Jennifer Parmelee Childs Recommends:

Daniel Isn't Talking: A Novel by Marti Leimbach

What would you do if you had a child who was diagnosed as autistic? I'm not sure how I would handle it. It is hard to imagine until you are there, but I hope I could be as strong and determined as Melanie Marsh, the narrator of Daniel Isn't Talking. Although this is not a memoir, you can tell that the author is speaking from a reality she loved in-her own son is autistic-and not merely imagining what autism can do to a family. When Daniel is diagnosed with autism, Melanie's husband shuts down and only discusses that condition when he is trying to argue that their son needs to be placed in a special school. Melanie refuses to give up on Daniel and, at the risk of destroying her marriage, she fights to teach him to be as "normal" as possible. With the help of a cute Irish expert, she achieves some success, and has glorious breakthrough moments, such as hearing Daniel call her "Mom" for the first time. The latest statistics reveal that 1 in every 165 families has a child on the autism spectrum, but this book in not only for them-it is a touching and inspirational novel for anyone who has been faced with a problem that seemed insurmountable. It is a wonderful selection for a Reading Group- there is much to discuss and think about here. Daniel and Melanie will stay with you long after you've read the final pages.

Nan A. Talese | $22.95 | 0-385-51751-3 | HC

Erica McDonald Recommends:

The Virgin of Small Plains: A Novel of Suspense by Nancy Pickard

This book will keep you up late into the night as you become desperate to learn more pieces to the puzzle in this suspenseful murder mystery that focuses on the emotions and motives of each character rather than gore and forensic science. The town of Small Plains, Kansas is filled with secrets. The murder of an unidentified young woman has managed to remain unsolved for seventeen years. Each character seems to have something to hide and a stake in keeping the truth from ever being discovered. What did the sheriff's sons know about this woman and why did the judge send his son away the very night the body was found brutally murdered? Loyalties and beliefs are ripped apart as a web of secrets and lies is created amongst family members, lifelong friends, and community leaders, all in order to keep the truth about the young woman's identity and death from being uncovered. This is great reading for those summer weekend getaways and hours spent on the beach. But be warned, you won't want to put this one down for a minute!

Ballantine | $23.95 | 0-345-47099-0 | HC

Sarah Pucillo Recommends:

The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christoper Hogwood by Sy Montgomery

Why read a book about the life of a pig in New Hampshire? Despite the fact that I am a devoted animal lover, I asked myself this question. Once I began this charming, heart-warming story, I found myself falling in love with the true story of Christopher Hogwood-the runt of his litter who grew to 750 pounds and lived for fourteen years. This tribute to a loving friend and pig is more then the account of one animal's life. This is a story about community and friendship. Sy Montgomery's community in New Hampshire rallied together to help feed, chase, and bathe Christopher. The local sheriff kept a basket of apples in his police car so that he could lead Christopher home after his many excursions beyond Sy's property. Local restaurants separated out vegetarian scraps and delivered large buckets of slops to feed him. Sy's neighbors-two young girls who moved next door after their parents' divorced-befriend Christopher, spending long hours bathing him in a ritual Sy called "Pig Spa." Interwoven with stories of Christopher, her beloved dog, and the hens- or "Ladies" as Sy calls then-is the story of Sy's fascinating travels to the Bay of Bengal, the Amazon and many more exotic places for her job as a freelance author and naturalist. When I turned the last page, I thought to myself, here is a woman who has made a living exploring, who chose a unique path through life and followed her passion for animals and other cultures. Sy's memoir reminded me that sometimes the unexpected gifts-like a pig- bring the most joy.

Ballantine | $21.95 | 0-345-48137-2 | HC | June

Marica Purcell Recommends:

End In Tears: A Wexford Novel by Ruth Rendell

The Minotur: A Novel by Barbara Vine

Thirteen Steps Down: A Novel by Ruth Rendell

Fans of mystery and suspense have an opportunity to indulge in an absolute orgy of rewarding reading. Ruth Rendell, writing as herself, has produced two outstanding suspense novels: End In Tears: A Wexford Novel and Thirteen Steps Down. And her alter ego Barbara Vine has produced the atmospheric The Minotaur. End in Tears finds Wexford baffled by the seemingly unrelated deaths of two young women, until he learns their dark shared secret. And in Thirteen Steps Down an angry young man and his elderly spinster landlady engage in a chilling and compelling game of wits. The Minotaur offers remote, ivy-covered Lydstep Old Hall, a young nurse, her drugged "charge," his domineering mother and four bitter sisters. This potent mix leads to sexual obsession, betrayal, and murder! I've been an admirer of Dame Rendell for years, but I'll let another mystery master have the last word: "Those who haven't read her books have missed something unique and wonderful." —Tony Hillerman

Crown| $25.00 | 0-307-33976-9 | HC | July (End in Tears)

Crown| $25.00 | 0-307-23760-5 | HC (The Minotaur)

Crown| $25.00 | 1-4000-9842-4 | HC (13 Steps Down)

Courtney Russell Recommends:

Miracle In the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home by Nando Parrado

Everyone should read this book! Many people know the story of the Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the high Andes in 1972. This harrowing account of survival in the most extreme conditions was immortalized in the original book, Alive, and the subsequent film of the same name, so why, you ask, should you read this? The reason is, quite simply, that it is an important story eloquently told in the first person by Nando Parrado, the individual who lost the most in the crash (his loved ones), and was one of the two young men who trekked out of the mountains to get help. This book is a wonderful pick for reluctant readers or any YA reader for two reasons: 1) this younger generation probably isn't familiar wit this story, and 2) they will be attracted to the almost fantastical, and sometimes gruesome, content of the story. Miracle in the Andres is both profoundly horrifying and inspiring at the same time. Parrado is able to convey his philosophy on life and love and even his take on religion and spirituality (or lack thereof) to readers without sounding preachy-because he escaped death so narrowly, he is an authority on life. All I can say is that this true-life adventure tale was miraculous at the time, and this book is a marvel to read.

Crown | $25.00 | 1-4000-9767-3 | HC | May

Hannah Doherty Recommends:

The Man of My Dreams by Curtis Sittenfeld

I've been eagerly awaiting Curtis Sittenfeld's new novel ever since finishing Prep last year, but I'll admit to experiencing a certain amount of dismay when I saw the new book's title listed on the roster for the up upcoming season. Prep was spare and evocative, while The Man of My Dreams sounded worrisomely cute. Had Sittenfeld lost her edge, I wondered, or been whitewashed into a less trenchant vision of youthful love and loss? Evidently not: the book opens as Hannah Gavener, at fourteen, struggles with the aftermath of her mother's decision to (finally) leave her hyper-controlling father. The effects of this decision reverberate through Hannah's life and psyche as she grows up to make her own hard choices about love. Like Prep's protagonist, Lee, Hannah isn't always likeable; her insecurity and lack of self-awareness can be aggravating, and the reader yearns for her to outgrow her awkwardness as much as she herself does. Yes (also like Lee) Hannah's thoughts and fears were eminently familiar to me: Sittenfeld's genius lies, I think in capturing the minutiae of daily life in a way that is at once stunningly specific and universally recognizable. The Man of My Dreams, it turns out, is anything but cute; Sittenfeld doesn't shy away from the truth about her characters, even when they're foolish or petty or just plain mean. Instead-just as I hoped-it's subtle, bittersweet and utterly engrossing.

Random House | $22.95 | 1-4000-6476-7 | HC | May

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