Holidays 2008
Best Books of 2008
Librarian Nancy Pearl Dips Below The Reading Radar
These books that are sometimes lost in the shuffle are just too good to overlook.
Marriage By The Book: Five Tales Of Uncivil Union
Have literary unions become more civil since Tolstoy? Alas, no — as these books prove.
Five Books To Give Yourself This Year
Enough with the holiday prep. It's time to give yourself a present: time alone with a good book.
Best CDs of 2008
Top 10 Great Unknowns, From Second Stage
While bigger bands attracted more attention, smaller acts made the year's most memorable music.
Geniuses Collide In 2008's Best Jazz
The year's 10 best CDs feature brilliant musicians collaborating on a wide variety of recordings.
The Year In Music For Kids (And Parents)
In 2008, kids' music vets went in new directions and emerging artists gave a glimpse of the future.
Best TV and Movies of 2008
Kenneth Turan Picks His Favorite Films Of 2008
Kenneth Turan names his favorites of the past year, chief among them Slumdog Millionaire.
Mark Jenkins: My 10 Movie Picks For 2008
Mark Jenkins rounds up his personal favorites — from around the world and in many languages.
Bob Mondello's Top 10, Plus 12 Bonus Picks
The economy went south, but big-screen box-office was strong. Happily, so were the movies.
Holiday Recipes
Sugarplums: Dreaming Of The Sweet Unknown
What exactly is a sugarplum? The short answer: It's very good.
Christmas Beer Yields Christmas Cheer
Beer expert Don Russell (better known as "Joe Sixpack") discusses his favorite holiday ales.
English Christmas Cooking From Elizabeth David
A new cookbook spreads the wisdom and recipes of celebrated English food writer Elizabeth David.
Hanukkah Lights
Hanukkah Lights 2008
NPR's annual special celebrates the festival of lights with four newly commissioned stories.
Hanukkah Lights 2007: Stories of the Season
NPR's annual celebration of the festival of lights continues with a new crop of original fiction.
Best of Hanukkah Lights: Eight Stories, Eight Nights
We offer hand-selected works of Hanukkah Lights fiction: one for each holiday night.
Holiday Music
What Makes A Great Christmas Song?
Jose Feliciano talks about his hit "Feliz Navidad" — one of the top 25 most-played Christmas songs.
An Irish Christmas With Dervish And Friends
One of the biggest traditional bands in Ireland, Dervish presents a special holiday-music session.
The Pure Power Of Handel's 'Hallelujah Chorus'
Hear what makes Handel's famous chorus from Messiah an all-time favorite.
NPR's Holiday Favorites
Matchless: A Christmas Story
Gregory Maguire re-invents the "The Little Match Girl" for a new time and new audiences.
A Holiday Reading Tradition For The Whole Family
Sally and Stephen Kern read to their kids pretty much every night, but one box of books is special.
Thanksgiving Treat: Special Cranberry Relish
"It sounds terrible but tastes terrific," Susan Stamberg says of the Pepto-Bismol-pink dish.
Spirit Of The Season
Matchless: A Christmas Story
Gregory Maguire re-invents the "The Little Match Girl" for a new time and new audiences.
Atlanta's Pink Pig Brightens Spirits, 55 Years On
The Pink Pig, a children's ride that began in Atlanta in 1953, still evokes the holiday spirit.
No Gelt, No Glory: A Dreidel Champion Is Crowned
Dreidel spinners battle a fierce competition at the Major League Dreidel Championship in New York.
