Kamala Harris publishes a memoir

Plus: Hillary Frank, Mesha Maren, a public domain party and more [Kamala Harris ]( Image by Zach Gibson/Getty Images On Tuesday, Sen. Kamala Harris's memoir The Truths We Hold hit shelves. In it, the California Democrat ticks through her résumé and credentials, while mixing in a look at her upbringing and family life. She spoke to NPR's Rachel Martin about it -- [check out their conversation here.]( And the Washington Desk's Danielle Kurtzleben has a review of the book here; she says it [demonstrates the issues common to campaign books.]( [Weird Parenting Wins, by Hillary Frank]( Almost 10 years ago, journalist Hillary Frank was pregnant and planning to give birth without medication or surgery — but things didn't go according to her plan. Instead, Frank experienced a prolonged and difficult labor that left her with a traumatic injury. To make matters worse, beyond the physical injury, she felt she couldn't talk openly about what had happened to her. In response, she started the parenting podcast The Longest Shortest Time. She stopped by Fresh Air to talk about childbirth and parenting issues, and her new book, [Weird Parenting Wins.]( [The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran]( Hundreds of works -- movies, music and books -- from the year 1923 entered the public domain this year, the first time something like that has happened since Congress extended copyright terms in 1999. Khalil Gibran's The Prophet is among the works now in the public domain, along with poetry by Robert Frost and e.e. cummings, and books by Agatha Christie and Edgar Rice Burroughs. And that means a bounty of material for writers to adapt. "I'm interested to see what people will do with these things." says Madeline Miller, author of Circe and The Song of Achilles — each novel an adaptation of Homer. [Read more here.]( [Sugar Run, by Mesha Maren]( Mesha Maren's novel Sugar Run opens as Jodi McCarty is getting turned out of prison on parole after serving 18 years for manslaughter. It's Maren's first novel -- she's a writing fellow at the Beckley Federal Correctional Institution in West Virginia, and she grew up visiting prisons with her father as part of his nonprofit work. "I specifically remember overhearing my dad speaking with women ... who were soon to be released," [she tells NPR's Scott Simon](. "And later as an adult I realized just how strong their joy was, you know, to be released — but also their fear of what it meant to make a life on the outside." Finally this week, critic Ilana Masad says Burned "[raises question after troubling question]( about the justice system. Michael Schaub praises Samanta Schweblin's [ability to treat the otherworldly in a matter-of-fact manner](. And if you want a less uncanny but still gripping read, he says Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch's The First Conspiracy is "[sure to delight both fans of thrillers and American history.]( [Burned, by Edward Humes]( [Mouthful of Birds, by Samanta Schweblin]( [The First Conspiracy, by Brad Meltzer]( -- Happy reading! [Facebook]( [Twitter]( You received this message because you're subscribed to our Books emails. | [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( | NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002 [NPR]