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Three Books...

Country Cousins: 3 Books About Rural Living()  

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December 12, 2012 Author Wendy Welch shares her favorite book about small-town life that defy stereotypes. What is your favorite work that takes a bite out of literary tradition? Tell us in the comments.

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Best Books Of 2012

Now You're Talking! The Year's Best Book Club Reads()  

Illustration of a book club meeting.

December 12, 2012 Some of these novels will touch your heart; others will challenge your mind. One will make you laugh — a few might make you cry. But all of these books recommended by NPR's Lynn Neary will give you and your friends plenty to talk about.

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Best Books Of 2012

Great Reads In Store: Indie Booksellers Pick 2012's Best()  

Illustration: A bookseller stands in the doorway of his shop.

December 13, 2012 Susan Stamberg presents the year's best books, picked by independent booksellers around the country. Selections range from gritty, free-verse fairy tales to ballerina photographs and a grim Southern story about a small town that would rather its ghosts remain at rest.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

Best Books Of 2012

10 Books To Help You Recover From A Tense 2012()  

Illustration: A snowman reads a book.

December 13, 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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On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

Best Books Of 2012

The Year's Best Science Fiction Crosses Galaxies And Genres()  

Science Fiction

December 13, 2012 From post-apocalyptic character studies to speculative paleontology, reviewer Annalee Newitz says this year's best science fiction stretches boundaries and crosses genres. She also sees a strong resurgence in political themes, with a focus on civilizations on the brink of transformation or collapse.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Three Books...

3 Books To Read Before The End Of The World()  

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December 17, 2012 If the conspiracy theorists are right, we only have a few more days before the end of the world. Author Ben H. Winters describes his favorite pre-apocalyptic works of fiction. Do you have a favorite doomsday masterpiece? Tell us in the comments.

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Book Review: 'A Possible Life'()  

December 18, 2012 Critic Alan Cheuse reviews the new novel by British novelist Sebastian Faulks, called A Possible Life: A Novel in Five Parts.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Best Books Of 2012

In 2012's Best Mysteries, Mean Girls Rule()  

Best Mysteries of 2012

December 19, 2012 Femmes fatales and their crafty female creators dominate this year's mystery and thriller picks. Critic Maureen Corrigan wonders whether it takes a woman to capture the evil that can hide behind a lip-glossed smile and pair of shining eyes.

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Books

The SciFri Book Club Tours 'The Planets'()  

December 21, 2012 The SciFri Book Club is touring the solar system, with Dava Sobel's 2005 The Planets. Call in with a review of the book. Plus Jim Green, director of planetary science at NASA, joins the club to give an update on what's happened planet-wise since the book was published.

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On Talk of the NationPlaylist

Best Books Of 2012

5 Young Adult Novels That You'll Never Outgrow()  

Illustration: a teen slouches in a chair, reading a book.

December 22, 2012 It was a strange and wonderful year for young adult fiction, says critic Maggie Stiefvater. Debates raged over what constituted a young adult novel versus an adult novel. This list isn't concerned with classification — it rounds up five magical books for young adults and grown-ups alike.

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On Weekend Edition SaturdayPlaylist

Best Books Of 2012

Romantic Reads From Shakespeare To Steampunk (Heavy On The Steam)()  

Romance

December 23, 2012 Writer Eloisa James gathers the best of 2012's romance subgenres. Expect lots of heat, in the most unexpected places and with some unlikely people: From the military to the paranormal, and from Shakespeare to steampunk, James' picks for the year skip across oceans and genres.

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On Weekend Edition SundayPlaylist

Three Books...

The American Sublime: 3 Books On Faith In The U.S.()  

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December 24, 2012 Author Ayad Akhtar writes about three books that deal with the intersection of religion and literature in the U.S. What is your favorite book on American faith? Tell us in the comments.

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Best Books Of 2012

Graphic Novels That Flew Under The Radar In 2012()  

Illustration: a superhero flies while reading a book.

December 25, 2012 It's been a great year for high-profile comics creators, producing landmark works destined for many "Best Comics of 2012" lists. But what about the lesser-known artists and their work? Glen Weldon points to outstanding works that haven't gotten the attention they deserve.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Best Books Of 2012

Recipe Rebellion: A Year Of Contrarian Cookbooks()  

Illustration: Sushi made of books

December 25, 2012 The rebels, rule breakers and renegades who rule this year's Top 10 list aren't looking for a Ph.D. in Traditional Cooking. They're pleasure seekers whose books are filled with quirky facts, gorgeous pictures and ingredients deployed in unexpected places.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

PG-13: Risky Reads

Teenage Disconnect And 'The Virgin Suicides'()  

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December 26, 2012 The Virgin Suicides takes teenage angst to the extreme. Writer, blogger and professional teenager Tavi Gevinson explains why it's a book she can't put down, year after adolescent year.

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