In Gish Jen’s latest “The Resisters,” we meet Gwen who has a Golden Arm and finds herself happily playing in an underground baseball league in her teens. It is also the story of one family struggling to maintain its humanity and normalcy in circumstances that threaten their every value as well as their very existence. ...

Lydia Davis is a writer whose originality, influence, and wit are beyond compare. Best known for her masterful short stories and translations, Davis’ gifts extend equally to her nonfiction. In “Essays One” Davis has, for the first time, gathered a selection of essays, commentaries, and lectures composed over the past five decades. ...

T.C. Boyle’s novel, “Outside Looking In,” takes readers back to the 1960s and to the early days of LSD. The book tells the story of Harvard Ph.D. students whose lives veer out of control after they are drawn into the orbit of renowned psychologist and LSD enthusiast Timothy Leary. ...

Archer Mayor is the author of the critically-acclaimed series of police novels feature Lt. Joe Gunther of the Brattleboro, Vermont, police department.  In Mayor’s latest Joe Gunther novel “Bomber’s Moon,” the murder of a small-time drug dealer snowballs into the most complex case ever faced by Joe Gunther and his Vermont Bureau of Investigation team. ...

In the pages of his new book, “Medallion Status,” John Hodgman explores the strangeness of his career. Speaking of fame, especially at the weird, marginal level, he enjoyed it. He says he was a “famous minor television personality.” His essays offer a thoughtful examination of status, fame and identity. ...

Renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson is the author of the New York Times best-selling book, “Astrophysics for People in a Hurry.” His new book, “Letters From An Astrophysicist,” shares his correspondence with people who have sought his perspective on questions about science, faith, philosophy and, of course, Pluto. ...