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Books
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A Literate London Cabbie's Favorite Books For 2014

11:39am December 20, 2014

Every year, well-read London cabbie Will Grozier joins NPR's Scott Simon to talk books. In 2014, he recommends the writing of a fellow taxi driver, and a new take on World War I.

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Geoffrey Chaucer died in 1400 — but somehow, he's on Twitter now — and he's here to answer your holiday questions!

Books
Arts

Gentlefolk All, Survive Your Holidays With Help From Chaucer

7:03am December 20, 2014

by LeVostreGC

Who better to help you through the stresses and strains of a modern Christmas than a 14th-century English poet? Yes, Geoffrey Chaucer is online now, and he's here for all your holiday advice needs.

The author, Dr. Gavin Francis, arrived at Halley base on Christmas Eve 2002, at the height of the Antarctic midsummer, when 24-hour sunlight illuminates the vast swathes of empty ice.

Antarctic Holiday: A Christmas Feast In The Loneliest Spot On Earth

5:17am December 20, 2014

by Gavin Francis

For Dr. Gavin Francis, Christmas Eve marked the start of a year-long stay in an icy research base 8,700 miles from home. In this "empire of ice and isolation," he says, food is essential to morale.

Books

4 Comic Albums And Audiobooks To Lighten Up Your Holiday Road Trip

4:53pm December 19, 2014

by Elizabeth Blair

Let Amy Poehler, Jeff Kinney, Jim Gaffigan and Hannibal Buress help you laugh away the tension while you're stuck in holiday traffic.

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Books

NPR Bestsellers: Week Of December 18, 2014

4:03pm December 19, 2014

The lists are compiled from weekly surveys of close to 500 independent bookstores nationwide.

Books

NPR Bestsellers: Hardcover Fiction, Week Of December 18, 2014

4:03pm December 19, 2014

Anita Diamant's The Boston Girl tells the story of a Jewish girl born in 1900 to immigrant parents in Boston. It debuts at No. 9.

Books

NPR Bestsellers: Hardcover Nonfiction, Week Of December 18, 2014

4:03pm December 19, 2014

Walter Isaacson tells the stories of the people who helped create modern computers in The Innovators. It appears at No. 13.

Books

NPR Bestsellers: Paperback Fiction, Week Of December 18, 2014

4:03pm December 19, 2014

Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend follows friends Elena and Lila as they grow up in mid-century Naples, Italy. It appears at No. 13.

Books

NPR Bestsellers: Paperback Nonfiction, Week Of December 18, 2014

4:03pm December 19, 2014

In Brain On Fire, Susannah Cahalan shares her experience of being hospitalized for one horrific month because of a rare disease. It appears at No. 12.

3 Business Best-Sellers Show Inequality Is Now The Hot Topic

2:30pm December 19, 2014

by Marilyn Geewax

Many business books try to help you get rich quick. But three of 2014's biggest sellers focused on unfairness and inequality. Economists say expect more: Books on inequality are riding a huge wave.