Ralph Nader, the consumer activist and corporate scourge, is saying nice things about the kind of folks you’d expect him to despise. “Never... Richmond Times-Dispatch

The whole place was like a doll’s house that had been turned upside down and stepped on.“ This is Margaret Atwood’s startling description... Richmond Times-Dispatch

Thirty-three years ago, George M. Taber set the world of wine on fire with a four-paragraph dispatch about a tasting in France that compared the work of... Richmond Times-Dispatch

Philip Roth’s novels have become downright austere in recent years, with none of the past four cracking 300 pages. They’re chamber works, small-scale... Richmond Times-Dispatch

The burning of Atlanta, with a memorable assist from Hollywood, is one of those events that resonates. Fires that destroy great cities perhaps are always... Richmond Times-Dispatch

For students of 20th-century history, the title of this book is shorthand for tragedy and disaster. It outlines the self-deceptive, smug and misguided... Richmond Times-Dispatch

It’s the long Labor Day weekend in Holton Mills, N.H., in the mid-1980s, and 13-year-old Henry and his mother, Adele, have nothing special planned.... Richmond Times-Dispatch

TODAY “The Naked Portfolio Manager” by Robert Fischer—Book signing, 1 p.m. at Barnes & Noble-Short Pump, 11640 W. Broad St. 360-0103.... Richmond Times-Dispatch

Sibling rivalry is usually enough to give an edge to most family get-togethers. Throw in a will that insists that the siblings spend the entire summer... Richmond Times-Dispatch

Books recounting the histories of Virginia’s counties crop up with regularity, but few achieve the beauty and breadth of Martha W. McCartney’s... Richmond Times-Dispatch

In the long history of novels, love triangles have rarely ended well. The one that drives Paul Auster’s fascinating new novel, “Invisible,“... Richmond Times-Dispatch

Novelist Elmore Leonard will receive PEN USA’s lifetime achievement award at a December ceremony. Leonard, 83, has written more than 40 westerns,... Richmond Times-Dispatch

They used to hang pirates on a small island in New York harbor, near where the Statue of Liberty now stands. Today, after years as a testing station for... Richmond Times-Dispatch

NONFICTION DES MOINES, Iowa Many people entering retirement envision a life of fun and relaxation, but the opposite can be true. Without the social contacts... Richmond Times-Dispatch

Melanie Gideon believes she’s sleepwalking through life. But it’s much worse than that: She’s paralyzed by a fear of the rogue waves—both... Richmond Times-Dispatch

FICTION David Baldacci has a knack for writing best-selling thriller series. Most recently, he has devoted attention to his Camel Club series, as well... Richmond Times-Dispatch

MYSTERIES For most of us, there’s something in our past—a person, a relationship, a place, an incident—that, forgotten for months, even... Richmond Times-Dispatch

A tale of political intrigue set during the reign of King Henry VIII has won the prestigious Man Booker prize for fiction. Hilary Mantel’s “Wolf... Richmond Times-Dispatch

NONFICTION The Sopranos” and “The Godfather” may have domesticated the Mafia’s image. They looked like people we know, and we understood... Richmond Times-Dispatch

TODAY “Terrorism In the United States” by retired Navy Capt. Edward M. Brittingham—Book signing 1-5 p.m. at Waldenbooks, Virginia Center... Richmond Times-Dispatch

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST-SELLERS  HARDCOVER FICTION 1.The Lost Symbolby Dan Brown (Doubleday) 2.A Touch of Deadby Charlaine Harris (Ace) 3.The Helpby... Richmond Times-Dispatch

NEW YORK—The latest e-book from Stephen King is no bargain. Scribner announced yesterday that the digital edition of King’s “Under the... Richmond Times-Dispatch

The past has a way of clinging to troubled and haunted souls, and Gil Castle, the scarred protagonist of Philip Caputo’s smart new thriller, “Crossers,“... Richmond Times-Dispatch

TUESDAY “Haunted Plantations of Virginia” by Beth Brown—Book talk and signing, 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Fountain Bookstore, 1312 E. Cary St.... Richmond Times-Dispatch

The Library of Virginia last night announced the winners of the 12th annual Literary Awards during a gala celebration at the library in downtown Richmond.... Richmond Times-Dispatch

It’s not easy to put in a good word for the other woman. She is the wicked witch of marital bliss, the one who threatens destruction and heartbreak.... Richmond Times-Dispatch

F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway are rightly known as two of the most gifted authors of their generation—and two of the most different. Fitzgerald’s... Richmond Times-Dispatch

When Adolf Hitler invaded Poland and started World War II, special units went along to seize works of art, says author Robert M. Edsel. Other Europeans... Richmond Times-Dispatch

In the 1960s, an albino groundhog often scampered along the edge of state Route 151 in the Nelson County community of Greenfield. Albino animals were no... Richmond Times-Dispatch

Biblical accounts of Abraham’s relationship with Sarah and Hagar have always been problematical, and even more problematical was Abraham’s... Richmond Times-Dispatch