May 26, 2009

Contact: Emerson Brown, NPR

YOU MUST BOOKMARK THIS:
NPR.ORG LAUNCHES 2009 SUMMER BOOKS SERIES ON MAY 27
WITH RECOMMENDATIONS AND "MY GUILTY PLEASURE" ESSAYS FROM NOTED AUTHORS

AT LAUNCH, BEST-SELLING MYSTERY AUTHOR BRAD MELTZER CONFESSES LOVE FOR "TWILIGHT" TEEN SERIES


May 26, 2009; Washington, DC – The latest chapters in NPR's popular and extensive books coverage will excite bibliophiles of all stripes, with riveting recommendations, critics' lists of the best books for the season…and a few true confessions. As the search begins for perfect literary companions for summer, NPR.org launches Summer Books 2009 – www.NPR.org/summerbooks – on Wednesday, May 27 – a seasonal destination complete with round-ups and excerpts of great reads from NPR contributors, vacation-ready versions of series like "You Must Read This" and "Books We Like" and a printable summer-book shopping list.

To time with the launch of Summer Books, the afternoon newsmagazine All Things Considered begins "My Guilty Pleasure," a new on-air and online series in which notable writers reveal the books they're embarrassed to love. In the first "My Guilty Pleasure" airing Wednesday, best-selling (and self-proclaimed manly) mystery writer Brad Meltzer reveals his weakness for the best-selling (and supposedly girly) vampire series Twilight. "My Guilty Pleasure" essays will air on All Things Considered throughout the summer and be available to read at NPR.org/summerbooks

At launch, Summer Books will present roundups of the top 10 cookbooks of summer, with two recipes from each book; the top summer crime and mystery novels; the best literary fiction for the season; and the best pop fiction for July 4, Labor Day and other summer holidays. NPR.org/summerbooks will be updated with new material through Labor Day, including NPR favorites such as contributor Alan Cheuse’s picks for the best books of the summer, librarian Nancy Pearl's best bets, choices for summer reading by NPR's panel of independent booksellers, and the July return of the Morning Edition series "Crime in the City," where crime novelists give a tour of the places their characters inhabit. Readers can browse excerpts of all recommended books.

Summer Books 2009 adds to the expanding library of outstanding books coverage at NPR Books – www.NPR.org/books – which generates nearly 500,000 page views per month and is specifically designed to help a busy audience find great reads. NPR Books combines the best of NPR's radio interviews and news with original Web reviews and commentaries, and includes popular recurring series such as "You Must Read This," in which well-known authors share passionate recommendations; "Three Books," offering three good reads centered on a common theme; and "Books We Like," spotlighting exceptional new books that might otherwise go overlooked.