Rob Schmitz is NPR's international correspondent based in Berlin, where he covers the human stories of a vast region reckoning with its past while it tries to guide the world toward a brighter future. From his base in the heart of Europe, Schmitz has covered Germany's levelheaded management of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of right-wing nationalist politics in Poland and creeping Chinese government influence inside the Czech Republic.
Quiara Alegría Hudes' novel was inspired by Siddhartha and other classic tales of men seeking enlightenment. It's about a mother in Philadelphia who buys a bus ticket, leaving her daughter behind.
Originally published under a pseudonym, Banville's Quirke mystery series follows a troubled Dublin coroner who dwells in the basement morgue of a hospital.
Horror movie Sinners has a record 16 nominations this year, including for best picture, actor Michael B. Jordan and a new category: achievement in casting.