Dr. Marie Heaton is facing a malpractice suit after the tragic death of a young patient, and her life is further complicated by her aging father, troubled sister, and ill-defined relationship with her ex. What makes this debut novels shine is how Cassella opens the unfamiliar world of doctors and hospitals with its intriguing intertwining of Hippocrates and Mammon.

Annette Majoris, late-night radio host, jokingly suggests that the Vietnam War was simply an elaborate government hoax - and to her surprise, her career takes off. This novel may be a sad commentary on the political/media complex, but it makes for a hilarious reading experience.

Julian and Mia meet as undergraduates and marry. During a visit with his best friend (and writing rival), Julian uncovers a secret that sends him into a tailspin. This quiet novel will surprise you with the powerful impression it leaves.

As 65-year-old Ann Grant Lord battles cancer, she looks back on defining moments: an all-too-brief love affair and the death of her young son. You won't want to put down this potent, beautifully plotted and stylish novel, which was the basis for a Meryl Streep and Vanessa Redgrave film.

In a private school on Manhattan's Upper East Side, everyone is reeling from the news that senior Astra Dell is in the hospital with a rare form of cancer. In a series of connected stories, we see how Astra's illness affects, overtly or subconsciously, her fellow students.

Chloe makes wedding dresses, but boyfriend Philip doesn't seem to want her wearing one. Hugh works hard while his wife works hard to redefine "high maintenance." Gerard invites both couples to his luxurious Spanish villa - at the same time. Was it really an accident? Wickham (as Sophie Kinsella) writes the Shopaholic series, and this book is an absolute confection.

If you ever read a book as a child, you must read this engaging, informative, and animated account of the history of children's literature. From turn-of-the-century librarians to Nancy Drew - who would have guessed there was so much drama behind the scenes?

From a profile of real workers hired (for real money) to search for virtual gold in the virtual game World of Warcraft to how cooking meets chemistry and physics in molecular gastronomy, even the most technophobic reader will find much of interest here.

The best way to describe this engrossing tale is as a triple biography. Primarily, it's the story of Glenn Gould and his phenomenal talent and quirks. But it's also the biography of a piano; and of the nearly blind piano tuner who loved it with a passion equal to Gould's.

Seymour, a prominent biographer, knows the best subjects have quirkiness and secrets, and in George Seymour, she is lucky to find both. Lucky as a writer, that is. This often funny and always deeply felt memoir helps us to understand the nature of her father's wounded heart.

In futuristic Appalachia, 16-year-old Katniss takes the place of her younger sister in the Hunger Games, a fight-to-the-death TV game show. As Katniss travels to the Capitol of North America for the contest, she finds adventure, romance, and danger in this novel that is an impossible-to-put-down evocation of George Orwell's 1984.

All that Nella, a middle sister in the rural south during the Great Depression, wants for Christmas is a Baby Betty doll. Nella learns that sharing beats selfishness when, on Christmas morning, Santy Claus leaves one Baby Betty for the three girls.