Books
'The Onion': Mocking All Who Deserve It Since 1988
()America's Finest News Source has released a book celebrating its 21 years of satire (with a wink). Onion editors Joe Randazzo and Joe Garden talk with Renee Montagne about the serious business of being funny. Also: See the fun The Onion has had at NPR's expense.
- Hardcover Fiction:
#1 'The Lacuna' - Hardcover Nonfiction:
#1 'Open' - Paperback Fiction:
#1 'Olive Kitteridge' - Paperback Nonfiction:
#1 'Three Cups of Tea'
Afghanistan
Books That Will Help You Understand Afghanistan()
November 19, 2009 The conflict in Afghanistan dominates headlines, but many people seek a deeper understanding of the country and the war the U.S. is fighting there. In the first of a series of suggestions for an Afghanistan "reading list," Washington Post special military correspondent Tom Ricks shares his recommendations, ranging from a collection of Afghan proverbs, to a history of the CIA's involvement in the country.
Non-Fiction
Comedian George Carlin's 'Last Words'()
November 17, 2009 Before his death in June 2008, comedian George Carlin spent 10 years working on a memoir, Last Words, with his longtime friend Tony Hendra. Hendra, a writer and comedian, talks with Rebecca Roberts about Carlin's life and legacy.
Fiction
Doc Ford Gets To The Bottom Of Florida Mysteries()
November 18, 2009 Crime writer Randy Wayne White spent 13 years as a tackle fishing guide before he began to probe the mysteries of southwest Florida. White is best known for his series of crime novels featuring Doc Ford, an NSA agent turned marine biologist living on Florida's Gulf Coast.
Story Specialists: Doctors Who Write()
November 17, 2009 The history of literature is filled with authors who also performed surgery or scribbled prescriptions. Lynn Neary speaks with two doctors who are also fiction writers — Abraham Verghese and Terrence Holt — about the link between medicine and writing literature.
Digital Life
'Googled': From Brainchild To Behemoth()
November 19, 2009 How much do you know about the company that knows so much about you? In Googled: The End of the World as We Know It, Ken Auletta chronicles the growth of Google, from the brainchild of two computer science graduate students, toiling in a California garage, to the multi-billion dollar, multi-nation corporation it is today.
Book Reviews
A Conservative Read On Palin's 'Going Rogue'()
November 17, 2009 Sarah Palin may be the Republican party's next big hope, but commentator Rod Dreher says her new book, Going Rogue, does little to bolster her image. She may be the perkiest small-town American in the spotlight, but Palin is selling her personality, not a platform.
Free Love's Discontents: A.S. Byatt's 'Children'()
November 16, 2009 The Booker Prize-winning author calls her new novel, The Children's Book, her "easiest to love." In it, the children of a bohemian turn-of-the-century couple discover the truth about their parents. Byatt is also the author of Possession.
Hardcover Fiction Bestsellers
Hardcover Fiction Bestsellers For Nov.12, 2009()
November 13, 2009 Topping the list: Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna, Kathryn Stockett's The Help and Dan Brown's Lost Symbol. And making their list debut: John Grisham's Ford County and Kurt Vonnegut's Look at the Birdie.
Fiction
A Haunting American Dream Set In 'Luna Park'()
November 16, 2009 Writer Kevin Baker says he never thought he'd be "hip enough" to venture into graphic novels. But with illustrator Danijel Zezelj, he has created Luna Park — a ghostly graphic novel set in the decaying amusement parks of Coney Island. It profiles a Russian immigrant plagued by nightmares of the Chechen War.
