10 novels to work on for Labor Day

Established by the federal government after the Pullman strike in 1894, Labor Day now has a lot more to do with getting bargains at the mall than honoring labor on the streets. With union membership falling to its lowest level since 1916, the holiday seems either more necessary or more irrelevant than ever. After all, last week's walk-out by the nation's fast-food workers felt about as disruptive as a day without an Egg McMuffin.