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It's not hard to parse the two main influences on Robert Kroese's new novel, The Big Sheep: Philip K. Dick and Raymond Chandler. But Kroese's knack for humor helps elevate their gonzo grimness.

Biologist Justin Schmidt has traveled all over the world looking for bugs ... and getting stung by them. He documents his travels/travails in his new book The Sting of the Wild.

Sportswriter Steve Rushin's memoir of growing up in Minnesota in the 1970s is familiar territory, but Rushin mines it with irony and affection, working hard to capture the look and feel of the era.

Two entitled young women vacationing on a chic Greek island get involved with a mysterious stranger in Lawrence Osborne's new novel. Critic John Powers calls it a "seductively menacing new thriller."

The double-digit tuition hikes of recent years have slowed, though tuition is still rising faster than the inflation rate in some places, according to the College Board. The group has released its new report on tuition increases at U.S. public and private universities.

The legendary deal with the devil comes to life, as the brilliant soprano Angela Gheorghiu stars as Marguerite in the Vienna State Opera's production of Gounod's Faust, with tenor Roberto Alagna in the title role.

The first installment of The Ring of the Nibelungen, Wagner's Das Rheingold introduces a vivid world of gods, giants and dwarves, all vying for ultimate power.

The iconic spindly plants are under threat from a variety of factors, including climate change and development, and the California legislature is stepping in to help.

Some of the hottest global weather in recorded history is happening this week. It's likely that record temperatures will continue to occur this year.

Lalo's 1888 opera tells the story of the mythical, sunken city of Ys.

The world's astronomers finally voted today on the highly controversial issue of how to define a planet. The official definition means Pluto is no longer a planet. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports on the pandemonium in the convention halls of Prague, where the astronomers are meeting.

Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa offers his insight into President Barack Obama's remarks Tuesday. In his news conference, Obama said the economic recovery will take patience.

Damage estimates in Picher, Okla., where deadly tornadoes struck over the weekend, are complicated by the fact that much of the former lead-mining town was already scheduled for demolition because of ecological concerns.

Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez has been suspended for 50 games for violating baseball's drug policy. Major League Baseball has not given details of the substance involved, but Ramirez issued a statement saying a medication from a physician — not a steroid — was to blame.

He helped lay the groundwork for bossa nova but defied confinement to any single genre.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is arrested and deported hours after landing in his home country after seven years in exile. Sharif had vowed to challenge the country's military ruler, President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, in upcoming elections.

The United Auto Workers and General Motors Corp. confirm their deal creates a GM-funded, UAW-run trust fund to administer retiree health care, but the two sides gave few details. The agreement ending a two-day strike also includes commitments by GM to keep some manufacturing jobs in the United States.

East Timor's president, Jose Ramos-Horta, is hospitalized after being shot in the stomach at his home during a coup attempt. The nation's prime minister escaped injury in an attack on his motorcade.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announces the formation of a new alliance of Shiite and Kurdish parties in an effort to break Baghdad's political impasse. But no Sunni leaders are involved, and key Shiite groups are also not participating.

Oil prices are soaring to levels never anticipated – nearly $100 a barrel. The price of oil affects just about everything that is made, transported, eaten and sold in the United States. But the cost hasn't had the impact on the economy many analysts expected.