Books

Books
Arts

The Life Of De Niro, From 'Mean Streets' To 'Meet The Parents'

11:57am October 25, 2014

by NPR Staff

Shawn Levy's brick-sized new biography of screen legend Robert De Niro was produced without cooperation from the actor — but Levy says that just forced him to do better research.

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Nuruddin Farah is the author of 11 novels, including Maps, Gifts and Secrets. He is a professor of literature at Bard.

Books
Arts

Novelist Nuruddin Farah: Facing A Blank Page Is 'Bravest Thing' A Writer Does

11:57am October 25, 2014

by NPR Staff

Farah's latest is called Hiding in Plain Sight. It's the story of Bella, a Somali photographer living in Rome who gets drawn into the lives of her niece and nephew after her half-brother is killed.

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Arts

'Beautiful You' Makes Sex And Death Boring

10:03am October 25, 2014

by Jason Sheehan

Chuck Palahniuk aims for piquant social satire in his new novel, but reviewer (and longtime fan) Jason Sheehan finds his fandom severely dented by lazy characterizations and lack of actual satire.

Books
Arts

'Heap House' Is A Treasure Of A Trash Tale

5:39am October 25, 2014

by Amal El-Mohtar

Edward Carey's illustrated young adult novel about the keepers of mystical trash heaps (yes, you read that right) in an alternate Victorian London combines thrills with intelligence and compassion.

Designer Diane Von Furstenberg has written a memoir called The Woman I Wanted to Be.

Books
Arts

40 Years Later, Diane Von Furstenberg's Wrap Dress Still Wears Well

6:59pm October 24, 2014

by NPR Staff

In her memoir, The Woman I Wanted to Be, Diane von Furstenberg says she owes her success to her mother, a strong, strict Holocaust survivor who called Diane her "torch of freedom."

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For The Midterm Elections, A Book On 'What It Takes' To Win

6:59pm October 24, 2014

by Michael Schaub

The midterm elections are less than two weeks away. Writer Michael Schaub recommends a book that explores what it's like to run for office and live through all the dramatic ups and downs.

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Books

NPR Bestsellers: Week Of October 23, 2014

6:03pm October 24, 2014

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

Books

NPR Bestsellers: Hardcover Fiction, Week Of October 23, 2014

6:03pm October 24, 2014

A teenager teams up with a psychic and a detective to learn more about her estranged mother in Jodi Picoult's Leaving Time. It debuts at No. 2.

Books

NPR Bestsellers: Hardcover Nonfiction, Week Of October 23, 2014

6:03pm October 24, 2014

Debuting at No. 9, As You Wish delivers a behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Princess Bride by the film's star Cary Elwes.

Books

NPR Bestsellers: Paperback Fiction, Week Of October 23, 2014

6:03pm October 24, 2014

New Zealand's 19th century gold rush serves as the backdrop to a series of unexplained events in Eleanor Catton's The Luminaries. It appears at No. 4.