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Some critics say that women's sports aren't treated the same as men's sports when it comes to coverage, marketing and advertising. Frank Deford has some thoughts about why that is, and how it can change.

In 1953, Vivian and James Bracken borrowed $500 from a pawnbroker to start a record company. Thirteen years later, Vee-Jay Records became the country's biggest independent, black-owned label, and for a time, it was bigger than Motown.

The Blueprint 3 is the latest release by rapper Jay-Z; it's the second sequel to one of his best-known releases, 2001's The Blueprint. It's also Jay-Z's 11th solo album in 13 years, making him one of hip-hop's most prolific artists. Reviewer Oliver Wang suggests that, even this far into his career, the rapper is still finding ways to stay on top.

Jarrett Krosoczka's lunch lady doesn't just serve lunch. She serves justice. In her Batman-like lair below the cafeteria, she can monitor the whole school for suspicious characters like the Cyborg Substitute or the Video Game Villain. Join NPR's Backseat Book Club as we follow her adventures.

Maya Angelou spent much of her childhood being raised by her grandmother in Arkansas, but as a young teenager, she returned to live with her mother, Vivian Baxter. Angelou's Mom & Me & Mom looks back on the long process of reconciliation with the woman who sent her away.

From her multiple marriages to her diamond collecting, a new biography by William Mann — aptly titled How to Be a Movie Star — details the dramatic life of one of Hollywood's all-time leading ladies. "Elizabeth always loved living large, and it served her very well," he says.

Bridget Jones hasn't aged well. At 51, she's the "geriatric mum" of two small children, and finds herself yearning to plunge back into dating. Critic Maureen Corrigan says if you're looking for jolly feminist cultural commentary, you'd be better off reading a witty "encyclopedia of lady things" from the creators of the website Jezebel.

In advance of its third album, the Nashville trio behind the megahit "Need You Now" discusses forming the band, picking a name and handling success and criticism.

Jay McShann, nicknamed "Hootie," helped define the Kansas City style of jazz, which mixed blues and boogie woogie. In this program from 1980, McShann talks about those early days in Kansas City and meeting a young sax player named Charlie Parker.

The 15-year-old's shooting death became a rallying cry for gun control advocates. Senior advisor Valerie Jarrett and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will also attend the funeral.

In James' Portrait of a Lady, Isabel Archer is wise enough to understand that if you're not happy without a man, you certainly won't be happy with one. Writer Rhoda Janzen loves the book because it shows what a woman does once she acknowledges her own complicity in the life she has chosen.

A self-professed science geek is the best-selling British male artist in the United States since Elton John. His latest album, and first U.S. release, is called All or Nothing. It features big name collaborations with artists including Lil Wayne, Lil John, Sean Paul and Mary J. Blige.