1. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
2. The Gathering
By Anne Enright. Grove.
3. The Friday Night Knitting Club
By Kate Jacobs. Berkley.
4. Nineteen Minutes
By Jodi Picoult. Washington Square.
5. Love Walked In
By Marisa de los Santos. Plume.
6. The Quickie
By James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge. Grand Central.
7. Then We Came to the End
By Joshua Ferris. Back Bay.
8. Body Surfing
By Anita Shreve. Back Bay.
9. The Reluctant Fundamentalist
By Mohsin Hamid. Harvest.
10. The Woods
By Harlan Coben. Signet.

SOURCE: Boston area bookstores

1. The Friday Night Knitting Club
By Kate Jacobs. Berkley.
2. The Gathering
By Anne Enright. Grove.
3. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
4. Nineteen Minutes
By Jodi Picoult. Washington Square.
5. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
6. Love Walked In
By Marisa de los Santos. Plume.
7. The Reluctant Fundamentalist
By Mohsin Hamid. Harvest.
8. The Other Boleyn Girl
By Philippa Gregory. Touchstone.
9. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
10. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.

SOURCE: Boston area bookstores

1. The Friday Night Knitting Club
By Kate Jacobs. Berkley.
2. The Gathering
By Anne Enright. Grove.
3. Then We Came to the End
By Joshua Ferris. Back Bay.
4. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
5. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive
By Alexander McCall Smith. Anchor.
6. The Other Boleyn Girl
By Philippa Gregory. Touchstone.
7. The Double Bind
By Chris Bohjalian. Vintage.
8. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
9. Love in the Time of Cholera
By Gabriel García Márquez. Vintage.
10. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.

SOURCE: Boston area bookstores

1. The Gathering
By Anne Enright. Grove.
2. The Friday Night Knitting Club
By Kate Jacobs. Berkley.
3. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
4. Nineteen Minutes
By Jodi Picoult. Washington Square.
5. Then We Came to the End
By Joshua Ferris. Back Bay.
6. Peony in Love
By Lisa See. Random House.
7. The Other Boleyn Girl
By Philippa Gregory. Touchstone.
8. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
9. The Double Bind
By Chris Bohjalian. Vintage.
10. Love in the Time of Cholera
By Gabriel García Márquez. Vintage.

SOURCE: Boston area bookstores

1. The Friday Night Knitting Club
By Kate Jacobs. Berkley.
2. The Gathering
By Anne Enright. Grove.
3. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
4. Nineteen Minutes
By Jodi Picoult. Washington Square.
5. The Other Boleyn Girl
By Philippa Gregory. Touchstone.
6. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
7. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
8. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
9. Then We Came to the End
By Joshua Ferris. Back Bay.
10. Peony in Love
By Lisa See. Random House.

SOURCE: Boston area bookstores

1. The Gathering
By Anne Enright. Grove.
2. The Friday Night Knitting Club
By Kate Jacobs. Berkley.
3. The Other Boleyn Girl
By Philippa Gregory. Touchstone.
4. Nineteen Minutes
By Jodi Picoult. Washington Square.
5. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
6. Atonement
By Ian McEwan. Anchor.
7. The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
8. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy.Vintage.
9. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
10. The Pillars of the Earth
By Ken Follett. NAL.

Source: Boston area bookstores

1. The Gathering
By Anne Enright. Grove.
2. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
3. What Is the What
By Dave Eggers. Vintage.
4. Atonement
By Ian McEwan. Anchor.
5. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
6. The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears
By Dinaw Mengestu. Riverhead.
7. The Friday Night Knitting Club
By Kate Jacobs. Berkley.
8. Christine Falls
By Benjamin Black. Picador.
9. The History of Love
By Nicole Krauss. Norton.
10. The Witch of Portobello
By Paulo Coelho. Harper.

Source: Boston area bookstores

1. Three Cups of Tea
By Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. Penguin.
2. Eat, Pray, Love
By Elizabeth Gilbert. Penguin.
3. The Audacity of Hope
By Barack Obama. Three Rivers.
4. A New Earth
By Eckhart Tolle. Penguin.
5. Dreams From My Father
By Barack Obama. Three Rivers.
6. Skinny B****
By Kim Barnouin and Rory Freedman. Running Press.
7. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
By Jean-Dominique Bauby. Vintage.
8. Into the Wild
By Jon Krakauer. Anchor.
9. The Tipping Point
By Malcolm Gladwell. Back Bay.
10. The Omnivore’s Dilemma
By Michael Pollan. Penguin.

SOURCE: Boston area bookstores

1. The Gathering
By Anne Enright. Grove.
2. Atonement
By Ian McEwan. Anchor.
3. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
4. The Pillars of the Earth
By Ken Follett. NAL.
5. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
6. Body Surfing
By Anita Shreve. Back Bay.
7. The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
8. What Is the What
By Dave Eggers. Vintage.
9. Love in the Time of Cholera
By Gabriel García Márquez. Vintage.
10. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.

SOURCE: Boston area bookstores

1. Atonement
By Ian McEwan. Anchor.
2. The Gathering
By Anne Enright. Grove.
3. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
4. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
5. Love in the Time of Cholera
By Gabriel García Márquez. Vintage.
6. The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
7. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
8. Suite Francaise
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
9. The Pillars of the Earth
By Ken Follett. NAL.
10. Body Surfing
By Anita Shreve. Back Bay.

SOURCE: Area bookstores

1. Atonement
By Ian McEwan. Anchor.
2. The Gathering
By Anne Enright. Grove.
3. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin. Books of Chapel Hill.
4. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
5. Love in the Time of Cholera
By Gabriel García Márquez. Vintage.
6. The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
7. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
8. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
9. The Pillars of the Earth
By Ken Follett. NAL.
10. The Welsh Girl
By Peter Ho Davies. Mariner.

1. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
1. Love in the Time of Cholera
By Gabriel García Márquez. Vintage.
3. The Pillars of the Earth
By Ken Follett. NAL.
4. The Gathering
By Anne Enright. Grove.
5. What Is the What
By Dave Eggers. Vintage.
6. The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
7. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
8. Atonement
By Ian McEwan. Anchor.
9. The Mission Song
By John le Carré. Back Bay.
10. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
1. Love in the Time of Cholera
By Gabriel García Márquez. Vintage.
3. The Gathering
By Anne Enright. Grove.
4. The Pillars of the Earth
By Ken Follett. NAL.
5. What Is the What
By Dave Eggers. Vintage.
6. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
7. The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
8. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
9. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
10. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
2. Love in the Time of Cholera
By Gabriel García Márquez. Vintage.
3. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
4. The Gathering
By Anne Enright. Grove.
5. What Is the What
By Dave Eggers. Vintage.
6. The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
7. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
8. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
9. The Golden Notebook
By Doris Lessing. Harper.
10. No Country for Old Men
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
2. Love in the Time of Cholera
By Gabriel García Márquez. Vintage.
3. What Is the What
By Dave Eggers. Vintage.
4. The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
5. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
6. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
7. The Gathering
By Anne Enright. Grove.
8. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
9. The Golden Notebook
By Doris Lessing. Harper.
10. Digging to America
By Anne Tyler. Ballantine.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

GREAT WRITERS PODCAST

Don't look now, but your dogma just got run over by Shalom Auslander's karma.

It's amazing that a book so full of painful soul-baring can be so funny, but it is. Just listen to the laughs in the background from the crowd at Brookline Booksmith during Auslander's recent reading of excerpts from his new book "Foreskin's Lament."

But be forewarned: A howling [double meaning alert] rant on his orthodox Jewish upbringing and against those who teach children that God is a vengeful deity to be feared and obeyed at all times, the book is probably not for the faint of faith.

The New York Times said this:

Now Shalom Auslander has entered the ring, flying off the ropes, pro-wrestling style, with his memoir, “Foreskin’s Lament,” a no-holds-barred affront to the G-d whose name is never uttered by the faithful under Jewish law.

Also in the current episode of Great Writers, we serve up or "Top of the Stack" book recommendations from today's hottest writers, including Brock Clarke, the author of "An Arsonist's Guide to New England Writers' Homes;" Jon Clinch, the author of "Finn;" and Jennifer Belle, the author of "Little Stalker."

The recommendations are worth a listen to hear why the authors are recommending their favorites, but for your convenience, here are some links to their recommended books:

Brock Clarke:
"US!" by Chris Bachelder
"The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" by Muriel Spark
"The Good People of New York" by Thisbe Nissen

Jon Clinch:
"I Hate to See That Evening Sun Go Down" by William Gay
"Absolom, Absolom" by William Faulkner
"Memoir from Antproof Case" by Mark Helprin

Jennifer Belle
"Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov
"Lovely Me: The Life of Jacqueline Susann" by Barbara Seaman
"Good Morning, Midnight" by Jean Rhys

Enjoy.

-- Ralph Ranalli

1. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
2. Love in the Time of Cholera
By Gabriel García Márquez. Vintage.
3. What Is the What
By Dave Eggers. Vintage.
4. The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
5. The Best American Short Stories 2007
Edited by Stephen King. Houghton Mifflin.
6. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
7. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
8. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
9. Not Enough Indians
By Harry Shearer. Justin, Charles.
10. Gone, Baby, Gone
By Dennis Lehane. Harper.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
2. Love in the Time of Cholera
By Gabriel García Márquez. Vintage.
3. The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
4. The Gathering
By Anne Enright. Grove.
5. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
6. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
7. The Best American Short Stories 2007
Edited by Stephen King. Houghton Mifflin.
8. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
9. What Is the What
By Dave Eggers. Vintage.
10. Wicked
By Gregory Maguire. Harper.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
2. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
3. Suite Francaise
By Irene Nemirovsky. Vintage.
4. The Best American Short Stories 2007
Edited by Stephen King. Houghton Mifflin.
5. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
6. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
7. The Echo Maker
By Richard Powers. Picador.
8. Love in the Time of Cholera
By Gabriel García Márquez. Vintage.
9. Middlesex
By Jeffrey Eugenides. Picador.
10. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

Claire Messud is featured in the current episode of Great Writers.
(Globe staff photo by Dina Rudick)

GREAT WRITERS

The Great Writers podcast is back from summer hiatus, with a new format, more events, and bigger names than before.

Launched last year in conjuction with independent literary powerhouse Newtonville Books, Great Writers has now added two more of the region's best independent bookstores as partners: Brookline Booksmith and Wellesley Booksmith. Another big change: new episodes this season will debut on Tuesdays instead of Sundays.

The first episode of the 2007-2008 season is now online. It features a special double appearance from Brookline Booksmith by bestselling authors Claire Messud, reading and discussing "The Emperor's Children," (recently released in paperback) and Valerie Martin, talking about and reading from her latest work, "Tresspass."

"The Emperor's Children" is Messud's fourth book and was named one of the ten best books of 2006 by the New York Times, which called her "a novelist of unnerving talent." Her 1996 debut novel, "When the World Was Steady," earned her a nomination for the PEN/Faulkner Award. Martin's 2003 novel "Property" won the prestigious Orange Prize.

Next week's episode will feature our first recommendations from the Books section staff of the Globe and a reading by Brock Clarke, the author of the remarkable new novel "An Arsonist's Guide to New England Writers' Homes."

Listen, enjoy, and tell a friend. Or what the heck, tell your whole book club.

Click here to listen to this week's episode.

Click here to visit Boston.com's Podcast page.

Click here to subscribe to the series via RSS. Great Writers is also available through iTunes.

-- Ralph Ranalli

1. The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
2. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
3. Suite Francaise
By Irene Nemirovsky. Vintage.
4. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
5. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
6. Digging to America
By Anne Tyler. Random House.
7. The Best American Short Stories 2007
Edited by Stephen King. Houghton Mifflin.
8. Middlesex
By Jeffrey Eugenides. Picador.
9. The Echo Maker
By Richard Powers. Picador.
10. One Good Turn
By Kate Atkinson. Back Bay.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
2. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
3. Suite Francaise
By Irene Nemirovsky. Vintage.
4. One Good Turn
By Kate Atkinson. Back Bay.
5. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
6. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
7. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
8. The Echo Maker
By Richard Powers. Picador.
9. Middlesex
By Jeffrey Eugenides. Picador.
10. Digging to America
By Anne Tyler. Random House.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
2. The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
3. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
4. Suite Française
By Irene Nemirovsky. Vintage.
5. One Good Turn
By Kate Atkinson. Back Bay.
6. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
7. Digging to America
By Anne Tyler. Random House.
8. The Echo Maker
By Richard Powers. Picador.
9. The Best American Short Stories 2007
Edited by Stephen King. Houghton Mifflin.
10. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
2. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
3. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
4. Digging to America
By Anne Tyler. Random House.
5. Suite Francaise
By Irene Nemirovsky. Vintage.
6. One Good Turn
By Kate Atkinson. Back Bay.
7. The Echo Maker
By Richard Powers. Picador.
8. Those Who Save Us
By Jenna Blum. Canongate.
9. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
10. Middlesex
By Jeffrey Eugenides. Picador.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Emperor's Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
2. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
3. Suite Francaise
By Irene Nemirovsky. Vintage.
4. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
5. The Memory Keeper's Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
6. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
7. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
By Lisa See. Random House.
8. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
9. The Lay of the Land
By Richard Ford. Vintage.
10. The Echo Maker
By Richard Powers. Picador.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Emperor's Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
2. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
3. Suite Francaise
By Irene Nemirovsky. Vintage.
4. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
5. The Memory Keeper's Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
6. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
By J.K. Rowling. Scholastic.
8. The Lay of the Land
By Richard Ford. Vintage.
9. Evening
By Susan Minot. Vintage.
10. Middlesex
By Jeffrey Eugenides. Picador.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
2. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
3. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
4. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
5. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
6. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
7. Baby Proof
By Emily Giffin. St. Martin’s.
8. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
By J..K. Rowling. Scholastic.
9. Middlesex
By Jeffrey Eugenides. Picador.
10. Evening
By Susan Minot. Vintage.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
2. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
3. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
4. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
5. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
6. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
7. Evening
By Susan Minot. Vintage.
8. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
By J.K. Rowling. Scholastic.
9. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
10. The Poe Shadow
By Matthew Pearl. Random House.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
2. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
3. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
4. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
5. Evening
By Susan Minot. Vintage.
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
By J.K. Rowling. Scholastic.
7. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
8. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
9. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
By J.K. Rowling. Scholastic.
10. Love Walked In
By Marisa de los Santos. Plume.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
2. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
3. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
4. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
5. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
6. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
7. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
By J..K. Rowling. Scholastic.
8. The Poe Shadow
By Matthew Pearl. Random House.
9. Evening
By Susan Minot. Vintage.
10. Middlesex
By Jeffrey Eugenides. Picador.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
2. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
3. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
4. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
5. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
6. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
7. Evening
By Susan Minot. Vintage.
8. Middlesex
By Jeffrey Eugenides. Picador.
9. The Whole World Over
By Julia Glass. Anchor.
10. Intuition
By Allegra Goodman. Dial.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Emperor’s Children
By Claire Messud. Vintage.
2. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
3. The Birthdays
By Heidi Pitlor. Norton.
4. How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life
By Mameve Medwed. Avon.
5. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
6. A Letter to Harvey Milk
By Lesléa Newman. University of Wisconsin.
7. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
8. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
9. The Whole World Over
By Julia Glass. Anchor.
10. Absurdistan
By Gary Shteyngart. Random House.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
2. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
3. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
4. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
5. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
6. Middlesex
By Jeffrey Eugenides. Picador.
7. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
8. Intuition
By Allegra Goodman. Dial.
9. The Whole World Over
By Julia Glass. Anchor.
10. Special Topics in Calamity Physics
By Marisha Pessl. Penguin.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
2. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
3. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
4. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
5. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
6. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
7. Middlesex
By Jeffrey Eugenides. Picador.
8. Intuition
By Allegra Goodman. Dial.
9. The Whole World Over
By Julia Glass. Anchor.
10. Prime Time
By Hank Phillippi Ryan. Harlequin.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
2. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
3. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
4. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
5. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
6. Intuition
By Allegra Goodman. Dial.
7. Baby Proof
By Emily Giffin. St. Martin’s.
8. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
9. Middlesex
By Jeffrey Eugenides. Picador.
10. Love Walked In
By Marisa de los Santos. Plume.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
2. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
3. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
4. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
5. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
6. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
7. Intuition
By Allegra Goodman. Dial.
8. Absurdistan
By Gary Shteyngart. Random House.
9. Love Walked In
By Marisa de los Santos. Plume.
10. Baby Proof
By Emily Giffin. St. Martin’s.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
2. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
3. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
4. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
5. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
6. Baby Proof
By Emily Giffin. St. Martin’s.
7. Intuition
By Allegra Goodman. Dial.
8. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
9. Absurdistan
By Gary Shteyngart. Random House.
10. Pretty Little Mistakes
By Heather McElhatton. Harper.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
2. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
3. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
4. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
5. Baby Proof
By Emily Giffin. St. Martin’s.
6. Intuition
By Allegra Goodman. Dial.
7. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
8. Absurdistan
By Gary Shteyngart. Random House.
9. Everyman
By Philip Roth. Vintage.
10. Love Walked In
By Marisa de los Santos. Plume.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
2. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
3. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
4. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
5. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
6. Absurdistan
By Gary Shteyngart. Random House.
7. Love Walked In
By Marisa de los Santos. Plume.
8. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
9. Special Topics in Calamity Physics
By Marisha Pessl. Penguin.
10. Case Histories
By Kate Atkinson. Back Bay.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
2. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
3. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
4. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
5. Intuition
By Allegra Goodman. Dial.
6. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
7. Love Walked In
By Marisa de los Santos. Plume.
8. Rise and Shine
By Anna Quindlen. Random House.
9. The Kite Runner
By Khalid Hosseini. Riverhead.
10. Anybody Out There?
By Marian Keyes. Avon.

Compiled by Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
2. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
3. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
4. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
5. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
6. Intuition
By Allegra Goodman. Dial.
7. Love Walked In
By Marisa de los Santos. Plume.
8. Blue Shoes and Happiness
By Alexander McCall Smith. Anchor.
9. Everyman
By Philip Roth. Vintage.
10. Absurdistan
By Gary Shteyngart. Random House.

From Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Road
By Cormac McCarthy. Vintage.
2. Suite Française
By Irène Némirovsky. Vintage.
3. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
4. Intuition
By Allegra Goodman. Dial.
5. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
6. Love Walked In
By Marisa de los Santos. Plume.
7. Water for Elephants
By Sara Gruen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
8. Everyman
By Philip Roth. Vintage.
9. Absurdistan
By Gary Shteyngart. Random House.
10. Blue Shoes and Happiness
By Alexander McCall Smith. Anchor.

From Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

Michael Thomas shares his favorite books in a new Great Writers podcast feature
(Globe staff photo by Suzanne Kreiter)

Whenever an aspiring author asks a successful one for advice, the answer is invariably: "Read."

But read what?

To help answer that question, the Globe's Great Writers podcast has been asking our participating authors to recommend the great books they've been reading lately. We're calling the new feature "Top of the Stack" - as in the books that have earned exulted status amid that pile next to their favorite reading chair.

The first installment of the new feature is already live online. We're also offering a recap and links here for those seeking more information.

Lionel Shriver, the author of the best selling book "We Need to Talk About Kevin," read last month from her new novel "The Post-Birthday World." She recommended:

"Intiution", by Allegra Goodman"
"Revolutionary Road" by Richard Yates, and
"Atonement" by Ian McEwan

Michael Thomas, the Newton native who recently published the acclaimed novel "Man Gone Down," included a collection by poet Yusef Komunyakaa among his recommendations. They were:

"Just Above My Head" by James Baldwin
"Four Quartets" by T.S. Eliot, and
"Taboo" by Yosef Komunyakaa.

Finally, Pagan Kennedy, the author of the fascinating transsexual surgical history "The First Man-Made Man," recommended:

"The Year of Magical Thinking" by Joan Didion,
"The Midnight Disease" by Alice Flaherty, and
"His Brother's Keeper" by Jonathan Weiner.

We'll bring you more recommendations as the series moves along. The next episode of Great Writers will feature Erica Wagner, literary editor for The Times of London, reading and discussing her new novel "Seizure" at Newtonville Books.

1. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
2. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
3. The Namesake
By Jhumpa Lahiri. Mariner.
4. Blue Shoes and Happiness
By Alexander McCall Smith. Anchor.
5. Intuition
By Allegra Goodman. Dial.
6. Love Walked In
By Marisa de los Santos. Plume.
7. Man Gone Down
By Michael Thomas. Grove.
8. Black Swan Green
By David Mitchell. Random House.
9. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
By Lisa See. Random House.
10. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.

From Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
2. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
3. Intuition
By Allegra Goodman. Dial.
4. The Namesake
By Jhumpa Lahiri. Mariner.
5. Love Walked In
By Marisa de los Santos. Plume.
6. Saving Fish From Drowning
By Amy Tan. Ballantine.
7. Man Gone Down
By Michael Thomas. Grove.
8. The Old Wine Shades
By Martha Grimes. Signet.
9. Arthur and George
By Julian Barnes. Vintage.
10. Blue Shoes and Happiness
By Alexander McCall Smith. Anchor.

From Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
2. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
3. Man Gone Down
By Michael Thomas. Grove.
4. Love Walked In
By Marisa de los Santos. Plume.
5. Saving Fish From Drowning
By Amy Tan. Ballantine.
6. The Tenth Circle
By Jodi Picoult. Washington Square.
7. Arthur and George
By Julian Barnes. Vintage.
8. Labyrinth
By Kate Mosse. Berkley.
9. Snow
By Orhan Pamuk. Vintage.
10. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
By Lisa See. Random House.

From Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
2. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
3. Man Gone Down
By Michael Thomas. Grove.
4. Black Swan Green
By David Mitchell. Random House.
5. The History of Love
By Nicole Krauss. Norton.
6. Love Walked In
By Marisa de los Santos. Plume.
7. March
By Geraldine Brooks. Penguin.
8. Judge and Jury
By James Patterson and Andrew Gross. Warner.
9. Saving Fish From Drowning
By Amy Tan. Ballantine.
10. Arthur and George
By Julian Barnes. Vintage.

From Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
2. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
3. Arthur and George
By Julian Barnes. Vintage.
4. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
5. The History of Love
By Nicole Krauss. Norton.
6. Love Walked In
By Marisa de los Santos. Plume.
7. March
By Geraldine Brooks. Penguin.
8. Salem Falls
By Jodi Picoult. Washington Square.
9. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
By Lisa See. Random House.
10. Unshapely Things
By Mark Del Franco. Ace.

From Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
2. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
3. Love Walked In
By Marisa de los Santos. Plume.
4. Arthur and George
By Julian Barnes. Vintage.
5. March
By Geraldine Brooks. Penguin.
6. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
7. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
By Lisa See. Random House.
8. The History of Love
By Nicole Krauss. Norton.
9. Perfect Match
By Jodi Picoult. Washington Square.
10. Saving Fish From Drowning
By Amy Tan. Ballantine.

From Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
2. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
3. March
By Geraldine Brooks. Penguin.
4. Arthur and George
By Julian Barnes. Vintage.
5. The Kite Runner
By Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead.
6. Love Walked In
By Marisa de los Santos. Plume.
7. Man Gone Down
By Michael Thomas. Grove.
8. Snow
By Orhan Pamuk. Vintage.
9. The History of Love
By Nicole Krauss. Norton.
10. Saving Fish From Drowning
By Amy Tan. Ballantine.

From Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
2. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
3. Arthur and George
By Julian Barnes. Vintage.
4. Love Walked In
By Marisa de los Santos. Plume.
5. On Beauty
By Zadie Smith. Penguin.
6. The Brooklyn Follies
By Paul Auster. Picador.
7. Saving Fish From Drowning
By Amy Tan. Ballantine.
8. March
By Geraldine Brooks. Penguin.
9. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
By Lisa See. Random House.
10. The Tenth Circle
By Jodi Picoult. Washington Square Press.

From Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
2. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
3. Arthur and George
By Julian Barnes. Vintage.
4. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
By Lisa See. Random House.
5. Snow
By Orhan Pamuk. Vintage.
6. The Night Watch
By Sarah Waters. Riverhead.
7. March
By Geraldine Brooks. Penguin.
8. The Children of Men
By P.D. James. Vintage.
9. The Sea
By John Banville. Vintage.
10. Saving Fish From Drowning
By Amy Tan. Ballantine.

From Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
2. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
3. Arthur and George
By Julian Barnes. Vintage.
4. The Best American Short Stories 2006
Edited by Ann Patchett. Houghton Mifflin.
5. The Children of Men
By P.D. James. Vintage.
6. Life of Pi
By Yann Martel. Harvest.
7. March
By Geraldine Brooks. Penguin.
8. The Sea
By John Banville. Vintage.
9. Eat the Document
By Dana Spiotta. Scribner.
10. Lipstick Jungle
By Candace Bushnell. Hyperion.

From Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
2. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
3. Arthur and George
By Julian Barnes. Vintage.
4. Snow
By Orhan Pamuk. Vintage.
5. On Beauty
By Zadie Smith. Penguin.
6. The Children of Men
By P.D. James. Vintage.
7. March
By Geraldine Brooks. Penguin.
8. A Wedding in December
By Anita Shreve. Little, Brown.
9. The Tenth Circle
By Jodi Picoult. Washington Square.
10. Alternatives to Sex
By Stephen McCauley. Washington Square.

From Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
2. On Beauty
By Zadie Smith. Penguin.
3. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
4. The History of Love
By Nicole Krauss. Norton.
5. The Children of Men
By P.D. James. Vintage.
6. Eat the Document
By Dana Spiotta. Scribner.
7. Snow
By Orhan Pamuk. Vintage.
8. The Best American Short Stories 2006
Edited by Ann Patchett. Houghton Mifflin.
9. Case Histories
By Kate Atkinson. Back Bay.
10. The Night Watch
By Sarah Waters. Penguin.

From Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
2. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
3. The Best American Short Stories 2006
Edited by Ann Patchett. Houghton Mifflin.
4. On Beauty
By Zadie Smith. Penguin.
5. The History of Love
By Nicole Krauss. Norton.
6. Snow
By Orhan Pamuk. Vintage.
7. March
By Geraldine Brooks. Viking.
8. Running With Scissors
By Augusten Burroughs. Picador.
9. Something Borrowed
By Emily Giffin. St. Martin’s.
10. The Alchemist
By Paulo Coelho. HarperSanFrancisco.

From Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
2. The History of Love
By Nicole Krauss. Norton.
3. The Best American Short Stories 2006
Edited by Ann Patchett. Houghton Mifflin.
4. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
5. On Beauty
By Zadie Smith. Penguin.
6. Snow
By Orhan Pamuk. Vintage.
7. March
By Geraldine Brooks. Viking.
8. The Night Watch
By Sarah Waters. Riverhead.
9. The Five People You Meet in Heaven
By Mitch Albom. Hyperion.
10. Case Histories
By Kate Atkinson. Back Bay.

From Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
2. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
3. Snow
By Orhan Pamuk. Vintage.
4. On Beauty
By Zadie Smith. Penguin.
5. The History of Love
By Nicole Krauss. Norton.
6. The Sea
By John Banville. Vintage.
7. March
By Geraldine Brooks. Viking.
8. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
By Lisa See. !,Random House.
9. The Lighthouse
By P..D. James. Vintage.
10. The Night Watch
By Sarah Waters. Riverhead.

1. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
2. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
3. The Lighthouse
By P.D. James. Vintage.
4. Snow
By Orhan Pamuk. Vintage.
5. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
By Lisa See. Random House.
6. March
By Geraldine Brooks. Viking.
7. On Beauty
By Zadie Smith. Penguin.
8. S Is for Silence
By Sue Grafton. Berkley.
9. The History of Love
By Nicole Krauss. Norton.
10. The Tenth Circle
By Jodi Picoult. Washington Square.

From Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
2. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
3. Snow
By Orhan Pamuk. Vintage.
4. March
By Geraldine Brooks. Viking.
5. The Sea
By John Banville. Vintage.
6. The Lighthouse
By P..D. James. Vintage.
7. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
By Lisa See. Random House.
8. On Beauty
By Zadie Smith. Penguin.
9. The Tenth Circle
By Jodi Picoult. Washington Square.
10. Good Poems for Hard Times
Edited by Garrison Keillor. Penguin.

From Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
2. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
3. On Beauty
By Zadie Smith. Penguin.
4. The Lighthouse
By P..D. James. Vintage.
5. Snow
By Orhan Pamuk. Vintage.
6. The Sea
By John Banville. Vintage.
7. My Name Is Red
By Orhan Pamuk.Vintage.
8. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
By Lisa See. Random House.
9. Slow Man
By J.M. Coetzee. Penguin.
10. The History of Love
By Nicole Krauss. W.W. Norton.

From Borders Books & Music, Brookline Booksmith, Concord Bookshop, Harvard Book Store, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books, and Porter Square Books.

1. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
2. On Beauty
By Zadie Smith. Penguin.
3. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
4. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
By Lisa See. Random House.
5. Snow
By Orhan Pamuk. Vintage.
6. My Name Is Red
By Orhan Pamuk. Vintage.
7. The Lighthouse
By P.D. James. Vintage.
8. Saving Fish From Drowning
By Amy Tan. Ballantine.
9. The Black Book
By Orhan Pamuk. Vintage.
10. March
By Geraldine Brooks. Viking.

1. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
2. The Sea
By John Banville. Vintage.
3. Saving Fish From Drowning
By Amy Tan. Ballantine.
4. On Beauty
By Zadie Smith. Penguin.
5. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
6. March
By Geraldine Brooks. Viking.
7. Night Watch
By Sergei Lukyanenko. Miramax.
8. Slow Man
By J..M. Coetzee. Penguin.
9. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
By Lisa See. Random House.
10. Trouble
By Patrick Somerville. Vintage.

1. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
By Kim Edwards. Penguin.
2. On Beauty
By Zadie Smith. Penguin.
3. The Sea
By John Banville. Vintage.
4. March
By Geraldine Brooks. Viking.
5. The History of Love
By Nicole Krauss. Norton.
6. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
By Lisa See. Random House.
7. The Constant Princess
By Philippa Gregory. Touchstone.
8. Pardonable Lies
By Jacqueline Winspear. Picador.
9. The Inheritance of Loss
By Kiran Desai. Grove.
10. The Last Days of Dogtown
By Anita Diamant. Scribner.