WILD, GRITTY NOIR adventure has plenty of graphic sex and violence, a unique tough-broad protagonist’s voice.

FASCINATING BIOGRAPHY, RICH with newly released letters, of Victorian art figure Effie Gray Ruskin Millais.

CHILLING, COMPELLING NOVEL shows a gay white South African man’s struggles with family, apartheid society, army.

THOUGHTFUL AND EYE-OPENING memoir tells the story of a man’s difficult decision to leave his Amish community.

HUMOROUS LITTLE BOOK bridges the worlds of self-help and gaming; amid the jokes are some surprising insights.

CANDID AND ENGROSSING memoir of a young woman’s decision to leave New York’s Satmar Hasidic Jewish community.

With apologies to Franklin P. Adams, and to Messrs. Tinker, Evers, and Chance–

These are the gladdest of possible words:

“Pitchers and catchers reporting today!”

Baseball fans’ hearts sent a-soaring like birds–

“Pitchers and catchers reporting today!”

The drear of your office, or doldrums of class time

Will soon be cheered up by our national pastime;

Winter’s not over, but Spring’s on its way–

“Pitchers and catchers reporting today!”

PUZZLE LADY CORA Felton sleuths again, in a mystery that involves blackmail, puzzles, and one of her many exes.

ART-WORLD SOAP OPERA is a compulsively readable pageturner depite its over-the-top melodramatic plot.

ROBBERIES, FORGERIES, DRAMA abound in this history of the Shakespeare First Folio, a Holy Grail among books.