From the ultimate Olympic reference book to an account of the last London Games, bibliophile cabbie Will Grozier recommends books that put both the 2012 Games and their host city in context.

An American conductor explains why Russian music suits her Sao Paolo orchestra.

Guest host David Greene takes a tour of the largest comic book convention, the giant Comic-Con in Los Angeles.

Before most Chinese readers learned of Romeo and Juliet, they fell for Dream of the Red Chamber. The 18th-century novel follows a love triangle between a boy and his two female cousins. It's been called China's greatest literary work, and now a new adaptation hopes to introduce it to an American audience.

The rising rock band — yes, it's a band, not a person — tells NPR's Scott Simon the story behind its deceptive name.

The Nashville band discusses its new album, Carry Me Back, and explains how its 2004 hit "Wagon Wheel" arose from an unfinished song sketch by Bob Dylan.

Author Jennifer Weiner's new novel draws on her experience creating and running a television show. Weiner writes bitingly about the experiences of women in Hollywood writers' rooms — and she's also very vocal about the disrespect female authors face from literary critics.

Did Abraham Lincoln subvert the Constitution? That's the startling premise of a new novel from Yale Law School professor Stephen Carter, in which Lincoln survives that terrible night at Ford's Theatre, only to face an impeachment trial two years later.

Can a murderer ever be redeemed? That's the question journalist Nancy Mullane takes on in her new book, Life After Murder. Over the past few years, Mullane has made dozens of trips to California's San Quentin prison to interview men locked up for committing heinous crimes.

Michael Charry's new biography captures the power Szell brought to the Cleveland Orchestra, as well as his tempestuous personality.