NONFICTION Nowadays, history is rightly attentive to noted men’s wives. In the past “wives of”—and it is a recognized category—were... Richmond Times-Dispatch

FICTION England’s Wars of the Roses, the long, bloody contest for the English crown between rival claimants from the Houses of York and Lancaster,... Richmond Times-Dispatch

NONFICTION With his fun-loving stage persona and his mastery of music, he was beloved by people as varied as Johnny Cash, Jackson Pollock and Orson Welles.... Richmond Times-Dispatch

FICTION LONDON Tracy Chevalier sits in the Victorian grandeur of London’s Museum of Natural History next to the skeletal remains of a giant eye,... Richmond Times-Dispatch

TODAY Book Swap: Exchange of books and/or conversation, 3-5 p.m. at Book People, 536 Granite Ave. Free. 288-4346. TOMORROW“Bible Babel: Making Sense... Richmond Times-Dispatch

FICTION Brava, Valentine,“ the second novel in Adriana Trigiani’s trilogy, opens in Tuscany on the wedding day of Valentine Roncalli’s... Richmond Times-Dispatch

With sales of her books topping 4 billion copies worldwide, this much is clear: Agatha Christie (1890-1976) knew how to spin a mystery. Now it turns out... Richmond Times-Dispatch

FICTION The literary world has seen its share of moonlighters. The American poet William Carlos Williams practiced medicine by day, for example. And the... Richmond Times-Dispatch

MYSTERIES For many years, most of the sleuths in detective novels were male, with one notable exception: Agatha Christie’s Miss Jane Marple. But... Richmond Times-Dispatch

FICTION She has written of the perils of adolescence, the problems of adulthood and the promise—and pitfalls—of religion. And now, in her 13th... Richmond Times-Dispatch

FICTION Robert Stone isn’t a prolific writer. His first novel appeared in 1967, and since then he has written six novels, a memoir and now, with... Richmond Times-Dispatch

TUESDAY “Finding Sara: A Daughter’s Journey” by Margaret Edds—Book launch party, 6:30 p.m. at Fountain Bookstore, 1312 E. Cary... Richmond Times-Dispatch

Like many 16-year-olds, R. Dwayne Betts made a mistake. But Betts’ was a big one: He and a friend carjacked a man in Northern Virginia. Betts was... Richmond Times-Dispatch

NONFICTION Aback-stabbing or superficial friend can cause women heartache, turmoil and confusion, and this book attempts to provide answers for women who... Richmond Times-Dispatch

FICTION There’s a good reason that “Summertime,“ the third volume of J. M. Coetzee’s memoirs, bears the label “fiction.“... Richmond Times-Dispatch

FICTION Anthony Trollope created Barsetshire, Angela Thirkell continued it, and now, for fans of British fiction, Ilil Arbel has revived it. Unlike Trollope... Richmond Times-Dispatch

NONFICTION Just who does this chap think he is? Craig Ferguson, by his own account, is a Scotsman with a brogue and excellent teeth. A former punk-rock... Richmond Times-Dispatch

NONFICTION Just who does this chap think he is? Craig Ferguson, by his own account, is a Scotsman with a brogue and excellent teeth. A former punk-rock... Richmond Times-Dispatch

TUESDAY “Thomas Jefferson” by Alan Pell Crawford—“Great Lives” lecture by the author of “Twilight at Monticello,“... Richmond Times-Dispatch

Hefty and lofty. Those are the two adjectives that come to mind when describing Stephen King’s new novel, “Under the Dome.“ Hefty because... Richmond Times-Dispatch

NONFICTION Not long after completing his iconoclastic Glass House in 1949, architect Philip Johnson traded barbs as revealing as the see-through walls.... Richmond Times-Dispatch

FICTION In a previous review, I compared Alexander McCall Smith’s prolific output to the economy of a small, robust nation. The Great Recession has... Richmond Times-Dispatch

FICTION Publishing work against the dying wishes of an author. This is what passes for high drama in the literary world. After Franz Kafka’s death... Richmond Times-Dispatch

FICTION Novels that focus on espionage and the Cold War normally spring from the male mind: Ian Fleming and John le Carré are but two of the genre’s... Richmond Times-Dispatch

WEDNESDAY Richmond Times-Dispatch

NONFICTION NEW YORK Norman Podhoretz, the neo-conservative and former editor of Commentary magazine, is a stocky, confident man whose book-filled Upper... Richmond Times-Dispatch

In a month, America’s pastime will kick off another season when pitchers and catchers report to spring training. Those who can’t wait might... Richmond Times-Dispatch

FICTION Al Roker sticks to what he knows—morning TV—in his first murder mystery, “The Morning Show Murders.“ He begins by introducing... Richmond Times-Dispatch