The Book Report: Ron Charles' latest picks (Nov. 2)
The Washington Post book reviewer offers highlights from fall's fiction and non-fiction releases.
Books
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.
Book excerpt: "The Eleventh Hour" by Salman Rushdie
In his elegiac new collection of stories – his first fiction since a 2022 attack that nearly killed him – acclaimed novelist Salman Rushie writes of intimate encounters with death, ghosts, magic, and the immutable passage of time.
CEO Nicholas Thompson on how running helped him find his footing
Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic and author of "The Running Ground," talks about how his father inspired him to become a world-class long-distance runner.
Book excerpt: "The Running Ground" by Nicholas Thompson
In his new book, the tech journalist and CEO of The Atlantic explores his passion for running, the simplicity of the sport, and how it has changed his sense of self.
Book excerpt: "Heart Life Music" by Kenny Chesney with Holly Gleason
In his first book, the celebrated country superstar writes of his life's journey, from East Tennessee, to No Shoes Nation and beyond.
The enigma of Tim Curry
The star of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," "Clue" and "It" has played roles campy, comical, and menacingly sinister, yet his most inscrutable role is still Tim Curry. He talks about his memoir "Vagabond," the stroke he suffered in 2012, and learning how to speak again.
Jeffrey Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre, in her own words
She was a 16-year-old employee at Mar-a-Lago in 2000 when she says she was recruited into Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking ring. Before her death by suicide earlier this year, Giuffre wrote a memoir, "Nobody's Girl," and sought the release of the Epstein Files.
Book excerpt: "Vagabond: A Memoir" by Tim Curry
The actor renowned for such fan favorites as "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and "Clue" writes of a multitude of journeys in his life (often in the guise of an irresistible villain), and of the 2012 stroke that nearly ended this vagabond's adventures.
Book excerpt: "Nobody's Girl" by Virginia Roberts Giuffre
In her posthumously-published memoir, Virginia Giuffre wrote about her experience being recruited at age 16 into Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking ring, and her life after as a survivor.
Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court today: "A little bit too personal and confrontational"
The former justice who was the deciding vote on some of the Supreme Court's most consequential decisions talks about the Court today, and about his memoir, "Life, Law & Liberty."
Book excerpt: "Life, Law & Liberty" by Justice Anthony Kennedy
In his new memoir, the former justice writes about his life's journey to becoming a lawyer, a judge, and the deciding vote on some of the Supreme Court's most consequential decisions.
More From Sunday Morning
A New Mexico monastery where the silence calls
The Monastery of Christ in the Desert, in Northern New Mexico, is home to 15 Benedictine monks, some livestock, and a guesthouse for people looking for a little quiet in this turbulent world. "Sunday Morning" pays a visit.
Sean Ono Lennon on being caretaker of the legacy of John Lennon & Yoko Ono
The musician-songwriter-producer, who says he feels a responsibility to promote his parents' legacy, talks about the animated short inspired by their anti-war anthem, "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," and the new HBO documentary "One to One: John & Yoko."
Pentatonix: Friendships and harmonies
The a cappella quintet has won three Grammys and sold 10 million albums. Kirstin Maldonado, Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Kevin Olusola and Matt Sallee talk about bringing their heavenly voices to the sounds of Christmas.
Remembering the treasured films of Rob Reiner
Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz looks back at the work of actor and director Rob Reiner, whose films became part of our shared cinematic language because of their humor, drama, and aching belief in humanity.
The enduring message of "It's a Wonderful Life"
Ted Koppel visits Seneca Falls, the Central New York town that's said to have inspired the 1946 Jimmy Stewart classic "It's a Wonderful Life," a film that celebrates smalltown virtues and happy endings, and which still has a powerful hold on our imagination.
This week on "Sunday Morning" (Dec. 21)
A look at the features for this week's broadcast of the Emmy-winning program, hosted by Jane Pauley.
A guide to "Made in America" holiday gifts, state by state
The Made in America Holiday Gift Guide, promoting products made in the U.S., includes more than 150 companies from all 50 states. For small business owners, being included in this year's gift guide feels close to a Christmas miracle.
Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson on the musical alchemy of "Song Sung Blue"
In their new movie, "Song Sung Blue," Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson play Mike and Claire Sardina, the real-life musical impersonators from Milwaukee who sang as the Neil Diamond tribute act Lightning & Thunder.
Fear of flying: Faith Salie on Secretary Duffy and the pajama resistance
When Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy admonished air travelers who didn't "dress up" for their flights, flyers responded – by wearing pajamas. Faith Salie looks at what travelers think of the Secretary's flight of fancy.
What are the prospects for laid-off workers?
In 2025, more than 1.1 million Americans were laid off from their jobs, the most since the COVID pandemic, even as corporate profits remain high. Business experts discuss the reasons why companies resort to layoffs.