The Mookse and the Gripes discussion

NPR's Book Concierge is my favorite end-of-year "best books" list. Not only does it highlight some of the year's best reads, but its mix-and-match search feature is a lot of fun.

Debra, thanks for this. I, too, like browsing through NPR’s annual “best of” lists. I also like looking at “Science Friday’s” Best Science books of the year.

https://www.sciencefriday.com/segment...

(Science Friday is a weekly show on public radio stations in the US).

I noticed there was very little overlap between the selection of science books on NPR’s “best of” list and the books selected by the folks at Science Friday (those selections came from the book review editor of Science Magazine and a librarian).

This is in no way a criticism of NPR, but for my own reading, I’ve found I rely on the Science Friday “best of” list to read well-written books on scientific topics aimed at a non-scientist-but-curious public and was really happy that this year’s list contained a personal favorite of mine for 2020, Merlin Sheldrake’s Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures. Also noticed that Science Friday’s “best of” list contained one work of fiction and a poetry collection; and they solicit favorites from their listening audience, which is fun. I realize this forum is geared toward fiction readers, but wanted to put in a plug for a source for good science writing.

I previewed the first few pages on Amazon and it sounds interesting! This one also caught my attention from the list: The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think.

Debra and Janet, thanks for the links! While I listen to Science Friday most every week, I'm glad to have this link. I now have a list of non-fiction books to obtain and really like the links to sci fiction lists. I've looked at the NPR staff picks a couple of weeks ago. Agree it is a good place to look.

NPR just released their 2021 Book Concierge, rebranded as Books We Love: https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view....

It's fun playing around with the various search filters. (You'll see a lot of familiar titles using the Seriously Great Writing filter)

Debra wrote: "NPR just released their 2021 Book Concierge, rebranded as Books We Love: https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view....

It's fun playing around with the various search filters. (You'll s..."

Thanks Debra.

Just now seeing NPR's Book Concierge for 2022 publications. Again, lots of familiar titles.

https://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view...

Thanks Debra, wonderfully eclectic selection!