Works that illuminate the mind at play and the body under stress.

The one-time U.S. Memory Champ indulges in remembrance of books past.

The actress and author on three true stories about survival in the face of adversity.

A tricky storyteller on three contemporaries whose work he sincerely loves.

The author of Swamplandia! gives us a tour of her bookshelf.

The creator of prehistoric adventures on three far-flung tales.

The radio star and author on adventurous reading—maritime, murderous, and musical.

Three fictional innovators and masters of the storyteller's art.

Wisdom, politics, and the choreography of neighborhoods.

Three works that grapple with crises of the soul, and of society. 

The author of Reading Lolita in Tehran shares some uncommonly good reading.

Three works of 21st-century fiction that provoke, dazzle, and delight.

The Irish author on three books to return to again and again.

J. D. Salinger's biographer recommends three classics, including one from his subject.

The author of Disaster Preparedness on works of fiction and memoir to read, and re-read.