Tammy Jo Trask comes from a long line of witches who have drawn power from the earth. Their abilities appear at 17, but late bloomer Tammy Jo, 23, is only now realizing hers. Most of the time, her spells do more harm than good.

Readers familiar with Hornby's previous books will notice several recurring themes. He writes about fanaticism and dysfunctional relationships as he did in "Fever Pitch"...and "High Fidelity."

In 1933, Theo Mykolayenko and his family fled to Canada from their home in the Ukraine, a land ravaged by starvation under Stalin's regime.

Wine writer George M. Taber has turned his sights on wine tourism, examining 12 regions on six continents.

If you Googled Howard Dean, rogue cops, Satchel Paige and China's Cultural Revolution what would possibly come up? Only one thing, the Concord Festival of Authors.

Talk show host Craig Ferguson also happens to be a fine writer. Granted, "American on Purpose" won't come as much of a surprise to any reader who's already a Ferguson fan. For four and a half years on his late-night show, he has regularly drawn on his full and tumultuous life to nourish his monologues as well as the intimate way he connects with his viewers.

No one is better at gently, but thoroughly probing the interior life of her characters than Anita Shreve.

In February 1983, alluring songstress and part-time heroin addict Zoe Kruller is found murdered in her home in the dying Rust Belt town of Sparta, N.Y. When the police hunt for suspects, they come up with her mechanic husband Delray and her lover, construction worker Eddy Diehl.

In "The Real Wizard of Oz," Rebecca Loncraine offers a look at the life of L. Frank Baum and the theories about what influenced him.

If you loved Jacquelyn Mitchard's wonderful book "The Deep End of the Ocean," you may wonder why she would want to tack on a sequel.