The Naples Underworld
In Naples, the Scuotto siblings make beautiful and scary renditions of Italy's "Punch"
Christmas Facelife
My husband and I decided long ago that we need no more objects in our lives, and so our gifts to one another are moments: a nice dinner at a trattoria or day in the country at our favorite hideaway.
Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name
Vendela Vida's psychological detective story works so long as you don't apply too much pressure on the wound.
Native Speaker
Chang-Rae Lee trawls ethnic New York City with a bard's eye for detail and human hurt.
Lost Hearts in Italy
Andrea Lee's Italian hot-blooded romance is all well and good, so long as you don't care about details.
Snakes & Earrings
Ultimate kewl Japanese: Hitomi Kanehara gets to the heart of Tokyo's tat scene with a cold hand and a good heart.
The Stars at Noon
This bizarre concoction from Denis Johnson almost captures the paranoia of Nicaragua in the Sandinista years.
The Farenheit Twins
Faber is very much at home in these dark and luminous stories about the way things go right and wrong, and unexpected hope.
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
A journey through string theory and quantum mechanics courtesy of a Columbia University physicist.
A Church in Search of Itself: Benedict XVI and the Battle for the Future
According to Robert Blair Kaiser, Pope Benedict is more likely to be Roman than Catholic.
The Ache
David Kosky: "'Maybe she feels the same way.' Lisa knew it was a lie as soon as she said it..."