Books

A sweeping historical epic, an eerily relevant political dystopia and an adult fantasy book from a beloved children’s author are just a few of the recommendations from KCUR’s book experts this spring.

Make the most of your library card, no matter where in the Kansas City area you live. Our region has no shortage of great libraries, and you can find an entire world of resources and unique activities beyond just a great read.

Sarah Ruden uncovers how literature about women has been used to justify control over their bodies, starting with ancient poetry through modern debates. She'll be speaking about her new book "Reproductive Wrongs" at the Kansas City Public Library this week.

World Cup games will be underway here in Kansas City in just over three months. Author Simon Kuper joined Up To Date to discuss the history of the biggest sporting event in the world and how it became the spectacle it is today.

CUNY constitutional law professor Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, a Kansas City native, will return to her hometown next month for a Rainy Day Books event about her new book “A Protest History of the United States.”

"Injustice Town" by Rick Tulsky tells the story of Lamonte McIntyre, who was wrongly convicted of a double homicide in 1994. McIntyre was exonerated in 2017.

Artist Heidi Pitre’s new show brings together literature, nostalgia and pen-and-ink illustrations on vintage library checkout cards. Pitre brings her library card art to — where else? — the Kansas City Public Library.

Heidi Pitre’s series merges literature, nostalgia, and history, featuring pen-and-ink drawings on about 160 vintage library checkout cards. Interest in the pieces has expanded, but her supply of old-school, ephemeral cards is dwindling.

In "Footeprint," out today, Lindsay Metcalf resurrects the history of Eunice Newton Foote, a 19th-century scientist who discovered carbon dioxide’s heat-trapping properties while fighting for women’s place in science.

A new book explores the cultural impact of Branson, Missouri, a tourist town that inspires devotion and disdain in equal measure. Long known for wholesome, family-friendly entertainment, the Midwestern destination has become a stage that showcases today’s cultural and political divides.

Residents of an apartment complex in Gardner, Kansas, were kicked out of their homes earlier this year when the city condemned the property for unsafe living conditions, but one change in a law could help. Plus: A Missouri researcher says "radical empathy" can help combat today's conspiracy theories, which may help when you go home for the holidays.

First opened in 2018, the Kansas City cocktail bar will shut its doors at the end of January. The new landlord plans to convert the space into a new lounge concept — to the dismay of many longtime customers. But Afterword's leaders are hunting for a new home.