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The Week's Best Stories From NPR Books This week: Meg Wolitzer's latest, Charles Frazier returns to the Civil War, the pressures of being the only black person in the room, a new Macbeth, and marriage-saving tips from a divorce lawyer.
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The Week's Best Stories From NPR Books

This week: Meg Wolitzer, Charles Frazier, Jo Nesbo, Nafissa Thompson-Spires and James Sexton.
The Rise Of Yeast: How Civilization Was Shaped By Sugar Fungi

Fresh and dried yeast. It might not look like much, but it has shaped the way we eat and live, according to a new book. Maximilian Stock Ltd./Getty Images hide caption

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Maximilian Stock Ltd./Getty Images

The Salt

The Rise Of Yeast: How Civilization Was Shaped By Sugar Fungi

Without yeast, bread wouldn't rise and beer wouldn't foam. As Nicholas Money's new book, The Rise of Yeast, points out, it leaves its mark on other foods, too, including coffee, and even chocolate.

Patton Oswalt On His Late Wife's Search For The Golden State Killer

Author Interviews

Patton Oswalt On His Late Wife's Search For The Golden State Killer

Before Michelle McNamara died in 2016, she was working on a book that aimed to bring a serial rapist and murderer to justice. I'll Be Gone in the Dark has now been published.

Patton Oswalt On His Late Wife's Search For The Golden State Killer

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David Mamet On 'Chicago': 'These Were The Stories You Grew Up With'
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Author Interviews

David Mamet On 'Chicago': 'These Were The Stories You Grew Up With'

The playwright and screenwriter's first novel in 20 years is set in the Windy City of the 1920s, where the mob rules, the market for sin is thriving and the dialogue is as distinctive as ever.

David Mamet On 'Chicago': 'These Were The Stories You Grew Up With'

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The Enduring Lyricism Of W.E.B. Du Bois' 'The Souls Of Black Folk'

W.E.B. Du Bois' The Souls Of Black Folk has been re-published in a new edition for the author's 150th birthday anniversary. C. M. Battey/Getty Images hide caption

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Book News & Features

The Enduring Lyricism Of W.E.B. Du Bois' 'The Souls Of Black Folk'

The collection of essays about black American life has been republished for Du Bois' 150th birthday anniversary — and still has plenty to say to those encountering it.

The Enduring Lyricism Of W.E.B. Du Bois' 'The Souls Of Black Folk'

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At 80, Judy Blume Reflects On Feminism, #MeToo And Keeping Margaret 12

Author Judy Blume speaks about her book, In the Unlikely Event, in 2015. Kathy Willens/AP hide caption

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Author Interviews

At 80, Judy Blume Reflects On Feminism, #MeToo And Keeping Margaret 12

Judy Blume's best-selling books have shaped the way we talk about puberty, periods and female sexual experiences. Those story lines take on renewed relevance amid the #MeToo movement.

At 80, Judy Blume Reflects On Feminism, #MeToo And Keeping Margaret 12

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Poem For Your Thoughts: Your Memories Of Love, Captured In Poetry

A vendor adjusts heart-shaped pillows hanging from a tree in Jalandhar, India, on Feb. 9. Shammi Mehra/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Book News & Features

Poem For Your Thoughts: Your Memories Of Love, Captured In Poetry

You shared stories of being smitten, stories of betrayal and even a love letter to a dog. Here, author Kwame Alexander selects poems that get to the heart of those experiences.

Poem For Your Thoughts: Your Memories Of Love, Captured In Poetry

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In 'Heart Berries,' An Indigenous Woman's Chaotic Coming-Of-Age

'Heart Berries,' by Terese Marie Mailhot Counterpoint hide caption

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Counterpoint

Author Interviews

In 'Heart Berries,' An Indigenous Woman's Chaotic Coming-Of-Age

Terese Marie Mailhot's new memoir is an effort to draw art from mental illness, lost love and her family history on an Indian reservation in British Columbia.

In 'Heart Berries,' An Indigenous Woman's Chaotic Coming-Of-Age

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New Oral History Captures The Magic Of 'Angels In America'

Book News & Features

New Oral History Captures The Magic Of 'Angels In America'

Authors Isaac Butler and Dan Kois celebrate Angels in a new book, The World Only Spins Forward, that collects the memories of everyone from playwright Tony Kushner to former Rep. Barney Frank.

New Oral History Captures The Magic Of 'Angels In America'

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What Not To Say To The Terminally Ill: 'Everything Happens For A Reason'

Everything Happens for a Reason by Kate Bowler Emily Bogle/NPR hide caption

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Emily Bogle/NPR

Shots - Health News

What Not To Say To The Terminally Ill: 'Everything Happens For A Reason'

Kate Bowler has lived with stage 4 cancer for years. Her new memoir details what she's found out about herself and suffering. "You have to learn to be present, even when things are absurd," she says.

What Not To Say To The Terminally Ill: 'Everything Happens For A Reason'

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Coffee Or Tea: In Dickens' World, It Might Be A Choice Between Good And Evil

At Mr. John Chivery's Tea-table. An illustration from Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit, originally published in serial form between 1855 and 1857. Universal History Archive/Getty Images hide caption

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The Salt

Coffee Or Tea: In Dickens' World, It Might Be A Choice Between Good And Evil

The author of a new book, Dinner with Dickens, has an insightful — though far from scientific — observation: The Victorian writer's good characters prefer tea while dodgier ones lean toward coffee.

Former Agent Says, 'Border Patrol Does Good Work ... But There's Tension There'

A view of the U.S.-Mexico border fence on the outskirts of Nogales, Mexico. Francisco Cantú says people always find ways up, over, under or around border fences. Brian Skoloff/AP hide caption

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Author Interviews

Former Agent Says, 'Border Patrol Does Good Work ... But There's Tension There'

In The Line Becomes a River, Francisco Cantú looks back on his time as a Border Patrol agent. He says, in his experience, "No matter what obstacle we put at the border, it's going to be subverted."

Former Agent Says, 'Border Patrol Does Good Work ... But There's Tension There'

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In 'A More Beautiful And Terrible History,' Fuel For The Fight Ahead

Rosa Parks is fingerprinted by police in Montgomery, Ala. in 1956. Gene Herrick/AP hide caption

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Author Interviews

In 'A More Beautiful And Terrible History,' Fuel For The Fight Ahead

Jeanne Theoharis' new book re-examines civil rights history and the way it's been manipulated. "It is used to make us feel good about ourselves, to make us feel good about our progress," she says.

In 'A More Beautiful And Terrible History,' Fuel For The Fight Ahead

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Tamora Pierce Writes One For The Boys (But Just One) In 'Tempests And Slaughter'
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Author Interviews

Tamora Pierce Writes One For The Boys (But Just One) In 'Tempests And Slaughter'

The beloved fantasy author is known for her heroic female knights and mages — but she says she wants to be fair to the boys with her new book, the story of one of her most popular male characters.

Tamora Pierce Writes One For The Boys (But Just One) In 'Tempests And Slaughter'

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