Sonora Jha is a master of paranoia and tension in 'The Laughter' This is KUOW's book club, and we just read through the first half of Sonora Jha's "The Laughter," her novel that recently won the 2024 Washington State Book Award for Fiction. Katie Campbell
Remembering novelist Dorothy Allison, author of 'Bastard Out of Carolina' Allison, who died Nov. 6, based her critically acclaimed novel on her own experience of being physically and sexually abused by her stepfather. Originally broadcast in 1992. Terry Gross
Richard Price explores second chances, and rising from the rubble in 'Lazarus Man' In Price's novel, a Harlem apartment building collapses, upending the lives of its residents, including a photographer, a funeral director and a 42-year-old man who feels he has little to live for. Terry Gross
Two books delivered beauty, inspiration and humor — just when I needed them most Sometimes, the right book shows up just at the right time. Our book critic encountered two such books this week: Water, Water, by Billy Collins, and The Dog Who Followed the Moon, by James Norbury. Maureen Corrigan
'Orbital' by Samantha Harvey is the first Booker Prize winner set in space Samantha Harvey talks about her new Booker Prize-winning novel Orbital. It follows a day in the life of astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Andrew Limbong
Music producer Joe Boyd's new book is a musical journey around the world Music Producer Joe Boyd has been an influential force working with artists like Pink Floyd, Nick Drake and R.E.M.
How the 1874 Freedman's Bank collapse connects to economic disparities we see today In Savings and Trust, historian Justene Hill Edwards tells the story of the Freedman's Bank. Created for formerly enslaved people following the Civil War, its collapse cost depositors millions. Tonya Mosley
Need a break from politics? Marvel at the 'Vanishing Treasures' of the natural world With 23 short essays on creatures ranging from the wombat to the spider, Katherine Rundell's new book is essential reading for anyone whose wonder could use a jumpstart. Maureen Corrigan
What's the KUOW Book Club reading in November? The KUOW Book Club is reading "The Laughter" by Sonora Jha this month. Katie Campbell
Al Pacino says he almost turned down 'The Godfather Part II' Pacino says the initial script for the Godfather sequel was so bad he nearly passed on the project — until it was rewritten. The Oscar-winning actor looks back on his life in the memoir Sonny Boy. Terry Gross