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Issue 46 of McSweeney's Quarterly Concern showcases crime fiction from all over Latin America, with new stories from writers like Alejandro Zambra. Reviewer Juan Vidal calls it rousing and essential.

Parton plays as artfully with the notion of authenticity as just about anyone in popular music. On her 42nd album, the superstar continues to explore new ideas and classic sounds.

One-time bluegrass prodigies reunite with an album that plays to each musician's strengths. As always, Sara Watkins, Sean Watkins and Chris Thile balance their virtuosity with joyfulness and spunk.

Nicole Mones' new Night in Shanghai follows an African-American pianist making his way in the city's nightclub scene on the eve of World War II. Reviewer Alan Cheuse says the story really swings.

On the 300th anniversary of his birth, hear how music by Johann Sebastian's son Carl Philipp Emanuel bridged the gap between the old-fashioned Baroque and newfangled music by Haydn and Mozart.

When you see those graceful figure skaters perform at the Winter Games in Sochi -- with their athleticism and their big-money endorsement deals -- for better or worse, Sonja Henie paved the way.

The New Zealand-born author Adam Christopher has a fascination for America — his latest, Hang Wire, is a decade-jumping, character-crisscrossing urban fantasy set in San Francisco. Reviewer Jason Heller says that with Hang Wire, his fourth novel, Christopher has mastered "geek-centric weirdness and galloping, whiz-bang pace."

The New Orleans-based bandleader Alynda Lee Segarra talks about the wide range of political and musical inspirations — from her Puerto Rican background to the Occupy movement and women's rights in India — behind her band's new album, Small Town Heroes.

Industrial musicals were like Broadway shows, only written and performed for corporate sales meetings or conventions. And as ridiculous as the songs were — "My bathroom, my bathroom is a private kind of place" — they were often delivered by very talented people.

It was a banner year for the acoustic guitar. NPR Music partner Folk Alley presents the best the genre had to offer.