Funds for Bookworm are provided in part by Lannin Foundation.

Boots!

Where would we be without books?

Where would we be without good?

No, Timberd.

It's a rhetorical question, sir.

But where would we be without books?

From KCRW and KCRW.com, I'm Michael Silverblatt, and here is Bookworm.

Welcome.

I'm very happy today because one of my favorite Los Angeles-based writers, Sarah Shunlin Bynum,

has a new book of stories. Up until this point, she's written two novels. I am really stunned by the first. Madeline is sleeping and the second, Mrs. Hemple Chronicles.

And now we've got a book of short stories called Likes, L-I-K-E-S. And for all of you who are going to want to get this book right away,

let me spell Sarah's name.

It's Sarah, S-A-R-A-H,

Shun-L-E-N, that's S-H-U-N-L-I-E-N, B-Y-E-E-N, B-Y-E-I-E-N, B-Y-N-U-M.

Tell me what your ethnic background is, Sarah.

Michael, it's so wonderful being back on the show.

Thank you for having me.

And my background is

my mother is Chinese, which is where my middle name comes from, from her side of the family.

And then my father is that sort of mishmash of Western European, Welsh, English, a little bit of German.

So that is what comprises me, as far as I know.

...