'The Water Knife' Cuts Deep
Equal parts thriller and alarm call, Paolo Bacigalupi's new novel depicts a future America ravaged by drought. Reviewer Jason Heller says Bacigalupi keeps the plot taut and the dialogue slashing.
Books
Technology Of Books Has Changed, But Bookstores Are Hanging In There
The debate over whether digital books are better continues. Yet in the age of Amazon, the number of independent booksellers is up. The revival is fueled, at least in part, by digital natives.
The Worst Kind Of Groundhog Day: Let's Talk (Again) About Diversity In Publishing
As a writer and critic, I am not just bored with this conversation. I am sick of it. I have written these sentences before. I will write them again.
Join The 'Morning Edition' Book Club As We Read 'A God In Ruins'
Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn, who selected the book, tells NPR's David Greene that Kate Atkinson is "one of those writers that really can make you weep on one page and laugh on the next."
For Actress Maria Bello, Family May Be Complicated, But 'Love Is Love'
In her memoir Whatever ... Love is Love, Bello describes the evolution of her "modern family," which includes her romantic partner (a woman), her adolescent son and her son's father.
A Neurosurgeon Reflects On The 'Awe And Mystery' Of The Brain
In his memoir Do No Harm, Henry Marsh confesses to the uncertainties he's dealt with as a surgeon, revisits his triumphs and failures and reflects on the enigmas of the brain and consciousness.
In This Test Kitchen, The Secret To A Great Cookbook Is Try, Try Again
Yotam Ottolenghi and his partner have a thriving food empire that includes wildly successful cookbooks. We go inside their London test kitchen as recipes are put through their paces.
Fat Is Not A Four-Letter Word In 'Dietland'
There are different kinds of fat people in literature — funny or comforting, sometimes despicable. But Sarai Walker's Dietland gives us a new fat protagonist — complex, compelling and dangerous.
Beyond The Best-Sellers: Nancy Pearl Recommends Under-The-Radar Reads
NPR's go-to books guru has sent Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep a stack of books — titles she thinks deserve more attention. Here are her fiction picks, to kick off your summer reading.
Author Margaret Atwood Contributes Manuscript To Future Library
As part of the Future Library project, Margaret Atwood's Scribbler Moon will not be read until 2114. Trees, that will be made into paper for that text, were planted last year in Norway.