The Best of NPR Books for February 2, 2017

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This week: The sudden relevance of George Orwell's dystopian classic 1984 -- now an Amazon bestseller. Two new young adult novels that tackle the problems of life as an immigrant kid -- and a grown-up novel inspired by the author's experience raising a transgender child. Plus: renowned biographer Patricia Bosworth turns her lens on herself, and we debunk some of the myths about Russia's Mad Monk, Rasputin -- including his famous sweet tooth. The Week's Best Stories From NPR Books You, Too, Will Love Big Brother: A Life Of Reading And Rereading '1984' George Orwell's dystopian classic is dominating the news these days. It happens to be NPR Books editor Petra Mayer's all-time favorite; she says it's one of those books that burrows deep in your mind. Read this story The Week's Best Stories From NPR Books What's Life Like For Immigrant Kids? 2 Teen Novels Paint A Sober Picture The Radius of Us is about a young asylum seeker from El Salvador, and Something in Between follows a high schooler who's devastated after learning she and her family are living in the U.S. illegally. Read this story The Week's Best Stories From NPR Books Renowned Biographer Patricia Bosworth Writes A Chapter From Her Own Life The Men in My Life chronicles a 10-year period during which Bosworth married, divorced, finished college, became an actress, and worked alongside some of the biggest movie stars of the 1950s. Read this story The Week's Best Stories From NPR Books 'This Is How It Always Is' Was Inspired By Its Author's Transgender Child Still, Laurie Frankel says, her book is fiction. "The nice thing about my life is that it's pretty boring, which is really how you want your life to be — but not how you want your novel to be." Read this story The Salt Fact Or Fiction? Even When It Comes To Food, It's Hard To Tell With Rasputin Worshipful female followers fought for the Mad Monk's leftover bread crusts. His infamous sweet tooth led to his death. Or did it? A century later, rumors about Russia's czarina whisperer still swirl. Read this story

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