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So Much For That, Lionel Shriver's new novel, is about a middle-aged man forced to give up his dream of retirement on a tropical island when his wife falls ill and he's forced to go back to work to keep his employee health insurance. Critic Maureen Corrigan says the novel "acknowledge[s] the dramatic depth that fiction can bring to the debate over current events."

Writer Judith Shulevitz started observing Shabbat because of her own ambivalence about the traditional weekly day of rest. Her own experiences with the ritual — as well as its larger historical context — are examined in her new book, The Sabbath World: Glimpses of a Different Order of Time.

Last April, Merchant Marine Capt. Richard Phillips became the first American seaman to be captured by pirates in two centuries. After attempting to escape, Phillips was beaten and bound by his Somali captors. Five days later, Navy SEAL snipers killed the pirates and rescued Phillips. His new memoir,A Captain's Duty, recounts the ordeal.

Tired of trying to break through the filibusters, steep the tea, climb the summits? In an era dominated by partisan shouting, Christine Rosen offers a reading list that should appeal to anyone — conservative and liberal alike — feeling left out of the debate.

Deborah Eisenberg's collection of short stories showcases the writer's uncanny knack for creating vivid portraits of urban American life. Eisenberg, who was named a MacArthur Fellow last year, says she took up writing as a way of expressing rage.

Jackson and Gibson never faced each other on the field, but between them they have seven World Series rings. In their book, Sixty Feet, Six Inches, the two Hall of Famers tell stories about Willie Mays and the World Series and discuss modern controversies including steroids and free agency.

Liars are sometimes the best storytellers. Author Amy Wilson shares three books with less-than-trustworthy narrators.Who is your favorite unreliable narrator? Tell us in the comments.

Daily Beast Editor-in-Chief Tina Brown shares with Renee Montagne the best things she's been reading lately: on the growing pains of ambitious companies, working in your PJs and how losing your job can mean finding your life.

A new comedy from Ian McEwan; the true-life adventures of the Victorian Brit who stole the secrets of tea from China; and a Kenyan contemporary of Obama's father remembers the Mau Mau rebellion.

Walter Mosley has written more than two dozen books featuring unforgettable black characters as lovers, thugs, bad guys, good guys — and guys who are a little of each. Mosley is now lending his voice to an effort by the American Library Association to introduce young people to books with diverse authors and characters.