New In Paperback

Jan. 21-27: A Robbery, An Assassin And A Writer's Pilgrimage

In softcover fiction and nonfiction, Richard Ford tracks the fallout of two unlikely criminals robbing a bank, while Chris Pavone tells the story of a woman's transition from assassin to stay-at-home mom and Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts explores Harlem's mythic and modern sides.

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Best Books Of 2012

10 Books To Help You Recover From A Tense 2012

2012 was a very jittery year — what with the presidential election, extreme weather events and the looming "fiscal cliff." Fresh Air critic Maureen Corrigan found that her favorite fiction and nonfiction this year directly confronted the atmospheric uncertainty of the age.

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Critics' Lists: Summer 2012

Want A Winner? These Books Made The Critics' Cut

Lynn Neary talks to three critics about the books you absolutely shouldn't miss this summer. Critic Laura Miller of Salon.com, says it's a particularly rich literary summer because in election years, publishers release their juiciest books before the fall.

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Author Interviews

No Longer A Southern Writer, Ford Goes To 'Canada'

In Richard Ford's latest novel, retired school teacher Dell Parsons reflects on the summer when his parents — two unlikely criminals — robbed a bank and shifted his young life from Montana to Saskatchewan, where he was taken in by a murderous fugitive.

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Critics' Lists: Summer 2012

Sail Into Summer With Novel Picks From Alan Cheuse

Hang on tight. These five new works of fiction will take you on an exhilarating ride. Brace yourself for a noir he-said-she-said, an R-rated version of Marie Antoinette's life and death, a haunting tale from a back-to-nature commune and Toni Morrison's lush Home.

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You Must Read This

In Dark Winter, Chekhov Brings Comfort and Joy

Growing up in central New York, writer Diana Abu-Jaber spent many snowstorms curled up indoors with a book. She says Anton Chekhov's short stories reassured her that warmth can be found even in the coldest, darkest places.

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Best Fiction of 2006

Maureen Corrigan runs down her list of the year's best fiction, including a series of books set in post-Sept. 11 New York City, Richard Ford's last installment in the Frank Bascombe trilogy and fiction by two Alices.

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Author Interviews

Richard Ford's 'The Lay of the Land'

Richard Ford's novels are deeply rooted in the suburbs, and his latest, The Lay of the Land is no exception. Ford says he writes about the 'burbs because of what they tell readers about themselves and the America in which they live.

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