Books

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The Gift Of Eternal Shelf Life: 'Tuck Everlasting' Turns 40

2:53pm May 01, 2015

by NPR Staff

In Natalie Babbitt's celebrated classic, a young girl stumbles upon a secret spring and the family the spring has given eternal life to. Babbitt says she wrote the book to help kids understand death.

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'Girl On The Train' Is A Journey Into The Lives Of Familiar Strangers

2:51pm May 01, 2015

by NPR Staff

In the new psychological thriller, Rachel Watson becomes obsessed with a "perfect couple" she sees each day during her commute. When the woman in the couple disappears, Rachel decides to get involved.

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Allen Kurzweil's previous books include The Grand Complication and A Case of Curiosities.

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Finding A Childhood Bully, And So Much More, In 'Whipping Boy'

2:51pm May 01, 2015

by NPR Staff

In his new memoir, Allen Kurzweil goes looking for his childhood tormentor — and discovers he's served time for involvement in an international fraud scheme so wild and colorful, it could be a movie.

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A 'Guantanamo Diary' From A Prisoner Still On The Inside

2:51pm May 01, 2015

by NPR Staff

In the first memoir from a prisoner still being held at Guantanamo, Mohamedou Ould Slahi tells how he went from his native Mauritania to joining al-Qaida in Afghanistan to the U.S. prison in Cuba.

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Don't Take His Stapler: 'Paper Clip' Author's Passion For Office Supplies

1:55pm May 01, 2015

by NPR Staff

James Ward's new book stems from a lifelong love of Post-it notes, pencils and paper clips. He tells NPR's Melissa Block that they remind him of his school days, when life was less complicated.

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Carey Mulligan plays Bathsheba Everdene in a new film adaptation of Thomas Hardy's 1874 novel, Far From the Madding Crowd.

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Carey Mulligan Returns To Period Drama For A Thomas Hardy Classic

1:54pm May 01, 2015

by NPR Staff

The actress spent years avoiding the genre for fear of getting pigeonholed, but she says she made an exception for Far From the Madding Crowd because of Hardy's modern, forward-thinking heroine.

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A drawing of two clinking martini glasses.

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Pop Culture Happy Hour: Free Comic Book Day And Rabbit Holes

12:08pm May 01, 2015

by Linda Holmes

On this week's show, we talk about lots and lots of comics in preparation for Free Comic Book Day, and we go down a few pop culture rabbit holes.

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Veterinarian Vint Virga says that animals in zoos, like this lion, need to have a bit of control over their environment.

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Cat PDA Vs. Human PDA, And Other Animal Behavior Explained

10:43am May 01, 2015

Veterinarian Vint Virga works with pets and zoo animals on behavior disorders. He talks about how house cats are more fulfilled when they forage for food, and how to show animals affection.

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What's Mittens Thinking? Make 'Sense' Of Your Cat's Behavior

10:42am May 01, 2015

Kitties don't play — they hunt. And their aloof appearance has evolutionary roots. A new book explains cats' mysterious nature and how their relationship with humans has changed over the years.

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When It Comes To Furry Muses, Cats Are For Brevity And Dogs Are For Books

10:42am May 01, 2015

by Jasmine Garsd

The Internet is the undisputed territory of cats, and dog books are more popular than their feline counterparts. Francesco Marciuliano plays to both animals' strengths in his best-selling collections.

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