Michael Schaub
Michael Schaub is a writer, book critic and regular contributor to NPR Books. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Portland Mercury and The Austin Chronicle, among other publications. He lives in Austin, Texas.
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It's a testament to Hilary Mantel's brilliance as an author that even though the moments in these stories are subtle, the book somehow feels epic in its own way.
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It would have been easy for the famous journalist to fall into the nostalgia trap with his memoir, which chronicles his earliest years in the newspaper business. Happily, he doesn't.
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Margaret Verble's novel follows a young Cherokee woman whose life as a horse-diver in Tennessee zoo is derailed by a terrible accident. It's unfocused at times, but definitely a ride worth taking.
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Charlie Barnes, the figure at the center of Ferris' A Calling for Charlie Barnes, is 68 and on his fifth marriage, and after a self-diagnosed cancer scare, he wants his son to write his life story.
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Ye Chun's new story collection Hao takes its name from a Chinese word meaning "good," or "everything's OK" — but the characters in these stories are sick, afraid, out of time, and anything but OK.
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YZ Chin's Edge Case follows a Malaysian immigrant working at a lousy, sexist startup, worried about her marriage and the thought of having to move back home — all topics it handles beautifully.
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Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing for the top court still sticks in the minds of those all along the political spectrum; it's the subject of several books, including a new one by Jackie Calmes.
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Freedom, Junger's latest book, follows the author and a group of acquaintances as they embark on a long walk from Washington D.C. to Pittsburgh, tracing railroad lines.
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Daniel James Brown writes a fascinating account of some of the bravest Americans who ever lived; it's also a sobering reminder of a dark history — of anti-Asian racism that never really went away.
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John Schlesinger's flawed drama, the only X-rated film to win an Oscar for best picture, made Jon Voight a star and solidified Dustin Hoffman's status as one of his generation's greatest actors.