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“The Postcard Killers,” a collaboration between James Patterson and the Swedish crime writer Liza Marklund, hits the fiction list at No. 1.

The final book in a four-volume series describes the fate of nuclear weapons since the Soviet Union fell.

No money for Venice or Machu Picchu? Try hitting the literary hot spots of Pottsville and Scranton.

Recently reviewed books of particular interest.

Milan Kundera’s essays illuminate music, painting and writing in the context of what he calls a “post-art” era.

How the Industrial Revolution transformed invention itself.

In this first novel, a Somali orphan roams the world.

Craig Childs explores archaeology’s ethical debates and the costs of discovering lost history.

A Library of America collection showcases Shirley Jackson’s fascination with psychology, society and the terrors of everyday life.

In the dystopia of this wry first novel, a hierarchical society forces young bachelors to find brides — or else.

This chronicle of the innovative Voyager mission also ponders the nature and meaning of exploration itself.

Seeing the march of American history in the story of the Boston Post Road, a colonial highway turned modern-day ribbon of retail.

Does John Simon, who grew up in Belgrade and came to America at 15 (English is his fifth language), have an affinity for exiles?

Letters in response to Johann Hari’s review of “Churchill’s Empire.”

Letter in response to Pamela Paul’s essay “The Kids’ Books Are All Right.”

Letters in response to Blake Bailey’s review of “Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg: The Letters.”

Top 5 at a Glance
1. LEGO STAR WARS, by Simon Beecroft
2. STAR WARS, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder
3. IT’S A BOOK, written and illustrated by Lane Smith
4. HOW ROCKET LEARNED TO READ, written and illustrated by Tad Hills
5. LADYBUG GIRL AT THE BEACH, by David Soman and Jacky Davis

Top 5 at a Glance
1. THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES, by Gary Chapman
2. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING, by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel
3. FOOD RULES, by Michael Pollan
4. THE BELLY FAT CURE, by Jorge Cruise
5. RADICAL, by David Platt

Top 5 at a Glance
1. THE POWER, by Rhonda Byrne
2. WOMEN FOOD AND GOD, by Geneen Roth
3. DELIVERING HAPPINESS, by Tony Hsieh
4. THE SECRET, by Rhonda Byrne
5. THROUGH A DOG’S EYES, by Jennifer Arnold

Top 5 at a Glance
1. _____ MY DAD SAYS, by Justin Halpern
2. COMMITTED, by Elizabeth Gilbert
3. OUTLIERS, by Malcolm Gladwell
4. EMPIRE OF THE SUMMER MOON, by S. C. Gwynne
5. THE OBAMA DIARIES, by Laura Ingraham

Top 5 at a Glance
1. THE POSTCARD KILLERS, by James Patterson and Liza Marklund
2. THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST, by Stieg Larsson
3. THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett
4. THE COBRA, by Frederick Forsyth
5. STAR ISLAND, by Carl Hiaasen

Linda Robinson has spent much of her life as a foreign correspondent covering wars and revolutions.

A grammar manual for the 21st century that endorses breaking rules that make no sense.

A philosopher and a psychoanalyst travel from Sydney to a remote sheep station to evaluate a manuscript in this novel.

Letter in response to William Grimes review of “97 Orchard.”

Letter in response to James Gavin’s review of “Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter.”

Lewis Hyde draws on the founding fathers for arguments against the privatization of knowledge.

A semi-insider’s account of past glory and current crisis at The Washington Post.

The author of two memoirs, including “Mockingbird Years,” questions the honesty of the enterprise.

A fascinating journey along the latitude line in Africa and Asia where Christianity and Islam often meet and clash.