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Novelist Richard Russo's new memoir, Elsewhere, is the uncompromisingly tragic — yet beautifully told — story of his relationship with his mentally ill mother. Reviewer Michael Schaub calls it "one of the most honest, moving American memoirs in years."

British author Ian McEwan is known for multilayered tales with surprise endings, and his latest novel doesn't disappoint. The story of a Cold War intelligence agent who falls for the target of her investigation is sprinkled with hints of subversive intents, making it a clever bonbon of a book.

Yunior is a gruff, masculine artist who finds it nearly impossible to stay faithful to the women in his life. And then the day comes when all of that betrayal finally catches up with him. In This Is How You Lose Her, Junot Diaz delves into what it takes to get an adulterer to change his ways.

In his new book, The Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture, scholar Yoram Hazony makes the case that the ancient texts are a work of philosophy in narrative form. The scriptures are a cautionary tale — an epic that advocates wariness of great imperial powers and individualism in the face of authority.

More than 10 years since a new generation of Americans went into combat, the soldiers themselves are starting to write the story of war. Three recent releases show how their experiences give them the authority to describe the war, fictionalize it, and even satirize it.

In the 1960s, Lynn Povich was part of a revolution at Newsweek that changed women's roles in news organizations. Her new book, The Good Girls Revolt, describes how she recruited women in bathrooms to sue management. She tells NPR that even today, "vigilance is necessary."

Actor Stephen Tobolowsky's new book is made up of essays, anecdotes, stories and insights shuffled in and out of order, like cards in a deck. Everything in the book is true, Tobolowsky says: "True trumps clever any day of the week."

Sometimes it takes a sad story to make you feel better. When author Shani Boianjiu was young, she had an indescribable sadness. But reading The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas made her feel that there were stories she could connect with. Are there sad stories you love? Tell us in the comments.

William McCleery wrote his first draft of Wolf Story during bedtimes and afternoon outings with his 5-year-old son. In 1947, it became a hit children's book, but it's been out of print for more than 20 years.

In The Malice of Fortune, two of the biggest names of the Renaissance team up to track a killer. Michael Ennis pairs the ruthless political philosopher and the genius artist in a pulse-quickening, historical whodunit.