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Evan S. Connell, an old American master, and Claire Keegan, a young Irish prodigy, both have new books of short fiction this summer — and both are worth picking up.

The Modern Library has released a special edition of Anne of Green Gables in honor of the book's centennial. Writer Gwenda Bond, who blogs about children's books and young-adult literature, discusses the importance of L.M. Montgomery's classic novel and her personal attachment to Anne.

Did you know that the word "Frisbee" is derived from Mary Frisbie, a woman who made pies in Connecticut? Or that "silhouette" originated with Etienne de Silhouette, an 18th century French finance minister? John Marciano shines light on these and many other etymological mysteries in Anonyponymous: The Forgotten People Behind Everyday Words.

Author Aravind Adiga was not interested in stuffy classics or long, drawn-out historical accounts. But Edmund Wilson's history of socialism, To the Finland Station, proved to be anything but dull — it's electrifying.

Neurologist Oliver Sacks' earliest and fondest memories are of fire — the coal fires of his childhood home, Hanukkah candles. Today he deals more with the firing of neurons, but he still gets his fix through flame-inspired literature like Hazel Rossotti's Fire, about the culture and science of fire.

In his new book, The Gun, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter C.J. Chivers traces the history of AK-47. The weapon's availability, ease of use and durability, Chivers says, have allowed insurgents to fight the most powerful nations on earth.

To enter the world of Vikram Chandra's new novel is to be immersed in the crime and corruption of Mumbai. The city formerly known as Bombay isn't just a backdrop; it's also a character.

Max, a happier version of Charlie Brown, and his slightly subversive sidekick pig, Pinky, have a colorful, comic relationship reminiscent of Calvin and Hobbes. Their young creator, Max Eaton, developed the characters over thousands of bar-napkin doodles.

Two new spy novels, Alex Berenson's The Faithful Spy and Robert Baer's Blow the House Down offer thrilling fictions based on today's realities of terrorism — and undercover efforts to thwart it. Literature professor Alan Cheuse has a review.

Writer Charles D'Ambrosio's The Dead Fish Museum reveal the dark sides of America, from psychiatric wards of Manhattan to the shores of Puget Sound. The collection of eight stories comes 10 years after D'Ambrosio's debut, The Point.