In this rollicking book, Animal House producer Matty Simmons details how tough it was getting Hollywood to bankroll the now iconic comedy about a hard-partying fraternity. He also reveals scenes that were cut, like one with an annoying young musician named Bob Dylan. Read More >>

For decades, Robley Wilson has been one of our finest short story writers; this volume of sly, subtle tales will show you why. From the book: "'I smelled her before I saw her,' Monaghan said. Blood. The reek of it. You can see for yourself: The bone at its break pokes clean through the flesh.'" Read More >>

John Irving, the literary provocateur who brought us The World According to Garp, returns with an exploration of love, sexuality, the AIDS epidemic of the '80s, and the search for self. From the book: "Given my grandfather's elevated status in our town, it was perhaps surprising that the First Sister Players always cast him in female roles ... I actually remember my grandfather… Read More >>

Paul Ingrassia, a celebrated journalist and certified car nut, explains how our wheels not only got us from here to there but also shaped our national psyche. See, we knew that old Chevy was worth something. From the book: "The Model T promoted social networking one hundred years before Facebook and fostered a sexual revolution a half century before the… Read More >>

Every sentence has you on the edge of your seat in this story of a divorced American man's move to Malawi. Theroux's emotional acuity is as intense as the setting. From the book: "The snake did not move — that is, it remained coiled. But then its pear-shaped head tilted, it's yellow eyes flickered and widened, and it seemed almost imperceptibly to… Read More >>

As riveting as a good novel, this doctor’s account of her 20 years at Laguna Honda Hospital is a cogent argument for personalized medicine. No wonder Oliver Sacks calls it required reading. From the book: "“One by one, carefully, Dr. Judd removed the bandages and dressings and placed them on the nearby table. Then I looked into Mr. Hickman’s open… Read More >>

A Harvard Law graduate, Joseph Holland headed for the desolation of 1980s Harlem, determined to help. His story is inspiring, eye-opening —and very fresh food for thought. From the book: “They came to our outreaches for the food and clothing, but returned to the streets still hungry, needy, and hurting—week after week, month after month … To… Read More >>

You needn't even be a sports fan to enjoy these 34 hugely entertaining tales. Ring Lardner, James Thurber, Garrison Keillor, and even the great P. G. Wodehouse all had a swing at our national pastime. From the book: "Throughout the whole country nothing but the approaching series was discussed. Wherever civilization reigned, and in Jersey City, one… Read More >>

Poor Edgar Kellogg, would-be journalist, gets sent to a Portuguese backwater with a terrorist movement in full swing. Shriver has been a National Book Award finalist with good reason: Her page-turners examine serious issues. From the book: “Edgar found himself already eyeing the Doritos ... One thing he hadn’t anticipated about the ‘home… Read More >>

Inspired by a poem called “The Golden Hat,” written by Thorsteinsson, who has autism, Winslet asked famous friends — Angelina Jolie, Meryl Streep, Sting, Oprah, and Steven Spielberg among them — to create a self-portrait wearing a hat. Thorsteinsson’s moving story and “hat portraits” of others with autism are included; proceeds go to… Read More >>