Night-Table Reading

J. K. Rowling

author,Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Corelli's Mandolin, by Louis de Bemieres (Vintage). "It is beautifully written, stunningly evocative, and made me both cry and laugh aloud."

Ron Insana

anchor, CNBC'sStreet Signs All Too Human, by George Stephanopoulos (Little, Brown). "It allows history-lovers a compelling contemporaneous account of one of history's most enigmatic figures. It offers a fresh perspective on our sometimes confusing and curious times. "

Yefim Shubentsov author.Cure Your Cravings

Rudyard Kipling's Verse, by Rudyard Kipling (Doubleday). "'If'—a blueprint for a successful life—is required reading for anyone aspiring to be whole. "

Hanif Kureishi screenwriter, My Son the Fanatic

I Married a Communist, by Philip Roth (Houghton Mifflin). "He started off as a great writer, and his work keeps getting better and better."