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Novelists Aatish Taseer and Naomi Benaron portray life amid sectarian violence in Pakistan and Rwanda, respectively, while Glenn Carle reflects on being a CIA interrogator, novelist Jonathan Lethem explores his influences, and David Bellos probes translation's complexity.

Critic Alan Cheuse maps out a winter wonderland of fiction and poetry — from ancient Greece to the near-future visions of Walter Mosley, a selection of the best books to give and receive this holiday season. Cheuse says these five books strike the perfect balance between lyricism and narrative.

A Greek poet contemplates the twisted strands of history, while Daniel Orozco's stories consider the dark side of our day jobs and Donald Rumsfeld reflects on the Iraq War. On the lighter side, CBS' Jim Axelrod revisits his marathon training, and a writer and an economist infuse soccer with numbers.

It was a strange and wonderful year for young adult fiction, says critic Maggie Stiefvater. This list rounds up five magical books for young adults and grown-ups alike.

In fiction, Karen Thompson Walker's sci-fi debut and Vladimir Nabokov's unfinished final novel arrive in paperback. In softcover nonfiction, Toby Wilkinson reviews Egypt's political past; Alec Wilkinson surveys 19th-century polar exploration; and William Broad probes the science of yoga.

If there's one thing that teenagers of all stripes spend their energy on, it's friendship. These outstanding new novels for young adults explore friendship wherever it blossoms, whether in the extremes of a dystopian future or the more mundane emotional extremes of high school.

Wild author Cheryl Strayed, aka "Dear Sugar," shares her big-hearted relationship advice, while Elaine Sciolino investigates the French art of everyday seduction and Elissa Schappell delivers a story collection about the paradoxes of the feminine psyche.

Former Los Angeles prosecutor Marcia Clark debuts as a mystery writer, and Julian Barnes returns with stories of love. Robert Putnam and David Campbell look at American religion, Ron Rosenbaum warns of the potential for nuclear war, and Bing West evaluates military failures in Afghanistan.

These panels are filled more with extraordinary storytelling than with standard-issue superheroes. Each book is created by a singular writer/artist, and offers a wholly unique point of view in both narrative and illustration.

In softcover fiction and nonfiction, John Irving explores teen lust; Denise Mina delivers a murder mystery; David Maraniss looks at the young Barack Obama; Robert Kagan defends U.S. sovereignty; and Susan Cain stands up for introverts.