.

A Witty Tale Of Academia And Angst

Tue, Apr 14 Listen
Emily Fox Gordon skewers the foibles of academic life in It Will Come to Me, a comic novel set on the campus of a large Southern university. The book is the first work of fiction from the acclaimed memoirist.

A Delusional Odyssey Through New York's Tunnels

Tue, Apr 7 Listen
In John Wray's new novel, Lowboy, a schizophrenic teenager goes off his meds and disappears into the New York subway system. His mission: to save the world by losing his virginity.

Stories From Two Bright New Literary Voices

Tue, Mar 31 Listen
A recent issue of the literary magazine Granta included moving stories from two new writers: Daniyal Mueenuddin, author of the book In Other Rooms, Other Wonders; and Justin Torres. The writers read from their works.

Tracking The Cold War's Legacy In The Middle East

Tue, Mar 24 Listen
In Sowing Crisis, Middle East scholar Rashid Khalidi examines how Cold War tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union continue to undermine stability in the Middle East.

A Superhero For A Self-Absorbed Society

Tue, Mar 17 Listen
Once a popular superhero, Captain Freedom's fame is in decline. In G. Xavier Robillard's satire of our celebrity-obsessed pop culture, Freedom does what any self-respecting superhero would do: hires a life coach and starts searching for his roots.

An Epic Of Ethiopia, Full Of Medical Lore

Tue, Mar 10 Listen
Physician Abraham Verghese's debut novel, Cutting for Stone, is a big, sprawling story of an Ethiopian surgeon, his family and his craft. The author is best known for his memoir My Own Country.

An Epic Of Ethiopia, Full Of Medical Lore

Tue, Mar 10 Listen
Physician Abraham Verghese's debut novel, Cutting for Stone, is a big, sprawling story of an Ethiopian surgeon, his family and his craft. The author is best known for his memoir My Own Country.

T.C. Boyle's 'Women' Recasts Frank Lloyd Wright Bio

Tue, Mar 3 Listen
Writer T.C. Boyle explores the scandalous and passionate turns in the life of architect Frank Lloyd Wright through the perspective of his wives and mistresses.

The Man Who Signed His Name 'A. Lincoln'

Tue, Feb 24 Listen
Drawing on recently discovered letters and photographs, historian Ronald C. White offers a new, highly praised biography of America's 16th president.

'So Damn Much Money': The Influence Of Lobbyists

Wed, Feb 18 Listen
When former DNC Chair Robert Strauss said, "There's just so damn much money in it," Robert Kaiser knew he had a title for his book on the multibillion-dollar world of political lobbying.

In A New Memoir, Azar Nafisi Breaks Her Silence

Tue, Feb 10 Listen
Set against the backdrop of a changing Iran, the author's Things I've Been Silent About shares the personal story of her family.

Examining The Fiery Legacy Of Andrew Jackson

Tue, Feb 3 Listen
In American Lion, Jon Meacham delivers a portrait of the war-grizzled seventh president, a fierce populist who reshaped the executive branch.

A Final, Epic Work From Roberto Bolano

Tue, Jan 27 Listen
When the Chilean-born, Mexican-reared Bolano died in 2003, he was virtually unknown in the English-speaking world. Six years later, critics are calling him one of the greatest modern writers. Editor Lorin Stein discusses his last novel, 2666.

Joseph Priestley And 'The Invention Of Air'

Tue, Jan 20 Listen
Steven Johnson recounts the story of the 18th century radical thinker Joseph Priestley, scientist, theologian and one of America's lesser known Founding Fathers.

Politics And Play: America's Rebel Athletes

Wed, Jan 14 Listen
In A People's History of Sports in the United States, Dave Zirin offers a witty alternative history of America as seen through the games its people played.

An Epic Tale Of Opium And Empire

Wed, Jan 7 Listen
In Sea of Poppies, a British trading ship carrying an eclectic group of passengers sets sail on the eve of the First Opium War. The novel, the sixth from Amitav Ghosh, was shortlisted for the 2008 Booker Prize.

Music Lessons From A Master: 'Hallelujah Junction'

Wed, Dec 31 2008 Listen
In a new memoir, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Adams chronicles his life and offers insights into his acclaimed - and often controversial — operas and orchestral works.

A Vivid Memoir From The Youngest McCourt

Tue, Dec 23 2008 Listen
The McCourt family gained fame through the books of brothers Frank and Malachy. In A Long Stone's Throw, the youngest brother, Alphie, shares a colorful account of his own life in Ireland and America.

Atwood Explores The 'Shadow Side Of Wealth'

Tue, Dec 16 2008 Listen
In Payback, a timely collection of essays, novelist Margaret Atwood examines the ancient and central role that debt has played in our culture, literature and societies.

Getting Inside Carl Capotorto's 'Twisted Head'

Tue, Dec 9 2008 Listen
Carl Capotorto's family name translates as "twisted head," which, he says, "is no accident." In his new memoir, The Sopranos actor describes growing up Italian American and gay in the Bronx.

'Toss of a Lemon' Delves Into India's Divided Past

Tue, Dec 2 2008 Listen
Drawing on tales from her grandmother's life, debut novelist Padma Viswanathan depicts the intense social and political changes of the past century in India in The Toss of a Lemon.

Listen To The 2008 National Book Award Winners

Wed, Nov 26 2008 Listen
A novel about a notorious Florida outlaw and a history of Thomas Jefferson's hidden slave family were among the winners at the 59th annual awards.

Listen To The 2008 National Book Award Winners

Mon, Nov 24 2008 Listen
A novel about a notorious Florida outlaw and a history of Thomas Jefferson's hidden slave family were among the winners at the 59th annual awards.

Comic John Hodgman Shares 'More Information'

Tue, Nov 18 2008 Listen
In More Information Than You Require, the follow-up to the best-selling The Areas of My Expertise, John Hodgman offers another compilation of false facts and trivia.

Challenging The Stereotypes Of Modern Iran

Tue, Nov 11 2008 Listen
In The Ayatollah Begs to Differ, Hooman Majd, an Iranian-American writer and the grandson of an ayatollah, travels behind "Persian walls" to provide a revealing look at modern Iran.

'Ghost Train' Retraces Theroux's Past Journeys

Tue, Nov 4 2008 Listen
More than 30 years after documenting a trip through Europe, the Middle East and Asia in The Great Railway Bazaar, Paul Theroux re-creates the voyage in Ghost Train to the Eastern Star.

Part 4 of Toni Morrison: A Mother, A Stranger, 'A Mercy'

Thu, Oct 30 2008 Listen
Writer Toni Morrison reads the final part of an excerpt from her new novel, A Mercy, and discusses the book with NPR's Lynn Neary.

Part 3 of Toni Morrison: A Mother, A Stranger, 'A Mercy'

Wed, Oct 29 2008 Listen
In the third of a four-part series, author Toni Morrison continues reading a pivotal episode of her new novel, A Mercy.

Part II of Toni Morrison: A Mother, A Stranger, 'A Mercy'

Tue, Oct 28 2008 Listen
In the second of a four-part series, Nobel Laueate and Pulitzer Prize Winner Toni Morrison reads from her new novel, A Mercy.

© 2009 RadioTime. All Rights Reserved. Trademarks displayed do not imply endorsement by their holders.