Books

Derrick Barnes felt there wasn't wide enough representation of Black people in the books he read as a kid. The Kansas City native's new picture book, “I Got You,” is his latest effort to write characters who can "just be human," he says.

"Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder' by Rachel McCarthy James traces the foundational and violent role of the axe from prehistoric times to the present. And — yes — the infamous Lizzie Borden case does get a chapter, as do a pair of relatively recent Kansas City murders.

Gay rights activism at the University of Kansas was led in the 1970s by the Lawrence Gay Liberation Front, but it took 10 years and a lawsuit for the student group to gain official recognition. Now, Katherine Rose-Mockry, retired director of KU’s Emily Taylor Center for Women and Gender Equity, has pieced that history together.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Ron Chernow joined KCUR's Up To Date to discuss his latest book, "Mark Twain," which paints a nuanced portrait of a complicated American author from the Heartland.

When the school year ends, the need for literacy support does not. Here’s help in finding in-person and online summer reading programs around the Kansas City area.

In December, then-Missouri Gov. Mike Parson commuted the life sentence of Patty Prewitt, who had already spent 38 years behind bars for a crime she maintains she did not commit. Now, she's out with a new book, "Trying to Catch Lightning in a Jar: Letters from Prison."

For years, tech companies have secretly used pirated e-book libraries to train their generative artificial intelligence models. "It horrifies me," says Kansas author Bryn Greenwood, whose books were among those stolen.

As the gay rights movement began picking up steam in the 1970s, Barbara Grier co-founded the largest lesbian publishing company in the world — right from her Kansas City home. Grier was bold, controversial, and unstoppable in her mission to make books reflect the people and love stories in her life.

In "The Psychology of Liberty: Reclaiming Everyday Freedom," University of Kansas professor Dr. Barbara Kerr defines freedom as having the time to play, gossip and create in community — all activities our ancient ancestors prioritized.

An executive order from President Trump has stopped mid-Missouri libraries from receiving reimbursements for federally funded grants. Libraries across the state are being instructed to limit their spending.

Find books in every genre, hard to find titles, works by local authors and reading clubs and other events at Kansas City's many indie shops. Ahead of Independent Bookstore Day this April, here are some bookstores around the region to shop at.

Soman Chainani’s best-selling “The School for Good and Evil” series was adapted into a Netflix movie in 2022. His debut graphic novel, “Coven,” marks the return of a trio of witches from the successful series.