Books

The End of the Sahara is a kaleidoscopic murder mystery by the Algerian writer Saïd Khatibi. An Enigma by the Sea is a witty, socially astute novel set along well-to-do Tuscan coast.

Sedaris says the best part of reading his work to an audience is earning the laughs — or the groans. "A collective groan is fine with me," he says. His new book is The Land and Its People.

NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut about his new book, "Crisis of the Common Good: The Fight for Meaning and Connection in a Broken America."

CBS and Paramount backed away from copyright challenges to limit distribution of Stephen Colbert's appearance on a Michigan cable access show. He ended his run as host of "The Late Show" on Thursday.

In the early days, months and years after author Geraldine Brooks' husband Tony Horwitz died, she took care of life's bureaucracy: taxes, medical insurance and household issues. She comforted family and helped her children.

The books had to be light and small enough to fit in servicemen's pockets. The motto of the Council on Books in Wartime was: "Books Are Weapons in the War of Ideas."

NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with ABC News correspondent Martha Raddatz about her new book, "The Hero Next Door: Stories of Patriotism and Purpose."

NPR's Michel Martin joined author Bruce Feiler and seniors in Washington, D.C., who discussed Feiler's new book, "A Time to Gather: How Ritual Created the World–and How It Can Save Us."

On his birthday, Tad's best friend Vlad eats the very last slice of cake. Tad is mad so Tad kicks Vlad, kicking off a chain of kicks that travels around the world.

The Toy Story squad takes on a tablet, the Minions take on Hollywood and Christopher Nolan takes on a Greek epic.