The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse, by Louise Erdrich (HarperCollins). "It traces the shifting borders between passion and compassion, men and women, saints and sinners, heaven and earth. Three hundred and sixty-eight pages of unforgettable characters and perfect, sweet, bitter prose."

Lucky Jim, by Kingsley Amis (Penguin). Brilliontly funny and cynical and kind of sweet."

Ava's Man, by Rick Bragg (Random House). "It is such a special experience to read Bragg's account of the grandfather he never knew during the Depression in the Deep South. I finished his book with tears in my eyes and joy in my heart."

A Big Life (in Advertising), by Mary Wells Lawrence (Knopf). "She was the reason for my getting into this business, and I am genuinely looking forward to reliving how she inspired me to fulfill my dream."