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Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Icendiary, the debut novel by British writer Chris Cleave. The story is triggered by an al-Qaeda bomb attack on a London soccer match.

The Kite Runner, the debut novel by Afghani-born physician and author Khaled Hosseini, has been on best-seller and book club lists for nearly a year. Writer Isabel Allende says the book — about a young man who returns to Afghanistan after a long absence — is "one of those unforgettable stories that stays with you for years."

In talks to frame an Iraqi constitution, a top Shiite political leader calls for autonomy for the Shiite-dominated region of southern Iraq. In the north, Kurdish leaders made similar demands. Iraq's Shiite prime minister rejected the proposals.

The back rooms at a Harvard University museum are filled with millions of items that will never be displayed. But curators just can't bring themselves to throw anything away.

Bill Maher, host of HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher, has a new book, New Rules: Polite Musings of a Timid Observer. It's a compilation of satiric segments from the show, in which he takes aim at everything from cell phones and fast food to politics.

A massive sandstorm envelops the Iraqi capital, bringing life to a virtual standstill. It was like waking up on Christmas Day to find the landscape had turned white with snow -- except that it was orange. The huge cloud of dust was blown in from the western Syrian desert.

With a week left before the new Iraqi constitution is to be presented to the National Assembly, many hurdles remain. And in the wake of heavy U.S. casualties last week, the United States is pushing hard for Iraqi politicians to finish their work. Host Liane Hansen speaks with NPR's Philip Reeves in Baghdad.

A new book of children's poems and illustrations features the fun of mixed-up words from Shel Silverstein. And a new CD collects some of the late author's songs, including "A Boy Named Sue," performed by Johnny Cash.

Iraqi authorities are investigating an apparent attempt to burn down the headquarters of the Iraqi Transitional Government, situated in the heavily guarded Green Zone. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Jaafari announced a new national security plan.

Joan DeJean, author of The Essence of Style: How the French Invented High Fashion, Fine Food, Chic Cafes, Style, Sophistication, and Glamour!, aims to prove that almost everything we think of as glamorous can be traced back to the 1600s and the tastes of French monarch Louis XIV.