Book Excerpt
Here & Now's bookshelf, which includes excerpts of books that we cover on our show.
Katie Yee's debut novel 'Maggie' combines humor and crisis
The book uses humor to tell a story of a disintegrating marriage and a breast cancer diagnosis.
Stand up comic Matteo Lane says 'Your Pasta Sucks' and has a cookbook to back it up
The book is part-memoir, part-cookbook with recipes and stories about Matteo Lane's deep love for pasta, which was fostered by growing up in an Italian family.
Reflecting on the Scopes trial, 100 years later
Teacher John Scopes was convicted and fined $100 for violating a Tennessee law that banned the teaching of evolution because it contradicted the Bible.
Former NPR 'Only A Game' host Bill Littlefield pens 'Who Taught That Mouse to Write?'
"Who Taught That Mouse to Write and Other Doggerel," a collection of animal rhymes illustrated by Stephen Coren.
Does the foster care system endanger children? New book 'Wards of the State' asks that question
More than 350,000 American kids are now wards of the state — that means the government has assumed the parental role for these foster children.
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French fry and avocado join vanilla and rocky road in new ice cream cookbook
July marks summer temperatures heating up, evening sunshine seemingly lasting forever, and lines at local ice cream shops stretching down the street.
Booker prize-winning 'Heart Lamp' tells stories of Indian Muslim women
"Heart Lamp" explores the lives of Muslim women in Southern India who struggle with poverty and patriarchy.
'Here One Moment' by Liane Moriarty highlights the inner lives — and deaths — of airplane passengers
"Here One Moment" tells the story of plane passengers who are told by a mysterious woman when and how they will die.
'Kakigori Summer' explores issues of sisterhood and identity
The book centers around three half-Japanese, half-British sisters who have returned to their childhood home in coastal Japan to deal with a family crisis.
How to 'Grow Your Groceries'
Author and gardener Simon Akeroyd recommends saving money by growing your vegetables at home.
New book explores the rise of 'The Gunfighters' in the late 19th century
Journalist Bryan Burrough tells the story of the original gunfighters — people like Jesse James, Wyatt Earp, and Wild Bill Hickok.
'Among Friends' explores issues of friendship, class and betrayal
The novel tells the story of two families, longtime friends, whose relationships are tested after an ugly act occurs during a weekend visit.
'Wildfire Days' book tells the story of a female hotshot firefighter
Kelly Ramsey’s first year as a hotshot wildland firefighter in California broke all kinds of records. In 2020, California was an inferno. Ten-thousand fires broke out across the state and...
New cookbook explores America's 'Braided Heritage'
Food historian Jessica B. Harris explores how the fundamentals of American cuisine are an intertwining of Native American, European and African cultures.
Author calls for class-based affirmative action in higher education
Colleges and universities have had to adjust their admissions processes after the Supreme Court struck down race-based affirmative action a couple of years ago.
How Apple helped China become a world leader in electronics manufacturing
In order to make its sophisticated products cheaply, Apple sent engineers to China to train workers and paid for expensive specialized equipment at factories there.
In 'How to Lose Your Mother,' MSNBC pundit Molly Jong-Fast remembers her mom Erica Jong
The book explores Molly Jong-Fast's troubled relationship with her mother, "Fear of Flying" author Erica Jong.
John Waters on 'humor as terrorism' and the continuing appeal of 'Pink Flamingos'
New editions of "Pink Flamingos," "Desperate Living," and "Flamingos Forever" were released this week.
'Top Chef' winner and host Kristen Kish pens new memoir
In it, Kish explores growing up in the Midwest, finding excellence in the kitchen, and how Bravo's "Top Chef" changed her life.
In 'Fever Beach,' author Carl Hiaasen casts a satirical eye on right-wing nationalism
In the novel, would-be white supremacists, a corrupt congressman, an environmentalist with anger issues, and other wacky Floridians collide with hilarious results.