The Best Of NPR Books 11-14

This week: Allie Brosh turns her Hyperbole and a Half blog into a book. YA fiction writer Matt de la Peña reveals he was a reluctant reader. Maureen Corrigan reviews Ann Patchett's latest. And Adam Minter's Junkyard Planet explores the business of recycling trash. View this email in your browser update preferences

Author Interviews Even When It Hurts 'ALOT,' Brosh Faces Life With Plenty Of 'Hyperbole' On her Hyperbole and a Half blog, Allie Brosh writes stories about her life illustrated with a "very precise crudeness." Most are lighthearted — about her dog or her favorite grammatical mistake ("a lot" vs. "alot) — but her most popular posts have also been the most upsetting, about her crippling depression. Read this story Code Switch Sometimes The 'Tough Teen' Is Quietly Writing Stories Young-adult fiction writer Matt de la Peña didn't finish reading a novel until he was in college. In his Mexican-American family, men who read books were seen as "soft." But he discovered his passion in literature, which he now shares with his young readers and family. Read this story Author Interviews Christmas Lights Make Slippers In Global 'Junkyard' Economy The Chinese town of Shijiao is known for recycling discarded Christmas tree lights for their copper and wire insulation, which are then used to support growing economies and make slipper soles, respectively. In Junkyard Planet, Adam Minter explores the business of recycling what developed nations throw away. Read this story Author Interviews How Cynthia Rylant Discovered The Poetry Of Storytelling Award-winning author Cynthia Rylant's pictures books revolve around children relying on their families for love and support. To write a good children's book, she says, "you have to be a good poet." Her latest book, God Got A Dog, is a collection of poems that only took her a day to write. Read this story Book Reviews A 'Marriage', A Divorce, A Dying Dog And Essays Done Right Essay collections are underrated and often ignored in favor of short stories or novels. But in the hands of a writer as practiced as Ann Patchett, critic Maureen Corrigan says the essay becomes an expansive storytelling vessel. Patchett's new book is This Is The Story Of A Happy Marriage. Read this story

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