The Perfect Family Book List
For the holidays, critic Alan Cheuse is making up a list of books to give to each of his family members. Only the best of 2014 for them. Here are his picks.
Books
For Wintry Weather, An Especially Cold And Snowy Tale
This week we celebrated not only Christmas, but also the solstice — the shortest day of the year. In honor of this wintry weather, author Edward Carey recommends his favorite winter fairy tale.
NPR Bestsellers: Week Of December 25, 2014
The lists are compiled from weekly surveys of close to 500 independent bookstores nationwide.
NPR Bestsellers: Hardcover Fiction, Week Of December 25, 2014
Mary Oliver's Blue Horses, a book of poetry about the unaffected beauty of nature, appears at No. 11.
NPR Bestsellers: Hardcover Nonfiction, Week Of December 25, 2014
Monty Python comic John Cleese's memoir, So, Anyway ..., debuts at No. 15.
NPR Bestsellers: Paperback Fiction, Week Of December 25, 2014
Inherent Vice, a psychedelic noir by Thomas Pynchon, appears at No. 14.
NPR Bestsellers: Paperback Nonfiction, Week Of December 25, 2014
Daniel James Brown's The Boys in the Boat, about an American rowing team at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, appears at No. 3.
Demand For Audio Books Keeps Penguin Random House Recording
Audiobooks as we know them have been around for about 25 years. But the form really took off when MP3 players like the iPod came out.
In Seattle, Maurice Sendak's 'Wild' 'Nutcracker' Reaches Its Final Act
For more than 30 years, the Pacific Northwest Ballet's Nutcracker has used sets and costumes designed by the author of Where the Wild Things Are. This year, the ballet is retiring the production.
Beyond The Bird On It: 'Twee Is About Shopping'
Cutesy, homespun goods that combine old-fashioned and modern aesthetics are proliferating. But don't be mistaken: There's a powerful economic force behind it all, says author Marc Spitz.