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Author's partners often serve as sources of inspiration — but sometimes their influence is even more direct. In honor of Valentine's Day, Shannon McKenna Schmidt and Joni Rendon recommend three books that would not exist without their writers' significant others.

Librarian Margaret Willison offers tips for making repetitive reading more enjoyable, from choosing books with detailed illustrations to using word tricks.

In fiction, Christine Sneed's short stories about the perils of love, Peter Carey's tale of a mechanical bird, and Nell Freudenberger's portrait of a trans-Atlantic marriage arrive in paperback. In softcover nonfiction, Tom Holland charts the rise of Islam.

The rebels, rule breakers and renegades who rule this year's Top 10 list aren't looking for a Ph.D. in Traditional Cooking. They're pleasure seekers whose books are filled with quirky facts, gorgeous pictures and ingredients deployed in unexpected places.

Alex Berenson returns with another spy thriller; biographers Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith argue that Vincent van Gogh didn't commit suicide; humorist Calvin Trillin collects his best columns; and Beth Raymer tours the world of sports betting.

NPR's Susan Stamberg asked three of our go-to independent booksellers to help fill our beach bags with good books. The result is a reading list that's all about youth and ritual.

In softcover fiction, Irvine Welsh gives us a prequel to Trainspotting, and Regina O'Melveny tells the story of a 16th-century Renaissance woman. In nonfiction, Dan Ariely discovers what keeps us dishonest.

In fiction, Erin Morgenstern conjures star-crossed magicians, Rachel DeWoskin revisits the horrors of high school, and Dean Bakopoulos' widower pursues new love. In nonfiction, James Carroll visits the real and imagined Jerusalem.

It's been a great year for high-profile comics creators, producing landmark works destined for many "Best Comics of 2012" lists. But what about the lesser-known artists and their work? Glen Weldon points to outstanding works that haven't gotten the attention they deserve.

2016 brings with it an exciting crop of poetry books. Here are our picks for the best verse of the new year.