Books
Alan Cheuse's Book Picks To Warm A Winter's Night
()Book reviewer Alan Cheuse selects the highlights of this holiday season: futuristic dystopias; things that go bump in the night; portraits from Norman Rockwell's America; gay New York; a celebration of our immigrant adventures; one writer's journey to manhood; and, of course, Long John Silver.
- Hardcover Fiction:
#1 'The Lacuna' - Hardcover Nonfiction:
#1 'Open' - Paperback Fiction:
#1 'Olive Kitteridge' - Paperback Nonfiction:
#1 'Three Cups of Tea'
Non-Fiction
Matthew Continetti On The 'Persecution' Of Palin()
November 18, 2009 It's been all Palin all the time ever since the former Alaska governor unveiled her memoir on Oprah on Monday. Matthew Continetti of the Weekly Standard comes to Palin's defense in his new book, The Persecution of Sarah Palin: How the Elite Media Tried to Bring Down a Rising Star.
What We're Reading
What We're Reading, Nov. 17 - 23, 2009()
November 17, 2009 This week's staff picks: Biographies from bad-boy Andre Agassi and 'Rogue' politician Sarah Palin. Stephen King returns to form in a new novel, Zadie Smith fascinates in collected essays, and science writer Nicholas Wade argues that God is just an evolutionary adaptation.
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.
