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An Ambivalent Double Agent, Torn Between Two Countries

8:10pm November 01, 2014

by NPR Staff

Ha Jin's new spy novel resembles the story of the real-life Chinese agent Larry Chin — and echoes the expat author's own experiences. But, he notes, a writer's life is less political than a spy's.

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William Gibson Skypes The Future In 'The Peripheral'

10:03am November 01, 2014

by Jason Sheehan

The master of cyberpunk returns to form with a new novel set in his old stomping grounds — the near future. Reviewer Jason Sheehan says it sings with controlled, dark energy and effortless grace.

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Arts

A Century Of Black Glamour In This Fine 'Vintage'

5:23am November 01, 2014

by Richard Torres

Nichelle Gainer's new Vintage Black Glamour, based on the popular Tumblr, collects a wealth of historical and biographical information — alongside gorgeous imagery — on great black entertainers.

This photo, taken at Katherine Tucker Windham's Selma house, shows reporter Nikki Davis Maute — and in the background, some say, the spirit the family calls Jeffrey.

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Spine-Tingling With A Twang: Great Alabama Ghost Stories

7:41pm October 31, 2014

by Debbie Elliott

There's nothing like a good ghost story on Halloween — and some of the best tales were told by the late storyteller and NPR commentator Kathryn Tucker Windham.

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Books

NPR Bestsellers: Week Of October 30, 2014

4:03pm October 31, 2014

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

Books

NPR Bestsellers: Hardcover Nonfiction, Week Of October 30, 2014

4:03pm October 31, 2014

Comedian Jim Gaffigan shares his offbeat love affair with American junk food in Food. It debuts at No. 12.

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NPR Bestsellers: Paperback Fiction, Week Of October 30, 2014

4:03pm October 31, 2014

A museum owner's daughter and an immigrant photographer fall for each other in Alice Hoffman's The Museum of Extraordinary Things. It appears at No. 6.

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Arts

Halloween Makes Us Think Of ... Diversity In Romance!

2:33pm October 31, 2014

Romance guru Bobbi Dumas once worked at an international school — and she says the colorful world of the kids' Halloween costumes inspired her to think about diversity in her favorite literature.

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Stephen King On Growing Up, Believing In God And Getting Scared

2:32pm October 31, 2014

"The more carny it got, the better I liked it," King says of his new thriller, Joyland. King talks with Fresh Air's Terry Gross about his career writing horror, and about what scares him now.

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J.K. Rowling reads to children at the 2010 White House Egg Roll. According to a new essay, her own experiences as a young student helped inform the Harry Potter character Dolores Umbridge.

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Book News: J.K. Rowling Exposes Origin Of Harry Potter's 'Twee' Nemesis

10:33am October 31, 2014

by Colin Dwyer

Dolores Umbridge, enemy of the boy wizard, gets profiled in a new story from Rowling on Halloween. Also: Goodnight Moon goes bilingual, and a campaign for diverse books turns to crowd-funding.