NPR's 2025 Books We Love is here. It's not your average year-end list On Monday, NPR launched its end-of-the-year books guide. But Books We Love isn't a "top 10" list. Instead, it's more that 380 books that were personally recommended by members of the NPR staff. Andrew Limbong
With 'No Time to Spare,' Ursula K. Le Guin strikes at the heart of a changing world The KUOW Book Club has been reading "No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters" by Ursula K. Le Guin this month. We conclude this month's reading with Le Guin's blog posts "About Anger" and "Without Egg." Katie Campbell
Books We Love: NPR staffers' favorite nonfiction books of 2025 NPR's Books We Love returns with about 380 titles handpicked by NPR staff and critics. Reporter Andrew Limbong shares this year's nonfiction favorites with Michel Martin. Andrew Limbong
Book explores how an aphorism often contains 'The World in a Phrase' Author James Geary loves aphorisms, those short, witty statements that often contain profound truths.
'Nightmare Obscura' author explains how to take control of your dreams Sleep scientist Michelle Carr has spent years researching dreaming. She explains dream engineering, including how sensory inputs like light, sound and vibration can influence the subconscious. Tonya Mosley
Could reading more help men feel less alone? 'The Boys in the Boat' author Daniel James Brown thinks so Men are, apparently, reading less, at least according to a plethora of headlines over the past few months and years. Despite the questionable nature of this literary crisis, it's enough of a thing to have writers, publishers, and various pontificators wringing their hands over how to get men reading again. Katie Campbell
'What you see is really me,' says 'Wicked' star Cynthia Erivo Erivo says she found parallels between her life and the experience of her Wicked character, Elphaba. Her new memoir is called Simply More: A Book for Anyone who Has Been Told They're Too Much. Tonya Mosley
Seizures, broken spines and vomiting: Scientific testing that helped facilitate D-Day Biomedical engineer Rachel Lance says British scientists submitted themselves to experiments that would be considered unethical today. Her book is Chamber Divers. Originally broadcast April, 10 2024. Terry Gross
'Strega Nona' turns 50 The story about a grandma witch with her magically full pot of pasta still finds new audiences, even on TikTok.
'Strega Nona' is still reaching audiences at 50 years old An award-winning children's picture book, Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola, turns 50. The story about a grandma witch with her magically full pot of pasta still finds new audiences — even on TikTok. Alex Cipolle