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The hunt for a book of seditious poems is at the heart of medievalist Bruce Holsinger's detail-packed new novel; poet and fixer John Gower is hunting for the book, at the behest of his friend Geoffrey Chaucer. Reviewer Jean Zimmerman says "filth of the street is likely to suck off the occasional shoe," but in the end, the experience is enjoyable.

Islamabad's a pretty quiet place at night. That's no big surprise in a capital full of forts and road blocks. But that's not the case at the city's latest landmark, the Centaurus Mall, where Pakistanis, young and old, flock to a place that feels far removed from the problems of Islamabad.

A new biography reveals that young Thoreau took quite a few detours on his path to Walden. A gossipy young man who loved eating popcorn, ice skating and listening to his music box, schoolmates and neighbors found him standoffish and regarded his fascination with plants and Indian relics as downright odd.

The fourth volume in Robert Caro's monumental biography of Lyndon Johnson is The Passage of Power; it explores the period between 1958 and 1964 during which Johnson went from powerful Senate majority leader to powerless vice president to — suddenly — president of the United States. Originally broadcast on May 13, 2013.

In the final months of World War II, the United States undertook an enormous effort to attract Nazi scientists to the U.S. Writer Annie Jacobsen's new book, Operation Paperclip, tells the story of that program.

Author Douglas Perry's new book, Eliot Ness: The Rise and Fall of an American Hero, paints a portrait of the legendary lawman as a flawed but genuinely good guy who floundered when away from the excitement of police work. Ness "helped invent the modern police force," Perry says, but couldn't stop drinking and cheating on his wives.

Countless books and films have been made about Abraham Lincoln, but not many have been told in his voice. Jerome Charyn's latest novel, a sort of fictional autobiography, does just that. Charyn spoke with NPR's Scott Simon about Lincoln's poetry, depression, and fictionalizing a life.

Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter announced this week that he would retire at the end of the season. "For the last 20 years I've been completely focused on two goals: playing my best and helping the Yankees win. ... It's time for something new." Author Julia Keller saw the move as a poetic flourish on a long career.

Dorie Greenspan's quest for her friends' chocolate mousse recipe was the stuff of private-eye fiction. Yet she figured it out, and as a Valentine's gift, she passes the delectable mousse along to us.

When economist Paul Oyer returned to the world of dating, he started logging on to match-making websites. As he explains in a new book, he discovered that his academic expertise was entirely relevant to his foray into online dating.