The Simeon Chamber by Steve Martini (Jove Books). This first effort by Steve Martini, a convoluted thriller whose plot hinges on the appearance of a journal by explorer Francis Drake (don't ask!), only hints at the heights Martini would later achieve with his fast-paced legal thriller Compelling Evidence.

King of the Hill: A Memoir by A.E. Hotchner (Harper Perennial). Hotchner's recounting of his Depression-era youth is enchanting from start to finish, capturing a boy's unwavering wonder and sense of adventure, even as his family's precarious finances conspired against his happiness.

The Brothers K by David James Duncan (Bantam). Take Field of Dreams and cross it with The World According to Garp and you have the makings of Duncan's literary bestseller depicting an aging semi-pro baseball player, his religious fanatic wife, and their oddball family.

Praying for Sheetrock by Melissa Fay Greene (Addison-Wesley) is the true story of a bigoted white sheriff in the Deep South who treats his town as a personal fiefdom. Any tractor trailer driver unfortunate enough to have a major accident in his jurisdiction is liable to have his cargo distributed among the townfolk as the sheriff's spoils of war. Thus the title: Praying for Sheetrock.

Bloody Murder by Julian Symons (Warner) traces the rise of the crime novel from the 1900s to today. This reference is a good start for anyone looking for a new mystery author to try.