Book excerpt: "The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir" by Griffin Dunne
In his memoir, the actor-producer-director who grew up in Hollywood in a literary family writes of a life of bold-faced celebrity, tragedy, and well-told stories.
Books
Book excerpt: "Roctogenarians" by Mo Rocca and Jonathan Greenberg
A new book celebrates role models who came into their own at a stage in life when society would have had them packing it in.
How James Patterson completed Michael Crichton's "Eruption"
When the "Jurassic Park" writer died in 2008, he left behind an unfinished novel about a volcanic eruption that imperils all life on Earth. Enter bestselling author James Patterson, tasked with completing Crichton's thriller.
The Book Report: Washington Post critic Ron Charles (June 2)
This month's fiction and non-fiction titles include an unfinished thriller by "Jurassic Park" author Michael Crichton, completed more than 15 years after Crichton's death by bestselling writer James Patterson.
Book excerpt: "The Ministry of Time" by Kaliane Bradley
A delightful mix of historical fact and science fiction, this debut novel is the story of a secret British agency that plucks doomed people from the past.
Book excerpt: "Challenger" by Adam Higginbotham
The British journalist and author of "Midnight in Chernobyl" returns with his exhaustively-researched new book about the 1986 space shuttle disaster.
Book excerpt: "This Strange Eventful History" by Claire Messud
The bestselling author of "The Emperor's Children" returns with a multi-generational story of family secrets spanning World War II to the 21st century.
Book excerpt: "Eruption" by Michael Crichton and James Patterson
Michael Crichton's thriller about a massive volcanic eruption in Hawaii was unfinished when the "Jurassic Park" author died in 2008; more than 15 years later, James Patterson, the bestselling writer behind the Alex Cross series, has completed Crichton's work.
Bill Maher on not pulling punches
The host of the HBO series "Real Time," and author of the new book, "What This Comedian Said Will Shock You," doesn't discriminate between right and left when aiming his barbs at tribal politics.
Book excerpt: "What This Comedian Said Will Shock You" by Bill Maher
The new book by the host of HBO's "Real Time" takes aim at those who brazenly invoke the standards of today to rewrite history in ways that even "Star Trek" would think go too far.
Tom Selleck on the future of "Blue Bloods"
The hit CBS drama is set to end this year, but there's been pushback, most notably from its star. He talks about his desire to continue the show; his memoir, "You Never Know"; and the legacy of "Magnum, P.I."
Book excerpt: "The Year of Living Constitutionally" by A.J. Jacobs
In an effort to fully understand our nation's founding document, the New York Times bestselling author and humorist embarked on a year-long quest to be the original originalist. Muskets were involved.
Book excerpt: "You Never Know" by Tom Selleck
In his new memoir the star of such hit TV series as "Magnum, P.I." and "Blue Bloods" writes of the serendipity that launched his career.
"The Demon of Unrest": Recounting the first shots of the Civil War
Author Erik Larson visits Fort Sumter in Charleston, S.C., where he discusses "the single most consequential day in American history."
The Book Report: Washington Post critic Ron Charles (April 28)
This month's fiction and non-fiction titles include the follow-up from Amor Towles, author of the international sensation, "A Gentleman in Moscow."
More From Sunday Morning
Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber on addressing challenges facing higher education
Universities have found themselves under pressure from President Trump – from blocked funds for research, to attacks on their admission policies and diversity programs. Princeton's president says, "The stakes are really high."
George Clooney on "Jay Kelly," fame and family
In his latest film, George Clooney plays a familiar role – one of the world's biggest movie stars – who nonetheless tries to reconcile professional success and his personal shortcomings.
Dealing with the crushing costs of child care
For some, the high cost of child care in the U.S. is a higher expense than rents and mortgages, or even in-state college tuition, and has pushed tens of thousands of women out of the workforce this year alone.
Salman Rushdie on "The Eleventh Hour" and free speech
The author talks about his first fiction published since the 2022 attack that nearly killed him; his own immigrant experience in the U.S.; and what happens when freedom of speech dies.
Ken Burns on America's origin story: "The most important event since the birth of Christ"
The documentary filmmaker, long a chronicler of the American experience, talks about his latest film for PBS, "The American Revolution," and why the end of the Revolutionary War did not mean the end of our nation's revolution.
The Book Report: Ron Charles' latest picks (Nov. 2)
The Washington Post book reviewer offers highlights from fall's fiction and non-fiction releases.
Book excerpt: "The Wayfinder" by Adam Johnson
The Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winner returns with an epic tale set in Polynesia a thousand years in the past.
Book excerpt: "1929" by Andrew Ross Sorkin
The New York Times financial columnist's new book looks back to Wall Street's most catastrophic market collapse.
Book excerpt: "Love, Sex, and Frankenstein" by Caroline Lea
The author of "The Glass Woman" returns with a gripping reimagining of how young Mary Shelley created her classic horror novel.
Book excerpt: "A Guardian and a Thief" by Megha Majumdar
A National Book Award finalist, Megha Majumdar's novel is set in India in a climate-ravaged near-future.