NPR Series: This Week's Must Read https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=257657827 Each week we invite authors to suggest a book that deepens, contextualizes or offers an new angle on one of the week's major headlines. en Copyright 2024 NPR - For Personal Use Only Story API Shim 1.2.24 Mon, 07 Apr 2025 09:55:47 -0400 https://media.npr.org/images/podcasts/primary/npr_generic_image_300.jpg?s=200 NPR Series: This Week's Must Read https://www.npr.org/series/257657827/this-weeks-must-read Buying Greenland? That's Nothing To Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel García Márquez's intricate, confusing, magnificent novel centers around a monstrous, nameless dictator — known only as the General or the Patriarch — who sells the entire Caribbean Sea. Sat, 24 Aug 2019 07:00:17 -0400 https://www.npr.org/2019/08/24/753852881/buying-greenland-thats-nothing-to-gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez https://www.npr.org/2019/08/24/753852881/buying-greenland-thats-nothing-to-gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez

Gabriel García Márquez's intricate, confusing, magnificent novel centers around a monstrous, nameless dictator — known only as the General or the Patriarch — who sells the entire Caribbean Sea.

]]> Nina Martyris 'Vigilance' Imagines A Chillingly Familiar Future Reports of mass shootings in Dayton and El Paso have dominated the news in recent days; Robert Jackson Bennett's novella <em>Vigilance</em> draws a direct line from today's America to a bullet-riddled future. Fri, 09 Aug 2019 14:22:00 -0400 https://www.npr.org/2019/08/09/749791204/vigilance-imagines-a-chillingly-familiar-future https://www.npr.org/2019/08/09/749791204/vigilance-imagines-a-chillingly-familiar-future

Reports of mass shootings in Dayton and El Paso have dominated the news in recent days; Robert Jackson Bennett's novella Vigilance draws a direct line from today's America to a bullet-riddled future.

]]> Jason Heller For The New Year, Ray Bradbury's Buoyant Vision Of The Future We saw a lot of dystopias in both films and books this year. Author Jason Sheehan has had enough. He plans to celebrate the new year with some science fiction that's actually hopeful about the future. Fri, 02 Jan 2015 16:18:00 -0500 https://www.npr.org/2015/01/02/373248603/for-the-new-year-ray-bradburys-buoyant-vision-of-the-future https://www.npr.org/2015/01/02/373248603/for-the-new-year-ray-bradburys-buoyant-vision-of-the-future

We saw a lot of dystopias in both films and books this year. Author Jason Sheehan has had enough. He plans to celebrate the new year with some science fiction that's actually hopeful about the future.

]]> Jason Sheehan For Wintry Weather, An Especially Cold And Snowy Tale This week we celebrated not only Christmas, but also the solstice — the shortest day of the year. In honor of this wintry weather, author Edward Carey recommends his favorite winter fairy tale. Fri, 26 Dec 2014 16:26:10 -0500 https://www.npr.org/2014/12/26/372741172/for-wintry-weather-an-especially-cold-and-snowy-tale https://www.npr.org/2014/12/26/372741172/for-wintry-weather-an-especially-cold-and-snowy-tale

This week we celebrated not only Christmas, but also the solstice — the shortest day of the year. In honor of this wintry weather, author Edward Carey recommends his favorite winter fairy tale.

]]> Edward Carey 'Rum, Rumba, And Romance': A Book On Cuba's Enduring Mystique This week, President Obama announced that he will begin to normalize relations with Cuba. Cuban-American writer Richard Blanco recommends a book about Cuba's imprint on the American imagination. Fri, 19 Dec 2014 18:33:00 -0500 https://www.npr.org/2014/12/19/371714205/a-book-on-cubas-enduring-mystique https://www.npr.org/2014/12/19/371714205/a-book-on-cubas-enduring-mystique

This week, President Obama announced that he will begin to normalize relations with Cuba. Cuban-American writer Richard Blanco recommends a book about Cuba's imprint on the American imagination.

]]> Richard Blanco The Ethics Of Torture, Explored In A Painful Fable This week, the Senate released a report that details the interrogation techniques used by the CIA after Sept. 11. Author Laila Lalami grapples with the questions it raises by turning to literature. Fri, 12 Dec 2014 17:17:00 -0500 https://www.npr.org/2014/12/12/370344274/the-ethics-of-torture-explored-in-a-painful-fable https://www.npr.org/2014/12/12/370344274/the-ethics-of-torture-explored-in-a-painful-fable

This week, the Senate released a report that details the interrogation techniques used by the CIA after Sept. 11. Author Laila Lalami grapples with the questions it raises by turning to literature.

]]> Laila Lalami After The California Downpour, 'The Drought' Offers Some Dry Reading It rained in California this week. That might not sound like news, but the state is experiencing a record-setting drought. Jason Heller turns to science fiction to reflect on the strange weather. Fri, 05 Dec 2014 18:03:00 -0500 https://www.npr.org/2014/12/05/368691744/after-the-california-downpour-the-drought-offers-some-dry-reading https://www.npr.org/2014/12/05/368691744/after-the-california-downpour-the-drought-offers-some-dry-reading

It rained in California this week. That might not sound like news, but the state is experiencing a record-setting drought. Jason Heller turns to science fiction to reflect on the strange weather.

]]> Jason Heller After The Ferguson Decision, A Poem That Gives Name To The Hurt This week, a Missouri grand jury decided not to indict Darren Wilson, the officer who killed Michael Brown. Writer Syreeta McFadden turns to Audre Lorde's poetry to make sense of this decision. Fri, 28 Nov 2014 16:51:11 -0500 https://www.npr.org/2014/11/28/366839245/after-the-ferguson-decision-a-poem-that-gives-name-to-the-hurt https://www.npr.org/2014/11/28/366839245/after-the-ferguson-decision-a-poem-that-gives-name-to-the-hurt

This week, a Missouri grand jury decided not to indict Darren Wilson, the officer who killed Michael Brown. Writer Syreeta McFadden turns to Audre Lorde's poetry to make sense of this decision.

]]> Syreeta McFadden These 'True Tales' Add Nuance To The Immigration Discussion President Obama announced an executive action on immigration this week. For an in-depth look at the issue, author Gustavo Arellano recommends two nonfiction collections about Mexican immigrants. Fri, 21 Nov 2014 17:27:00 -0500 https://www.npr.org/2014/11/21/365686476/these-true-tales-add-nuance-to-the-immigration-discussion https://www.npr.org/2014/11/21/365686476/these-true-tales-add-nuance-to-the-immigration-discussion

President Obama announced an executive action on immigration this week. For an in-depth look at the issue, author Gustavo Arellano recommends two nonfiction collections about Mexican immigrants.

]]> Gustavo Arellano After Catalonia's Independence Vote, An 'Homage' To George Orwell This week Spain's northeast region voted in favor of independence. But the results weren't recognized by the Spanish government. The situation reminds poet Rowan Ricardo Phillips of a favorite book. Fri, 14 Nov 2014 17:38:00 -0500 https://www.npr.org/2014/11/14/363851154/after-catalonias-independence-vote-a-homage-to-george-orwell https://www.npr.org/2014/11/14/363851154/after-catalonias-independence-vote-a-homage-to-george-orwell

This week Spain's northeast region voted in favor of independence. But the results weren't recognized by the Spanish government. The situation reminds poet Rowan Ricardo Phillips of a favorite book.

]]> Rowan Ricardo Phillips