PASTRY CHEF’S MEMOIR stands out among a crowded field for its humor, literate eloquence, riot-grrrl sensibility. B PLUS

SPICED: A PASTRY CHEF’S TRUE STORIES OF TRIALS BY FIRE, AFTER-HOURS EXPLOITS, AND WHAT REALLY GOES ON IN THE KITCHEN
Putnam Adult
2009

ENGAGING TRUE STORY of the bonanza-and-bust madness of the Comstock Lode silver strike, its impact on US history. B PLUS

MILE-HIGH FEVER: SILVER MINES, BOOM TOWNS, AND HIGH LIVING ON THE COMSTOCK LODE
St. Martin’s Press
2009

SNARKY, FUNNY gastronomic tour of the world with a Londoner (of Welsh/Bengali descent) who eats on 6 continents. B PLUS

EAT MY GLOBE: ONE YEAR TO GO EVERYWHERE AND EAT EVERYTHING
Free Press
2009

FAST-PACED REAL ESTATE WHODUNNIT, third outing for a pair of salty LA detectives, offers memorable characters. B PLUS

FLIPPING OUT: A LOMAX & BIGGS MYSTERY (LOMAX & BIGGS MYSTERIES)
Minotaur Books
2009

WARM-HEARTED, BREEZY novel bridges chick lit, women’s fic in this tale of a Latina mother and daughter at odds. B PLUS

DAMAS, DRAMAS, AND ANA RUIZ (QUINCEANERA CLUB)
Grand Central Publishing
2009

SPOOKY SWEDISH NOVEL of love, death, obsession, and betrayal chills the heart. First US edition. B PLUS

BETRAYAL (FELONY & MAYHEM MYSTERIES)
Felony & Mayhem
2009

A SERIES OF MURDERS brings dire family secrets to light in this novel of psychological suspense by Anthea Fraser. B PLUS

THICKER THAN WATER
Severn House Publishers
2009

CHATTY, WELL-RESEARCHED book tells the story of the rise and fall of the supermarket tabloid industry in Florida. B PLUS

TABLOID VALLEY: SUPERMARKET NEWS AND AMERICAN CULTURE
University Press of Florida
2009

QUIRKY, SARDONIC look at first-time motherhood from Heather Armstrong, blogosphere-famous for dooce.com. B PLUS

IT SUCKED AND THEN I CRIED: HOW I HAD A BABY, A BREAKDOWN, AND A MUCH NEEDED MARGARITA
Simon Spotlight Entertainment
2009

VIVID CHARACTERS and a strong spiritual message make this novel of African American women in crisis memorable. B PLUS

WILDFLOWERS
Broadway Books
2009