LATEST FLAVIA DE LUCE mystery: the best yet! A must for fans of edgy 11-year-old heroines, English manor houses. B PLUS

A RED HERRING WITHOUT MUSTARD
Delacorte Press
2011

WELL-CRAFTED CAMPUS THRILLER with glitz: GOSSIP GIRL meets THE SECRET HISTORY, maybe? Readable, engaging. B PLUS

THE SIXES
Harper
2011

FAMOUSLY RECLUSIVE J.D. Salinger’s biography attempted; not much personality, but interesting military stuff. SOLID B

J. D. SALINGER: A LIFE
Random House Publishing Group
2011

DISTINGUISHED BIBLICAL SCHOLAR Bart Ehrman’s evidence-based challenge to the Christian canon’s authenticity.

SCREAMINGLY FUNNY ESSAYS, cute and goofy drawings, and other offbeat humor from comedian Demetri Martin. B PLUS

THIS IS A BOOK
Grand Central Publishing
2011

OLD-SCHOOL ENGLISH MANOR-HOUSE family saga done with deftness and punch. Break out the bonbons and Kleenex! SOLID B

THE LEGACY
HarperCollins Publishers
2011

JAYCEE DUGARD’S MEMOIR of her abduction and 18 years of captivity is terrifyingly candid, tough to read. SOLID B

A STOLEN LIFE: A MEMOIR
Simon & Schuster
2011

CHILLING EXPOSE OF the international trade in humans and their body parts. Not a fun read, but unforgettable. B PLUS

THE RED MARKET
William Morrow
2011

LOVE, LOSS, POETRY, neighborhood memories, and decaying illusions combine in a bittersweet cocktail of a novel. B PLUS

THE ASTRAL
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
2011

HILARIOUS SLICE-OF-LIFE essays from the irrepressibly entertaining Laurie Notaro. Truly delightful! B PLUS

IT LOOKED DIFFERENT ON THE MODEL: EPIC TALES OF IMPENDING SHAME AND INFAMY
Villard
2011