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In an engrossing novel spanning the years 1938 to 1950, four girlfriends grapple with anguish and loss while the upheavals of war transform them into resilient, introspective women.

We Sinners A Novel Hanna Pylvaїnen Henry Holt: 189 pp., $23

Conspirata A Novel Robert Harris Simon & Schuster: 342 pp., $26

Juliet Barker's lives of the Brontës may be a doorstopper, but it's hardly the only one this season resisting quick consumption. The following three tomes don't beg so much as wallop you on the head with their sheer size. Winter of the World Book Two of the Century Trilogy Ken Follett Dutton: 941 pp., $36 The medium-sized thriller "Eye of the Needle," published back at the start of Follett's career in the late 1970s, was a red herring. Since then, Follett has served up expansive epics like "The Pillars of the Earth" and "World Without End," which embrace the medieval world, and "The Century Trilogy," which chronicles the lives of five families in times of social and historical tumult.

Revolver Matt Kindt Vertigo: 192 pp., $24.99

Savages A Novel Don Winslow Simon & Schuster: 302 pp., $25

Frank The Voice James Kaplan Doubleday: 786 pp., $35

'The King of Kings County" A Novel Whitney Terrell Viking: 362 pp., $24.95

Moonlight Mile A Novel Dennis Lehane William Morrow: 326 pp., $26.99

Decision Points George W. Bush Crown: 498 pp., $35

The Lost Prince A Novel Selden Edwards Dutton: 437 pp., $26.95

Every Day David Levithan Alfred A. Knopf: 336 pp.: $16.99, ages 12 and older

Capital A Novel John Lanchester W.W. Norton: 527 pp., $26.95

YA promises diversity with historical fiction, paranormal romance, murder mysteries and thrillers. The Raven Boys By Maggie StiefvaterScholastic, 416 pp.: $18.99, for ages 13 and up The kickoff to "The Raven Cycle," a new four-book series from the "Shiver" trilogy author, is a supernatural mystery about prep school boys and a psychic's daughter. (September) The Diviners By Libba BrayLittle, Brown, 608 pp.: $19.99, for ages 15 and up In this paranormal, historical thriller, a young woman moves to New York during the roaring '20s, only to find herself embroiled in an occult-related murder mystery.

Books for tweens may get overshadowed by the enormous popularity of young-adult titles, but the category is still robust, as more bestselling authors of adult and teen books apply their talents to a younger audience. Infinity Ring Book One: A Mutiny in Time By James DashnerScholastic, 192 pp.: $12.99, for ages 8 and up Three kids travel back through history to fix it and save the future in this kickoff to a new multimedia series that can be experienced as both a book and video game.

Readers of young adult fiction have more choices than ever before. Still, just as adults are "reading down," many teens are also "reading up. " What does that mean? Some teens are turning to titles intended for adults that feature young protagonists. Stormdancer By Jay Kristoff Thomas Dunne Books, 336 pp.: $24.99 The kickoff to a new fantasy series is dystopian steam punk set in feudal Japan with a strong female lead. (September) The Yellow Birds By Kevin Powers Little, Brown, 240 pp.: $24.99 Two young American soldiers struggle to protect each other from insurgents, fatigue and other perils of the Iraq War. (September)

Little America The War Within The War for Afghanistan Rajiv Chandrasekaran Alfred A. Knopf: 368 pp., $27.95

American Tapestry The Story of the Black, White and Multiracial Ancestors of Michelle Obama Rachel L. Swarns Amistad/HarperCollins: 392 pp., $27.99