The Pale King By David Foster Wallace (Little, Brown, $27.99)
This posthumous novel reminds readers of what could have been.
A Reason to Believe: Lessons from an Improbable Life
By Deval Patrick (Broadway, $21.99)
A rich portrait of the governor’s rise from poverty.
The Crimean War By Orlando Figes (Metropolitan, $35)
A history that untangles religious, geopolitical and cultural forces.
Conversations With Scorsese
By Richard Schickel (Random House, $30)
A film historian in conversation with a living legend.
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