ow do you decide what to read next? Do you scour book reviews, or do you ask trusted friends for recommendations? If you're in a reading group, you probably do a little of both. Allow us to make a few suggestions. Below you'll find a number of outstanding novels, books that will appeal to every taste, books with emotional depth, books that exercise the intellect, and books that are sure to spark some lively discussions.

October 2008

Nonfiction The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Eric Larson Erik Larson's book, set against the magical backdrop of the Chicago World's Fair of 1893, tells the story of two men: Daniel H. Burhnam, the architect who built the shimmering "white city"; and H.H. Holmes, a mass-murderer posing as a charming doctor, who preyed on the fair's visitors, killing between 27 and 200 people. Stunning in detail and characterization, Larson's The Devil in the White City illuminates two very different stories—grand and gruesome—within a landmark event in American history. Excerpt Reading Guide		Nonfiction The Faith Club: A Muslim, a Christian, a Jew—Three Women Search for Understanding by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner After 9/11, Ranya Idliby sought out a Christian and a Jew to help her write an interfaith book for children. What emerged instead was a series of lively—sometimes heated—debates about religion and its role in American life. This record of three women exploring their own faiths in light of each other's beliefs is courageously candid and wonderfully thought-provoking. Excerpt Reading Guide
Fiction The Gold Coast by Nelson DeMille Set on a swanky swath of land on Long Island, Nelson DeMille's layered thriller The Gold Coast is what might happen if Jay Gatsby entered the world of The Sopranos. John Sutter is a married, successful lawyer with a seemingly perfect life…until a Mafia boss moves into the mansion next door. Then John's life quickly unravels as his entanglements with the goodfella deepen. Excerpt Reading Guide		Fiction The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry Book clubs will find much to discuss within the pages of this ambitious debut novel (and check out our own Borders Book Club with the author, linked below). Like the lace that features prominently in it, Brunonia Barry's story is a striking piece of work constructed from the interplay of separate threads, exploring how the supernatural tangles with the psychological in three generations of Salem women. Excerpt, Reading Guide, How to Read Lace, and More
Young Adult The People of Sparks by Jeanne Du Prau In The City of Ember, youngsters Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow save the inhabitants of their decaying underground city by finding an escape. In The People of Sparks, we learn what Lina and Doon find when they come above ground: a strange world with a sun and moon, trees, birds, and the community of Sparks, its inhabitants and customs very different from those of Ember. Excerpt Reading Guide The City of Ember Movie on Borders Backlot

LATEST EPISODE!

Brunonia Barry discusses The Lace Reader

Towner Whitney, the self-confessed unreliable narrator of The Lace Reader, hails from generations of Salem women who can read the future in the patterns in lace. The disappearance of Towner's great aunt brings her home to Salem and brings the truth about the death of Towner's twin to light. The Lace Reader is a mesmerizing tale that spirals into secrets, confused identities, and half-truths, in which it's nearly impossible to separate fact from fiction. But, as Towner points out early on in the novel, "There are no accidents."