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Gabrielle Hamilton is the chef and owner of Prune, a popular restaurant in New York City's East Village. She also has an MFA in fiction writing, something she put to use in writing her first book, the aptly titled Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef.

Karel Capek's The Absolute at Large demonstrates how weighty social satire can be slipped into genre fiction. Writer Cara Hoffman says the surrealist speculation in this 1920s sci-fi novel is so prescient, it feels like it could have been written today.

The secret to a good fistfight isn't the perfect sucker punch — it's endurance. Victory belongs to the last one standing, says author Alan Heathcock. He suggests three books with characters who never say die as they fight tooth and nail to outlast every obstacle in their way.

Based on The Count of Monte Cristo, Alfred Bester's saga The Stars My Destination will transport you off the couch and into a roiling world of futuristic teleportation. Author John Baxter says the book injects new life and energy into a classic tale.

Reading Kelly Link's writing isn't really like reading at all — it's more like experiencing the strangest dream of your life. Writer Karen Russell says the uncanny short stories are genre-bending, mind-blowing masterpieces of the imagination that draw on fable and myth to achieve an unbearably painful realism.

What makes a memorable character? It is the one who changes the most throughout the book? The one who makes a personal discovery? Or is it simply the most eccentric who we love? Actor Simon Pegg says that for his favorite literary protagonist, all three apply.

For the contemporary woman, feminist classics don't always do the trick — most of us believe there's more to life than marriage or madness. To kick off Women's History Month, author Stephanie Staal suggests three books about mold-breaking heroines, sure to inspire your inner feminist.

When writer Jonathan Evison reads a book, he wants full immersion — emotionally, intellectually and sensually. He suggests three wild, Western adventure tales that will pick you up, knock you down and leave you breathless.

Egypt is an old country brimming with a young population. Yasmine Mariam Kloth, a young Egyptian-American writer, offers a literary crash course on the country's vibrant history and culture.

Betty White has been on television — in her words — "forever." Her new memoir, If You Ask Me, focuses on the past 15 years of her life and career. Far from slowing down, that career has been skyrocketing as a new generation gets to know her.

From posh princesses to tough teens, the ladies of literary history are getting a makeover. Author Malinda Lo shares these empowering tales of sacrifice, hope and determination from three famous female characters.

Being a teenager is hard. You're misunderstood, your hormones are surging, and you just know that the girl down the street is the one. Author Ben Dolnick recommends revisiting this time with Scott Spencer's romance, Endless Love — a novel that brings you back to that amorous teenage angst.

Homage to the Iliad lingers in literature even today, but most retellings do not live up to the grandeur of their ancient ancestor. Author Dawn Tripp recommends a rare find that does measure up — the haunting Homeric novel Ransom, by David Malouf.

The mother-daughter relationship — fraught and frustrating though it may be — ultimately boils down to love. As Mother's Day approaches, author Rae Meadows suggests three books that explore the unbreakable bond between women — and the women they raise.

It's easy to become resentful when life is too mundane or throws an unsavory curveball. Author Monica Ali knows that sometimes we need to get a fresh perspective. For this she insists you read One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

The Black Jewels trilogy flips everything you thought you knew about fantasy on its head. But NPR editor Petra Mayer says it's still a wild ride of mystery, erotica, violence and even true love. What is your favorite book that defies the conventions of its genre? Tell us in the comments below.

This Friday marks the 50th anniversary of William Faulkner's death. His novel The Reivers was the coming-of-age story that author Ralph Eubanks needed to rocket him into his teenage years and on to adulthood. What is your favorite coming-of-age story? Tell us in the comments below.

The five interconnected Patrick Melrose novels may first seem like vapid tales of the wildly rich, but to author Mark Saunders they're also harsh dramas about the excesses of the British upper crust. What's your favorite story of the upper class? Tell us in the comments.

In the new collection Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays, author Zadie Smith explores her writing process and the people who have influenced her. Smith tells NPR she doesn't write every day, though she wishes she did — and that she used writing as a way to mourn her father.

In his new book, Methland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town, Nick Reding describes how methamphetamine transformed the town of Oelwein, Iowa — and how the town attempted to combat the epidemic.