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NPR curated a list to keep you flipping pages all summer | |
The Thread's Must-Read | |
| “Saints for All Occasions” by J. Courtney Sullivan Buy this book We meet Nora Flynn just as she and her younger sister, Teresa, are about to board a ship from Ireland to America. It’s 1957 and Nora is leaving her small village to reunite with Charlie, the man she’ll marry in Boston. She is determined to be practical, even unromantic, about this union, which she thinks will ultimately take them back home: “Their farms stood side by side. Joining the land would be good for both families. A husband didn’t matter that much, compared to all the rest.” But "all the rest" keeps Nora and Teresa in New England for the rest of their lives as the novel sprawls, unhurriedly, over five decades. I wasn’t sure I was going to happily join this odyssey; I burned out on sprawling family sagas somewhere along the line. But this novel hooked me with the sins — and the salvation — of Teresa Flynn. Much to Nora’s disappointment, Teresa becomes Mother Lucy Joseph, the head nun at a rural Vermont order. J. Courtney Sullivan does a marvelous job of developing her character here. Mother Joseph reminds me of the brilliant Karen Armstrong. “The outward tranquility did not reflect their inner turmoil,” Sullivan writes. “Her own doubts were a constant stream of voices in her head, all of which boiled down to a single question: Was she in hiding, or was she home?” -K.M. | |
| This Week on The Thread | |
| Let's get graphic: 100 favorite comics and graphic novels NPR asked readers to name their favorite comics and graphic novels, and they received thousands of answers. Now, with the help of an expert panel, they've curated a list to keep you flipping pages all summer. More | |
| The Scooby Gang grows up — hard "Meddling Kids" by Edgar Cantero Buy this book Edgar Cantero's head-kick of a novel about damaged adults who used to be spunky kid detectives mixes bright, pulpy cartoon nostalgia with some seriously dark trauma-survivor subtext. More | |
| Dive into the twisted world of 18th century New York City "Golden Hill" by Francis Spufford Buy this book "Golden Hill" unfolds in 1746, mixing perfect plotting with fascinating history. "When I finished it, I just wanted to turn it over and start again," said bookseller Betsy Burton. "It's the best read of the summer." More | |
| The poet Bao Phi, on creating a 'guidebook' for young Asian-Americans When Bao Phi was a child, there was little literature about Vietnamese refugees in the United States. Phi hopes to change that with his new poetry book "Thousand Star Hotel" and a forthcoming children's book. More | |
| A true story of love and arson in rural Virginia "American Fire" by Monica Hesse Buy this book In 2012 and 2013, Accomack County, Va., was plagued by arson. The culprits, it turned out, were a local man and his girlfriend. In a new book, journalist Monica Hesse tells their story. More | |
| Talking Volumes 2017 season guide Buy tickets The 2017 season includes Sherman Alexie, Amy Tan, Jacqueline Woodson, Ron Chernow and Dan Brown. More | |
| London literally stank in the summer of 1858 — just ask Dickens and Darwin "One Hot Summer" by Rosemary Ashton Buy this book In "One Hot Summer," historian Rosemary Ashton follows Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin and Benjamin Disraeli through an unpleasant couple of months — as the River Thames flowed with hot, smelly sewage. More | |
| A favorite in waiting: Alison Bechdel's "Dykes To Watch Out For" Alison Bechdel is one of the few cartoonists who appear twice on NPR's list of 100 favorite comics and graphic novels — but many readers overlooked her beloved cult strip "Dykes To Watch Out For." More | |
| On being a default spokesperson for a faith "Fetch: How a Bad Dog Brought Me Home" by Nicole J. George Buy this book Do you deserve your pets? Do you deserve the people in your life? In her new graphic memoir, Nicole Georges suggests the two questions are closely related — and you may not like the answers. More | |
| Inside the "Shakespearean irony" of Trump and Bannon's relationship "Devil's Bargain" by Joshua Green Buy this book Author Joshua Green says that although Steve Bannon was instrumental to Donald Trump's election, it now appears that the president lacks the ability to implement Bannon's nationalist vision. More | |
| We all live in the dark, but some of us live in "The Dark Dark" "The Dark Dark" by Samantha Hunt Buy this book Samantha Hunt's new story collection dissects the unique strangeness of women's lives, mixing eerie fantasy with solid literary sensibility and a knack for strange and lovely set pieces. More | |
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