NPR's Book of the Day

• In two noir novels, crime lurks beneath small town life in Norway and New England

  In their new noir novels, authors Joseph Finder and Jo Nesbø choose small towns as the settings for dark plotlines. First, Finder's The Oligarch's Daughter follows a man named Paul who has built a new life under a new name in New Hampshire. He's on the run from a Russian oligarch, who happens to be his father-in-law. In today's episode, Finder speaks with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly about the difficulty of disappearing in today's era of surveillance technology, the difference between typical wealth and oligarch wealth, and how the Russian oligarch class' status has shifted under President Vladimir Putin. Then, one of the protagonists in Nesbø's Blood Ties is Roy, a 35-year-old mass murderer who's ready to start a family. Nesbø says his challenge was to make Roy someone readers could root for. In today's episode, the author speaks with NPR's Kelly about a piece of advice he received from Christopher Nolan, the way small towns hold secrets, and how writing lyrics prepared him to write novels.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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• A new biography tells the story of a South Asian Hollywood star who passed as white

  In 1936, Merle Oberon became the first Asian woman–and person of color–to receive an Oscar nomination for best actress. She was nominated for her role in The Dark Angel and later starred in films like Wuthering Heights. But Oberon kept her mixed-race, South Asian heritage a secret, passing as white for her entire career. Mayukh Sen tells this story in Love, Queenie, the first biography of Oberon. In today's episode, Sen speaks with Here & Now's Deepa Fernandes about prejudice the actress faced during her upbringing in India, the role men played in her career, and the elaborate stories she told to keep her identity a secret.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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• 'I'm That Girl' follows gymnast Jordan Chiles' road to the Olympics

  In a new memoir, Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles describes moments of deep uncertainty in her storied career. For example, there was a time in her mid-teens when she considered quitting the sport. But a pivotal conversation with friend and future teammate Simone Biles encouraged her to continue. I'm That Girl details other challenges in Chiles' career, like being scrutinized for her appearance – and her hair in particular. In today's episode, the gymnast talks with NPR's Juana Summers about the difficulty of losing a bronze medal on a technicality, life as a student-athlete at UCLA, and Chiles' thoughts on the 2028 Olympics.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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• The Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins was inspired by Greek myths and reality TV

  The first book in the The Hunger Games series was published more than a decade ago, ultimately launching a hugely popular film franchise, iconic characters and a devoted fan base of readers. This week, Suzanne Collins is out with Sunrise on the Reaping, the second prequel in the series. So we're revisiting a rare interview with Collins from early in her career. In today's episode, she speaks with NPR's Lynn Neary about drawing inspiration from the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, the movie Spartacus, reality television and war coverage.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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• A new novel from Karen Russell is a sprawling story set during the Dust Bowl

  The Antidote opens on what seems like an ordinary Sunday in a fictional town in 1930s Nebraska. But by 3 p.m., apocalyptic clouds cover the sun and make the afternoon look like midnight. Karen Russell's latest novel is set during the Dust Bowl – a period when poor farming practices and drought led to a wave of severe and damaging dust storms. In this bleak setting, we're introduced to a cast of characters, including a woman who stores other people's memories and a photographer tasked with documenting the crisis. In today's episode, Russell speaks with NPR's Scott Simon about the inspiration behind The Antitode's core characters, including the work of photographer Gordon Parks and an image that came to Russell as she finished her first novel.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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