Book News & Features

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Roald Dahl, A Bottle Of Dreams And A 'Letter Of Note'

1:53pm October 17, 2014

Audie Cornish speaks with Amy Corcoran, who shares a treasure from her childhood: a letter she received when she was 7 years old, from her favorite author at the time, Roald Dahl.

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John Grisham, seen here in 2009, said Thursday in a statement:

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Book News: John Grisham Backs Down From Comments On Child Pornography

8:24am October 17, 2014

by Colin Dwyer

After meeting backlash, the author apologized for lamenting the long prison sentences handed to some users of child pornography. Also: Stirrings are afoot in the worlds of Harry Potter and Twin Peaks.

Elmore Leonard was famously picky with his words — but not with his papers. He left behind more than 150 boxes, or about 2,400 linear feet, of documents.

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Book News: The 'Dickens Of Detroit' Leaves His Collection To South Carolina

7:44am October 16, 2014

by Colin Dwyer

Before his death, crime novelist Elmore Leonard chose to host his archives at the University of South Carolina. Now, the school is unveiling the first of these items. Also: McSweeney's goes nonprofit.

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National Book Award Finalists To Be Announced

2:18pm October 15, 2014

Finalists for the National Book Awards will be announced on Wednesday's Morning Edition. You've already heard from some of the contenders who have previously been on NPR.

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Australian author Richard Flanagan, 2014's Man Booker Prize winner, holds his book The Narrow Road to the Deep North at the Royal Festival Hall in London on Monday.

Australian Novelist Richard Flanagan Awarded Booker Prize

10:26am October 15, 2014

by Lauren Hodges

The head of the judge's committee says The Narrow Road to the Deep North, the story of POWs in World War II forced to build the Thailand Burma Railway, is a "magnificent novel of love and war."

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Book News: Big Names And A Few Surprises Among National Book Award Finalists

9:28am October 15, 2014

by Colin Dwyer

The prominent literary prize narrowed its nominees to 20 writers — a mix of heavyweights and many new ones. And across the Atlantic, Richard Flanagan won Britain's biggest award, the Man Booker Prize.

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Book News: China Said To Blacklist Authors In Response To Hong Kong Unrest

7:30am October 14, 2014

by Colin Dwyer

News reports say books by several writers have been banned by Chinese authorities, in apparent censorship orders now circulating online.

For This Baseball Season, Roger Angell Has Just The 'Ticket'

6:43pm October 10, 2014

by Kate Tuttle

The American League Championship Series begins tonight. Writer Kate Tuttle says Roger Angell's 1988 collection of essays, Season Ticket, is the perfect accompaniment to the postseason.

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"If she be worthy." A mysterious masked woman has taken up the hammer — and mantle — of Thor.

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Where's Thor When You Need Her? Women In Comics Fight An Uphill Battle

9:03am October 10, 2014

by Mallory Yu

The new female Thor has picked up her hammer, but the mainstream comics industry is still experiencing some growing pains as it figures out where women fit in as characters, creators and fans.

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Patrick Modiano, who's typically known for being media-shy, steps into the spotlight for a press conference in Paris following his Nobel win on Thursday.

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Book News: Get To Know Patrick Modiano, The Newly Minted Nobel Laureate

7:58am October 10, 2014

by Colin Dwyer

The French novelist may enjoy a vast audience in his own country, but for most English-only speakers, Modiano is still a mystery. Read a few profiles of the man — and excerpts of his actual writing.