Three Books... Why three? We live in a three-dimensional world, colored with hues that break down into a trio of primary colors. Our souls (according to Plato) and our psyches (according to Freud) are trilithic. Three is a number that allows for conversation, completion, understanding. And so "Three Books..." invites writers to recommend three great reads on a single theme.

Special Series

Three Books...

One theme, three great reads

Subscribe to Books Newsletter

Review

3 Romances To Light Up Your Diwali

October 31, 2016 • We're celebrating Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, with three books sure to strike a spark of romance in your heart, no matter how long and dark the nights are getting.

Review

Three Books To Light Your Fire For Valentine's Day

February 14, 2015 • If you've been comfortably paired up for years now, our romance guru Bobbi Dumas recommends three Valentine's Day reads that'll help give you the spark and thrill of first love all over again.

Review

Send Yourself Flying: 3 Books For An Out Of Body Experience

July 27, 2014 • Author Nick Ripatrazone recommends these three books for an out-of-body reverie. Here are otherworldly hymns, orphans that turn into birds, and updated Greek myths. They are all transformative.

Stitch This: Three Not-At-All Cozy Books About Quilting

June 15, 2014 • If you think quilting's just about alphabet blocks and pastel florals, think again. Author Tracy Chevalier recommends three books that showcase kick-butt quilters and the darker side of stitchery.

Review

All Grown Up? Three Books About The Mystery Of Coming Of Age

April 20, 2014 • Author Craig Nova recommends three books that take a fresh approach to the age-old bildungsroman. The experience of growing up is both universal and unique — and, in these books, timeless.

Review

Miss Lonelyhearts No More: Three Surprising Books of Advice

March 30, 2014 • Author Roy Peter Clark recommends three books that are hardly the work of your average agony aunt: a WWII-era cookbook, an zoological sex guide and a compilation of 60 years of no-nonsense advice.

Review

Over The Hump: Three Books To Help You Through A Midlife Crisis

March 2, 2014 • For the middle phase of life, a new canon is often required, one that is equal parts funny, insightful and comforting. Actress and author Annabelle Gurwitch recommends three books up to the task.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Review

Muses And More: 3 Books We Owe To Writers' Lovers

February 15, 2014 • Author's partners often serve as sources of inspiration — but sometimes their influence is even more direct. In honor of Valentine's Day, Shannon McKenna Schmidt and Joni Rendon recommend three books that would not exist without their writers' significant others.

An Olympic Preview, From The Canon Of Russian Literature

The Krasnaya Polyana mountain range, viewed from the Olympic host city of Sochi, shows off the stunning landscape of southern Russia. Richard Heathcote/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Review

An Olympic Preview, From The Canon Of Russian Literature

February 5, 2014 • Southern Russia, the venue for the coming Winter Olympics, is a wild land known for its breathtaking beauty and centuries of conflict. It has long inspired Russian writers; here are three classic books on the region.

Review

They Came From Inner Space: Three Books About Solitude

January 26, 2014 • Novelists are famously prone to self-imposed exile and introspection; sometimes, they invent characters who are similarly solitary. Author Rachel Louise Snyder recommends three compelling books starring such loners. She says their isolation isn't what's compelling, but it's riveting to watch these recluses step back into the world of others.

Review

When Modernism Met Science Fiction: Three New Wave Classics

January 5, 2014 • Author Kim Stanley Robinson knows that most science fiction fans think the best books were written in their youth — whenever that was. But in his case, he says, it's more than nostalgia: the late '60s and early '70s were a spectacular time for science fiction. He recommends three classics from that fruitful era.

Review

In Search Of Identity: Three Of 2013's Best Translated Novels

December 22, 2013 • Juan Vidal recommends three Latin American masterpieces that were translated this year: a boundary-pushing novella, a noir tale of an assassination plot and a complex exploration of identity and history. There are no noble heroes in these pages — instead, they feature hapless, struggling souls in search of meaning.

Review

Day In, Day Out: Three Not-At-All-Boring Books On Tedium

November 24, 2013 • Boredom in the immobility of a quadriplegic. Ennui in a Manhattan high-rise cubicle. Monotony in the slow-moving life of a writer. Said Sayrafiezadeh takes a look at everyday drudgery, highlighting three great memoirs that found inspiration in dullness. Life can be boring, he says, but books offer a way out — whether we're reading or writing them.

Review

Prohibition-Era Passion: Three '20s Books On Trailblazing Loves

October 20, 2013 • Stay-at-home fathers, missionaries who love their charges, women who make the first move: characters who would have been controversial in previous generations came to the forefront in the Jazz era. Author Ursula DeYoung recommends three books that, after 90 years, still seem fresh in their revolutionary treatment of all kinds of love.

Review

Brief, Bright And Beautiful: Three Books On Nordic Summer

September 29, 2013 • As autumn kicks in, Swedish novelist Anne Swärd reflects on the magical, short-lived summers near the Arctic circle. In places where the sun doesn't set, she says, "light insomnia" makes the world dream-like. And in the Nordic novels she recommends, Arctic sunshine makes betrayals sharper, friendships more intoxicating and love more enthralling.

Review

Motherhood: 3 Books On Work, Life And Too-Small Pool Towels

September 7, 2013 • Media outlets are full of stories about whether women can "have it all." After becoming a mother, Curtis Sittenfeld came to appreciate novels and memoirs that look beyond those headlines to celebrate the difficult, messy, delightful juggling act of parenthood. She shares three of her favorites.

Review

Pack Your Bags: 3 Books About Coming To America

August 18, 2013 • Every new generation of immigrants must meet the age-old challenges of building a new home — assimilation and conformity, old habits and new cultures, adjustment and isolation. Author Helene Wecker shares with us three books that explore the complexities of life on foreign shores.

Review

3 Books That Watch Your Every Move

June 30, 2013 • Novels dealing in privacy-free futures aren't new. But they're rapidly becoming more relevant. Author Max Barry chooses three dystopian novels that are both thought-provoking and chillingly plausible. What's your favorite futuristic novel? Tell us in the comments.

Opinion

The Man, The Myth, The Reading List: Nelson Mandela

June 30, 2013 • Nelson Mandela is the former president of South Africa and famed leader of the anti-apartheid movement. Blogger and professor Sean Jacobs recommends three books that explore the leader's life and legacy in great detail.

The Man, The Myth, The Reading List: Nelson Mandela

Listen · 2:13 2:13

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/191579391/249339947" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Review

Feast For The Eyes: 3 Cookbooks Just For Looking

June 23, 2013 • Sometimes our eyes are bigger than our baking skills. Reviewer T. Susan Chang recommends three cookbooks with pictures that indulge our senses while sparing our waistlines. Do you have a favorite cookbook? Let us know in the comments.