His latest book Bumble-ardy is a deeply imaginative tale about an orphaned pig who longs for a birthday party. Sendak, who is 83, wrote and illustrated the book while caring for his longtime partner, who died of cancer in 2007. "I did Bumble-ardy to save myself," Sendak says. "I did not want to die with him."

Wade Davis' gripping Into the Silence tells the story of the British climbers who attempted to scale Mount Everest in the 1920s, becoming symbols of national pride and imperial ambition.

In 2011, hell was a hot topic, from Hollywood to doomsday prophets, and especially for best-selling books. Evangelical preacher Rob Bell wrote Love Wins, which takes aim at the fundamental evangelical belief that non-Christians go to hell. Bell's book spawned a bevy of new books on hell.

As it turns out, Raymond Chandler isn't the only writer who can channel the dark charisma of deceptively sunny California. Author Hector Tobar recommends John Fante's Ask the Dust, a novel that captures the grit and glamor of Los Angeles' past.

It's been more than three years since the government bailed out mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Gretchen Morgenson, of The New York Times, has co-authored a book about Fannie and Freddie called Reckless Endangerment. Morgenson talks to Linda Wertheimer about the taxpayer-owned entities.

Society has a fascination with crime — we can't seem to look away from the yellow police tape. Author Duane Swierczynski recommends three thrilling crime stories told in graphic-novel form.

A nuclear bomb wipes out a U.S. city — and it's unclear who the real perpetrator is. Though current events — the U.S. withdrawal of troops from Iraq — have overtaken the plot of Blink of An Eye, the political thriller from former Secretary of Defense William Cohen is exciting nonetheless.