Ben Dolnick

This week, following a series of security lapses, the Secret Service director resigned. For a look at the agency beyond the scandal, author Ben Dolnick recommends the novel Big If by Mark Costello.

Patrimony is a nonfiction account — almost a diary — that Roth wrote about the last years of his father's life. Author Ben Dolnick calls it one of Roth's best and most surprising books.