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Japanese author Takashi Hiraide's The Guest Cat has just been released in English; it's a layered novel within a novel, centered on a workaholic couple who become enraptured by their neighbors' playful little cat. Reviewer Juan Vidal says "even dog lovers will relate" to the story.

There are plenty of memoirs of China's Cultural Revolution written from the perspective of elite intellectuals. But Hong Ying's story is different; in her youth, the writer was the sixth child in a crushingly poor family. Novelist Karen Ma says Hong Ying's memoir, Daughter of the River is unflinching, unapologetic and incredibly powerful.

Juan Vidal recommends three Latin American masterpieces that were translated this year: a boundary-pushing novella, a noir tale of an assassination plot and a complex exploration of identity and history. There are no noble heroes in these pages — instead, they feature hapless, struggling souls in search of meaning.

Poet Billy Collins revels in his love of words, while debut novelist Cara Hoffman brings poetry to a murder mystery. In nonfiction, historian Adam Hochschild takes a fresh look at WWI, former CIA operative Robert Baer tells the story of his marriage to another spy, and Alexandra Styron comes to terms with her famous novelist father, William Styron.

Author Kim Stanley Robinson knows that most science fiction fans think the best books were written in their youth — whenever that was. But in his case, he says, it's more than nostalgia: the late '60s and early '70s were a spectacular time for science fiction. He recommends three classics from that fruitful era.

Michael Ondaatje returns with a seafaring coming-of-age story, while Lev Grossman delivers another literary fantasy and Ernest Cline makes his nerdy fiction debut. Journalist Ron Suskind casts Obama as a brilliant amateur and Amanda Foreman looks at Britain's role in the Civil War.

Stay-at-home fathers, missionaries who love their charges, women who make the first move: characters who would have been controversial in previous generations came to the forefront in the Jazz era. Author Ursula DeYoung recommends three books that, after 90 years, still seem fresh in their revolutionary treatment of all kinds of love.

The awards, which come with a $50K purse, have helped launch the writing careers of many now well-known authors, including Colson Whitehead, Ocean Vuong, Alice McDermott and Jia Tolentino.

Tom Robbins has died at 92. The acclaimed author dazzled readers with colorful characters and effusive language in novels such as "Jitterbug Perfume" and "Even Cowgirls Get The Blues."

Kahane's new album, Book of Travelers is inspired by a two-week train trip the composer took across America. Kahane discusses the album and performs a few of the songs in NPR's studio.