Summer Books 2013

Get our critics' picks for fiction, nonfiction, cooking, crime and more.

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The Two-Way

Book News: Kim Jong Un Reportedly Gave 'Mein Kampf' As Gifts()  

Kim Jong Un (center) watched a performance celebrating the anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea, in Pyongyang, North Korea.

June 19, 2013 Also: The folly of marathon readings; Tom Wolfe has a new book; VICE apologizes for tasteless photo spread.

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Book Reviews

A Family's Secrets And Sorrows Surface In 'Heatwave' ()  

Instructions for a Heatwave cover

June 19, 2013 Maggie O'Farrell's new novel, Instructions for a Heatwave, follows a troubled Irish Catholic family in London over the course of four scorching July days in 1976. Reviewer Heller McAlpin says Heatwave is a beautiful book about "the importance of forgiving those you love."

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Monkey See

Bait And Twitch: 'Vice' Magazine, Suicide Glamour, And Not Staying Quiet()  

A woman with tape over her mouth.

June 19, 2013 What do you do with something that seems designed only to offend? Ignore it, or say something?

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Kitchen Window

Stalking The Elusive, Worthy Apricot()  

Apricots

June 19, 2013 Apricots are the finest of summer's fruits, with dense, juicy flesh and delicate, velvety skins. That's why it is so disheartening when you bite into one, only to find it is mealy and flavorless. To find the best ones, head to your local farmers market.

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Dollar For Dollar: Adventures In Investing

The Art Of Investing: The Rewards Aren't Always Financial()  

Flower Study #14 by Vladimir Kryloff, the painting NPR's Uri Berliner bought as an investment for $450.

June 19, 2013 The Internet makes collecting and even investing in art much more accessible to ordinary people. As part of his adventures in investing, NPR's Uri Berliner pays $450 for an abstract flower study he's only seen online. Is it an investment or a painting he's just happy to have hang on his wall?

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

Theater

In NYC, A Play Festival Spotlights Stories Of Disability ()  

Mary Theresa Archbold (left), Anita Hollander and Tiffan Borelli star in Bekah Brunstetter's Gorgeous, part of Theater Breaking Through Barriers' initial Some of Our Parts Festival in 2011. A third round of new short plays runs through June 28 at New York City's Clurman Theatre.

June 18, 2013 Now in its third year, the "... Our Parts" festival at Theater Breaking Through Barriers runs through June 28. Here and across the country, artists with disabilities are making drama (and comedy) in illuminating ways.

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Monkey See

Death Of A Puppy: An Exclusive Imaginary Excerpt From The 'Man Of Steel' Sequel()  

Henry Cavill as Clark Kent in Man Of Steel.

June 18, 2013 We've gotten our hands on an exclusive excerpt from the sequel to the Superman smash (by making it up ourselves).

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Architecture

Change Is On The Horizon For London's Famous Skyline()  

London's 122 Leadenhall Street (nicknamed the "Cheese-Grater") is shown under construction on March 5. Once complete it will be London's second-tallest building. The recent construction of numerous skyscrapers has sparked concern that views of historic landmark buildings, such as St Paul's Cathedral, are being obscured.

June 18, 2013 The city of London boasts centuries of architectural history. But a building boom is threatening the city's traditionally low-rise aesthetic and the views of some of that history. Critics — including UNESCO — are very worried about London's changing skyline.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Author Interviews

Spy Reporter Works Her 'Sources' To Write A Thriller()  

Mary Louise Kelly spent two decades traveling the world as a reporter for NPR and the BBC.

June 18, 2013 Mary Louise Kelly used to cover national security for NPR, but lately she's turned her attention to fiction. Her new novel, Anonymous Sources, draws on Kelly's own reporting experiences, including things she couldn't say when she was a journalist.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

Critics' Lists: Summer 2013

The Funny (Touching, Fascinating) Pages: 5 Comics For Summer()  

Graphic Novels

June 18, 2013 When's the last time you read a comic book? Here are five for summer, covering everything from tiny Finnish critters to Viennese punk rockers and musings on Anna Wintour. Writer Myla Goldberg says they represent a golden age in comic art.

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The Two-Way

Book News: VICE Draws Ire By Staging Female Author Suicides()  

Virginia Woolf was an English novelist and critic.

June 18, 2013 The anonymous book sculptor of Edinburgh strikes again; the childhood drawings of E.E. Cummings; Jonathan Franzen on literary sexism.

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Monkey See

Teens Find The Right Tools For Their Social-Media Jobs()  

When you need to illustrate a story about proliferating social-media platforms, it's good to know that an enterprising stock photographer has probably thought about it already.

June 17, 2013 There was a time — a time long, long ago — when MySpace dominated the teen social-media world. Not anymore. NPR's Sami Yenigun looks at how teenagers use various social platforms in today's increasingly segmented online universe.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Book Reviews

A Deceptively Simple Tale Of Magic And Peril In 'Ocean'()  

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane Cover

June 17, 2013 Neil Gaiman's latest, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, is the story of an artist who returns to his childhood home and recalls a magical struggle he was involved in as a young boy. Reviewer Annalee Newitz says the book balances "frenetic action with wistful self-knowledge."

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Monkey See

In Slight Defense Of Miss Utah USA, A Little Bit, With Reservations()  

Television personality and host Giuliana Rancic looks on as Miss Utah USA Marissa Powell answers a question from a judge during the interview portion of the 2013 Miss USA pageant on Sunday night.

June 17, 2013 What do you expect when you ask a terrible question in a ridiculous setting?

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All Tech Considered

Digital Scrapbook Collects Rock-Star Authors' Memories()  

Mitch Albom is famous for writing heartwarming best-sellers like Tuesdays With Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven. As a member of The Rock Bottom Remainders, he plays keyboard and shows off his Elvis impression.

June 17, 2013 If any story screams out for a multimedia e-book treatment, it's the tale of The Rock Bottom Remainders, a small band of best-selling authors — including Amy Tan, Dave Barry and Stephen King — who yowled out rock standards. Hard Listening is a digital scrapbook about their years as musicians.

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The Salt

Sandwich Monday: The Wendy's T-Rex Burger (R.I.P.)()  

No one can hear you screaming, Wendy.

June 17, 2013 For this week's Sandwich Monday, we try "The T-Rex Burger," a nine-patty monster that, until this week, had been on the menu of a renegade Canadian Wendy's franchise.

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The Picture Show

Mauerpark, 2012

How do you photograph something that's not really there? Try a needle and thread.

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