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On the difference between race in America and tribal affiliation in Nigeria

"I sometimes wonder whether we should change the terminology and instead of talking about race, maybe just talk about skin color, because Ifemelu didn't really think of herself in terms of her skin color when she was in Nigeria. So coming to the U.S. and discovering that she was black was an entirely new thing. And it's quite different from being in Nigeria and knowing that there are tensions between Igbo and Yoruba and Hausa. It's a very different thing. But you know, what's, I think, particularly absurd about race is how immediate it is. That it doesn't matter what your history is, what your — it's really about how you look.

"And I'll tell you a story. So when I first came to the U.S., much like Ifemelu, I just didn't think of myself as black. And I wrote an essay in class, and my professor wanted to know who 'A-dee-chee' was — Americans often call me 'A-dee-chee,' and often tell me that my name makes them imagine that I might be Italian. And so when I raised my hand, because, you know, 'Who wrote the best essay? This is the best essay; who's A-dee-chee?' I raised my hand. And on his face, for a fleeting moment, was surprise. And I realized that the person who wrote the best essay in the class was not supposed to look like me. And it was quite early on in my time in the U.S., but it was just sort of that very tiny moment where I realize, 'Oh, right, so that's what this is about.' "

On having one foot in the U.S. and one in Nigeria

"I think I'm ridiculously fortunate. I consider myself a Nigerian — that's home, my sensibility is Nigerian. But I like America, and I like that I can spend time in America. But, you know, I look at the world through Nigerian eyes, and I am happiest when I am in Nigeria. I feel most — I question myself the least in Nigeria. You know, I don't think of myself as anything like a 'global citizen' or anything of the sort. I am just a Nigerian who's comfortable in other places."

On Chinua Achebe's death and how he impacted her

"It really was the world's loss. I think he was remarkable, and you know, not only was he a wonderful writer who wrote about the dignity of a people, he was also a man of just incredible integrity. I like to say that he gave me permission to write, because until I read him, when I was about 10, I was writing stories — I started writing quite young — and I was writing copies of the British books I was reading. So, you know, my characters were all white and were playing in the snow and here I was in small-town Nigeria. And then Chinua Achebe's work came. And you know, the best of literature is that you are reading but you're learning as well, and you're growing, and at the end of it you feel that you know more about human nature, that there's a sense of just being human that's just really wonderful."

Read an excerpt of Americanah

With a commanding lead for his party in the vote count following Saturday's parliamentary elections, former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is returning to power with a clear mandate to focus on the grave problems facing his nation, as NPR's Julie McCarthy reports from Lahore for Morning Edition.

Rashed Rahman, editor of Pakistan's Daily Times, tells Julie that Sharif's biggest challenge will be reviving an economy that's being weighed down by a severe shortage of energy.

The power crisis "has ruined the economy and brought industry and commerce to its knees," Rahman says. "Clearly no investment is coming in — domestic or foreign."

But, as he adds, Pakistan's problems certainly don't begin and end there: "If you don't deal with terrorism you can't improve the economy, if you don't deal with law and order you can't improve the economy because no investor is going to risk his capital in a situation where safety of life and limb cannot be guaranteed."

Rahman says Sharif, 63, also must deal with his image as a center-right conservative with a "soft corner" for militants.

"If you have a soft corner, will you be able to manage, will you be able to control it ... will you be able to tackle it?" Rahman asks. "Don't forget the causalities the Taliban have inflicted on us — over 5,000 security personnel, 40,000 civilians . ... It's not something that you can wish away, it's not something that you can casually tackle. It's a very serious issue and I think he will be tested on this one."

Rahman's newspaper reports that "Sharif was in talks on Sunday to form a new government." According to the Daily Times:

"TV projections suggested no single party would win an absolute majority in the 342-seat National Assembly. But Nawaz's Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) was well ahead with more than 115 of the chamber's 272 directly elected seats, according to various projections by private channels. Sartaj Aziz, a senior PML-N official and former cabinet minister, said Nawaz was in talks Sunday with some independent MPs to get them on board and in discussions to work out "a few key portfolios" in the cabinet."

On why she left the Senate

"It was a hard, cold reality that descended upon me in a very short period of time, actually, because I had been fully immersed in running for re-election for the better part of two years, and traveling the country and of course my state. So I was essentially in a good place organizationally and financially to win re-election, but I became concerned about the tenor in the Senate, and what would transpire over the next six years. And came to the regrettable conclusion that it might not change.

"So then I began thinking about my role, and how I could best contribute. Was it better to work on the outside to reaffirm the voices of those people who are so frustrated and want things to change and want their government to work? And I thought that that's where I could best contribute at this stage of my life."

On one of her book's recommendations: a five-day workweek for Congress

"Isn't that amazing? To work a five-day workweek? Because what happens is that, you know, on Mondays — at least in the Senate — Monday night we'd have what you'd call a bedcheck vote. Just to get, you know, the machinery of the Senate up and running so that we can start the committee process on Tuesday morning ...

"By Thursday, you know, jet fumes. The smell of jet fumes ... Everybody's heading home, wanting to know when they can adjourn on Thursday so they can leave. [This] very short version of a workweek; makes it very difficult to deal with complex issues. And basically they're not even getting the routine matters of business accomplished. We can't pass a budget! Which is preposterous."

On whether she's worried that the gridlock in the Senate can't be fixed

"I don't worry about that. I never think about what I can't do. No, absolutely not. It has to change, for the country. People deserve ... better representation. They deserve institutions that are going to solve problems. That means the president and the Congress have to work hand-in-glove and, override their political differences or their political ambitions for the sake of the country. There's never a point now where they put the politics behind them. I mean they're already talking about the 2016 presidential campaign! We just had an election. Can we now concentrate on the future of this country?"

Read an excerpt of Fighting for Common Ground

Drivers will find this summer's gas prices are lower than last year's, the result of a spike in crude oil production. Government forecasters say a gallon of regular gasoline will cost about $3.50 this summer — a slide of more than 10 cents from last year.

Energy Department analysts say that "the regular gasoline price will average $3.53 per gallon over the summer," citing lower crude oil prices. "The annual average regular gasoline retail price is projected to decline from $3.63 per gallon in 2012 to $3.50 per gallon in 2013 and to $3.39 per gallon in 2014."

As Danielle Karson reports for NPR's Newscast Desk, increased U.S. petroleum exports could keep domestic prices from taking a sharp dive, despite a slight slump in demand.

"U.S. refineries are also exporting a record amount of diesel and gasoline to developing countries, including China, where demand for diesel is through the roof," Diane reports.

Oil industry analyst Patrick deHaan tells Diane that if gas companies "build domestic inventories too much, it will hurt their bottom line. Maintaining exports while not allowing inventories to grow out of control, is what they're likely trying to accomplish."

Last Memorial Day, the U.S. average for a gallon of unleaded was $3.636 — "down about 15 cents" from 2011, CNN reported. But prices rose at the end of the summer, due in large part to Hurricane Isaac.

The International Monetary Fund recently urged governments to cut subsidies and allow higher gasoline prices, seeing it as a way to encompass the costs of increased traffic, pollution, and global warming, in addition to exploration, production, and transportation.

As David Wessel, economics editor of The Wall Street Journal, told NPR's Linda Wertheimer on Morning Edition, the IMF "says that subsidizing energy or mispricing it aggravates budget deficits, crowds out spending on health and education, discourages investment in energy, encourages excessive energy use, artificially promotes capital-intensive industries," and creates other problems.

"Some governments spend more on energy subsidies than they do on education and healthcare," David said. "And nobody really thinks that's a great idea."

But, he added, "David Lipton, the number two at the IMF .... says it's better to do this the right way than to do it right away, but it's important to do it."