Giant stacks of books, some falling down.
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This isn't actually anyone's office.

When I was in college, our Conservatory Of Music (where, needless to say, I was not enrolled) used to say that it had the world's largest collection of Steinway pianos under one roof. I am convinced that NPR HQ could similarly compete for the largest office-based collection of books.

They're stacked on desks, they're on shelves, they're in boxes under tables, they're lying around on tables, they're in mail bins, they're poking out of bags, they're ... did I mention they're stacked on desks? Because they are really, quite seriously, sometimes perilously stacked on desks in gravitationally defiant towers. People read a lot around here.

And a new feature, called "What We're Reading," is designed to funnel some of that massive, book-devouring energy into a weekly list of new books that we think are worth knowing about. Maybe they're great books, maybe they're newsworthy books, maybe they're from great authors — there are lots of reasons to know about a book. When we feature one, we'll tell you a little about it, and we'll provide a few words from someone around NPR who's read it and can share some thoughts.

In this week's edition: Guy Raz, host of Weekend All Things Considered, reacts to Jonathan Safran Foer's new book in praise of vegetarianism, and books and publishing correspondent Lynn Neary talks about Barbara Kingsolver's new novel. We'll also look at what one publication has called "scandalous frippery," check out a new Paul Auster novel and soak up a detailed examination of a company many of us patronize countless times every day.

We know that many of you, too, are voracious readers, so this is where you can help. What kinds of pointers and recommendations for new books do you find most useful? What kinds of books do you like to see spotlighted? What sorts of authors would you like to hear more about? We'll be developing the list week by week, so if you have thoughts, we'd love to hear them, and we hope you'll tell us, of course, what you're reading.