Night-table Reading

Patrick Stewart,actor: In the Skin of a Lion, by Michael Ondaatje (Penguin). "Ondaatje's novels fascinate me because as his stories develop, layers fall away from his characters as if they are being undressed. "

Ken Aretsky,restaurateur: Unto the Sons, by Gay Talese (Ivy). "Knowing how suave Gay Talese is, it was fascinating to read in great detail about his uncle and father, both master tailors. "

Betty A. Prashker,editor: Terrible Honesty: Mongrel Manhattan in the 1920s, by A nn Douglas (Farrar, Straus & Giroux). "It's about New York in the 20s, when it was bursting with creativity and hope— the way I want it to be now."

Trudie Styler,producer: The Longest Memory, by Fred D 'Aguiar (Vintage U.K.). "It is the most poetic and painful reminder of slavery. You carry pieces of it in your heart. "