June 17, 2013 Neil Gaiman's latest, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, is the story of an artist who returns to his childhood home and recalls a magical struggle he was involved in as a young boy. Reviewer Annalee Newitz says the book balances "frenetic action with wistful self-knowledge."

Summary

June 17, 2013 Colum McCann won the National Book Award for his 2009 novel, Let the Great World Spin, about a high-wire artist. Critic Maureen Corrigan says McCann's new novel, TransAtlantic, also has its head in the clouds.

Transcript

On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

June 17, 2013 In his new book, journalist Charles Glass explores the little-known history of thousands of American and British soldiers who deserted during World War II. Glass describes how the strain of war can push a soldier to the breaking point — and how the line between courage and cowardice is never simple.

Transcript

On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

June 17, 2013 The capital of Northern Ireland is no longer the city of snipers that it was before the Good Friday Agreement, but novelist Stuart Neville still draws inspiration from the decades of violence. In The Ghosts of Belfast, he examines the shattered life of an IRA killer in the aftermath of The Troubles.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

June 17, 2013 Loyal fans of young adult novelist Judy Blume have riffed on Bloomsday — a celebration of James Joyce's Ulysses — and created Blumesday to honor the author of Are You There God? It's Me Margaret, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Blubber.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

June 17, 2013 Also: Judy Blume gets her own holiday; Michael Chabon considers the superhero costume; the best books coming out this week.

Summary

June 17, 2013 In softcover fiction, Irvine Welsh gives us a prequel to Trainspotting, and Regina O'Melveny tells the story of a 16th-century Renaissance woman. In nonfiction, Dan Ariely discovers what keeps us dishonest.

Summary

June 16, 2013 Dr. T. Berry Brazelton has been studying babies for the better part of the last century. Now 95 years old, the renowned pediatrician is the author of more than 30 books on child development. He talks about his latest book, and how babies themselves can teach us how to be better parents.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

June 16, 2013 Considered by many to be the most deadly sniper in American military history, Chris Kyle was killed on a Texas gun range in February. He was an outspoken advocate for both veterans and gun rights, and his book, American Gun, has just been published.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

June 16, 2013 Sahar Delijani was born in an Iranian prison, where her parents were held as political activists. Her debut novel, Children of the Jacaranda Tree, is inspired by true stories of the post-revolutionary Iran she was born into and follows the rippling effects of oppression forward into the present.

Transcript

On Weekend Edition SundayPlaylist

June 15, 2013 "Stories are compasses and architecture," says author Rebecca Solnit. "We navigate by them, we build our sanctuaries and prisons out of them, and to be without a story is to be lost in the vastness of the world."

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist