Books http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1032&ft=1&f=1032 NPR's brings you news about books and authors along with our picks for great reads. Interviews, reviews, the NPR Bestseller Lists, New in Paperback and much more. en Copyright 2013 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Sun, 19 May 2013 16:09:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Books http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1032&ft=1&f=1032 Decade Later And Across An Ocean, A Novel Gets Its Due John Williams' <em>Stoner </em>sold just 2,000 copies when it was originally published in 1965. It's now acknowledged as a classic work, is a best-seller across Europe and the No. 1 novel in the Netherlands. Sun, 19 May 2013 16:09:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184770657/decade-later-and-across-an-ocean-a-novel-gets-its-due?ft=1&f=1032 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184770657/decade-later-and-across-an-ocean-a-novel-gets-its-due?ft=1&f=1032 John Williams' Stoner sold just 2,000 copies when it was originally published in 1965. It's now acknowledged as a classic work, is a best-seller across Europe and the No. 1 novel in the Netherlands.

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]]> Unacceptable Anger From 'The Woman Upstairs' "Women's anger is very scary to people," author Claire Messud says. Her new novel, <em>The Woman Upstairs</em>, features a seething main character, a young woman whose anger is unsettling. Sun, 19 May 2013 16:09:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/183712255/unacceptable-anger-from-the-woman-upstairs?ft=1&f=1032 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/183712255/unacceptable-anger-from-the-woman-upstairs?ft=1&f=1032 "Women's anger is very scary to people," author Claire Messud says. Her new novel, The Woman Upstairs, features a seething main character, a young woman whose anger is unsettling.

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]]> Three-Minute Fiction: 'Ten Ring Fingers' And 'Ghost Words' NPR's Bob Mondello and Susan Stamberg read excerpts of two of the best submissions for Round 11 of our short story contest. They read <em>Ten Ring Fingers</em> by Tamara Breuer of Washington, D.C., and <em>Ghost Words</em> by Matheus Macedo of Winthrop, Mass. Sun, 19 May 2013 06:54:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184333695/three-minute-fiction-ten-ring-fingers-and-ghost-words?ft=1&f=1032 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184333695/three-minute-fiction-ten-ring-fingers-and-ghost-words?ft=1&f=1032 NPR's Bob Mondello and Susan Stamberg read excerpts of two of the best submissions for Round 11 of our short story contest. They read Ten Ring Fingers by Tamara Breuer of Washington, D.C., and Ghost Words by Matheus Macedo of Winthrop, Mass.

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]]> Siblings' Separation Haunts In 'Kite Runner' Author's Latest Khaled Hosseini's new novel, like his two earlier works, is set partly in Afghanistan — but this time, political turmoil isn't a major element of the plot. Instead, <em>And The Mountains Echoed </em>is a story of a family's loss that spans decades and continents. Sun, 19 May 2013 05:41:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184191561/siblings-separation-haunts-in-kite-runner-authors-latest?ft=1&f=1032 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184191561/siblings-separation-haunts-in-kite-runner-authors-latest?ft=1&f=1032 Khaled Hosseini's new novel, like his two earlier works, is set partly in Afghanistan — but this time, political turmoil isn't a major element of the plot. Instead, And The Mountains Echoed is a story of a family's loss that spans decades and continents.

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]]> Stories Of Hope Amid America's 'Unwinding' When the factory she worked at closed down, Tammy Thomas reinvented herself as a community organizer; and when Dean Price's truck stop business went belly up, he became a champion of biofuel. In a new book, George Packer examines how ordinary people are adapting to a new America. Sun, 19 May 2013 05:41:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184480850/stories-of-hope-amid-americas-unwinding?ft=1&f=1032 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184480850/stories-of-hope-amid-americas-unwinding?ft=1&f=1032 When the factory she worked at closed down, Tammy Thomas reinvented herself as a community organizer; and when Dean Price's truck stop business went belly up, he became a champion of biofuel. In a new book, George Packer examines how ordinary people are adapting to a new America.

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]]> Ghost Ships, Murders, Bird Attacks: Stories To Keep You Awake Author Ethan Rutherford started reading Daphne du Maurier's collection of stories, <em>Don't Look Now, </em>while it was still light out and didn't move from his chair until dark. Each one features characters who endure the strange and the extreme, and who are forever changed by the events that befall them. Sun, 19 May 2013 07:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/177638074/ghost-ships-murders-bird-attacks-stories-to-keep-you-awake?ft=1&f=1032 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/177638074/ghost-ships-murders-bird-attacks-stories-to-keep-you-awake?ft=1&f=1032 Author Ethan Rutherford started reading Daphne du Maurier's collection of stories, Don't Look Now, while it was still light out and didn't move from his chair until dark. Each one features characters who endure the strange and the extreme, and who are forever changed by the events that befall them.

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]]> Ten Ring Fingers She found the first ring on a night that smelled of body odor and beer. The bar's last customers had finally given up hope of taking her to bed and staggered away, leaving her to clean the stains of their desperation. Sun, 19 May 2013 06:42:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184272963/ten-ring-fingers?ft=1&f=1032 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184272963/ten-ring-fingers?ft=1&f=1032 She found the first ring on a night that smelled of body odor and beer. The bar's last customers had finally given up hope of taking her to bed and staggered away, leaving her to clean the stains of their desperation.

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]]> Ghost Words The letter smelled of lavender and vanilla, like she couldn't decide which perfume to use so she used both. Her hand-writing had been drawn with the careful precision only seventh-grade girls in love have patience for. Sun, 19 May 2013 06:41:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/15/184275112/ghost-words?ft=1&f=1032 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/15/184275112/ghost-words?ft=1&f=1032 The letter smelled of lavender and vanilla, like she couldn't decide which perfume to use so she used both. Her hand-writing had been drawn with the careful precision only seventh-grade girls in love have patience for.

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]]> Three-Minute Fiction Reading: 'Plum Baby' NPR's Susan Stamberg reads an excerpt of one of the best submissions for Round 11 of our short story contest. She reads <em>Plum Baby</em> by Carmiel Banasky of Portland, Ore. Sat, 18 May 2013 16:41:08 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/184611091/three-minute-fiction-reading-plum-baby?ft=1&f=1032 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/184611091/three-minute-fiction-reading-plum-baby?ft=1&f=1032 NPR's Susan Stamberg reads an excerpt of one of the best submissions for Round 11 of our short story contest. She reads Plum Baby by Carmiel Banasky of Portland, Ore.

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]]> 'Waiting To Be Heard' No More, Amanda Knox Speaks Out Less than two months into her study abroad program in Italy, Amanda Knox was accused and eventually convicted of murdering her roommate, Meredith Kercher. After her conviction was overturned, Knox returned home to Seattle — and now faces a potential retrial. Knox tells her story in a new memoir. Sat, 18 May 2013 16:41:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/184194378/waiting-to-be-heard-no-more-amanda-knox-speaks-out?ft=1&f=1032 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/184194378/waiting-to-be-heard-no-more-amanda-knox-speaks-out?ft=1&f=1032 Less than two months into her study abroad program in Italy, Amanda Knox was accused and eventually convicted of murdering her roommate, Meredith Kercher. After her conviction was overturned, Knox returned home to Seattle — and now faces a potential retrial. Knox tells her story in a new memoir.

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]]> Dan Brown: 'Inferno' Is 'The Book That I Would Want To Read' Dan Brown, author of the blockbuster <em>The Da Vinci Code</em>, is back with his first novel in four years. <em>Inferno</em> follows academic hero Robert Langdon on a chase through Italy as he attempts to avert a biological catastrophe. Sat, 18 May 2013 05:13:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/183902954/dan-brown-inferno-is-the-book-that-i-would-want-to-read?ft=1&f=1032 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/183902954/dan-brown-inferno-is-the-book-that-i-would-want-to-read?ft=1&f=1032 Dan Brown, author of the blockbuster The Da Vinci Code, is back with his first novel in four years. Inferno follows academic hero Robert Langdon on a chase through Italy as he attempts to avert a biological catastrophe.

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]]> 'That's That': A Memoir Of Loving And Leaving Northern Ireland Colin Broderick's new memoir, <em>That's That</em>, chronicles his childhood in Northern Ireland during the modern-day "Troubles." Broderick says growing up in what was essentially a war zone seemed normal to him at the time. Sat, 18 May 2013 05:13:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/184471688/thats-that-a-memoir-of-loving-and-leaving-northern-ireland?ft=1&f=1032 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/184471688/thats-that-a-memoir-of-loving-and-leaving-northern-ireland?ft=1&f=1032 Colin Broderick's new memoir, That's That, chronicles his childhood in Northern Ireland during the modern-day "Troubles." Broderick says growing up in what was essentially a war zone seemed normal to him at the time.

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]]> Author Elliott Holt Says: 'Go West, Young Woman' In this Q&A, author Elliott Holt<em> </em>discusses her six favorite novels about expatriates. She also talks about what it's like to be in your 20s, and the importance of travel and exploration. Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/175473811/author-elliott-holt-says-go-west-young-woman?ft=1&f=1032 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/175473811/author-elliott-holt-says-go-west-young-woman?ft=1&f=1032 In this Q&A, author Elliott Holt discusses her six favorite novels about expatriates. She also talks about what it's like to be in your 20s, and the importance of travel and exploration.

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]]> Plum Baby There isn't enough time in this world to grow your own tree. That tree is a plum baby still, never mind it's tall as the house those men are taking from us. It grew up with me. Sat, 18 May 2013 06:19:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/184263382/plum-baby?ft=1&f=1032 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/184263382/plum-baby?ft=1&f=1032 There isn't enough time in this world to grow your own tree. That tree is a plum baby still, never mind it's tall as the house those men are taking from us. It grew up with me.

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]]> 'Picture Cook': Drawings Are The Key Ingredients In These Recipes Designer Katie Shelly's upcoming cookbook offers 50 illustrated recipe "blueprints" for basic meals — from simple snacks to more hefty dishes like eggplant Parmesan. She hopes they'll inspire any level of cook to improvise in the kitchen. Fri, 17 May 2013 14:45:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/16/184545709/picture-cook-drawings-are-the-key-ingredients-in-these-recipes?ft=1&f=1032 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/16/184545709/picture-cook-drawings-are-the-key-ingredients-in-these-recipes?ft=1&f=1032 Designer Katie Shelly's upcoming cookbook offers 50 illustrated recipe "blueprints" for basic meals — from simple snacks to more hefty dishes like eggplant Parmesan. She hopes they'll inspire any level of cook to improvise in the kitchen.

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