WELL-RESEARCHED, no-nonsense bio of the unsinkable, scrappy woman who cofounded Mattel, invented the Barbie doll. B PLUS

BARBIE AND RUTH: THE STORY OF THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS DOLL AND THE WOMAN WHO CREATED HER
HarperBusiness
2009

HARROWING, candid, surprisingly funny memoir of life in a family where mom, dad, 2 kids were diagnosed as bipolar. SOLID B

SCATTERSHOT: MY BIPOLAR FAMILY
Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
2008

SASSY SAN FRANCISCO SLEUTH Sophie Katz is back in another book, a juicy tale involving ghosts and family secrets. B PLUS

LUST, LOATHING AND A LITTLE LIP GLOSS
Mira
2009

THE FANTASY, SCIENCE, and legend of jetpacks, rocketpacks, and flying cars, told in charming gonzo-journalist style. B PLUS

JETPACK DREAMS: ONE MAN’S UP AND DOWN (BUT MOSTLY DOWN) SEARCH FOR THE GREATEST INVENTION THAT NEVER WAS
Da Capo Press
2008

RIDICULOUS, YET POIGNANT story of a 1970s US family’s hapless move to Portugal in pursuit of their Catholic dream. B PLUS

WAITING FOR THE APOCALYPSE: A MEMOIR OF FAITH AND FAMILY
W. W. Norton & Company
2009

THE SCIENCE OF SEEING presented in engaging, witty prose. Rich in detail, yet clear enough for everyone to enjoy. A MINUS

NATURAL HISTORY OF SEEING
Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
2008

WITTY, WELL-RESEARCHED take on self-acceptance and body image from “fat-o-sphere” bloggers offers fresh perspective. B PLUS

LESSONS FROM THE FAT-O-SPHERE: QUIT DIETING AND DECLARE A TRUCE WITH YOUR BODY
Perigee Books
2009

SARDONIC, RAUNCHY first novel follows a Hollywood techie’s mid-life crisis, professional and personal travails. B PLUS

BASED ON THE MOVIE: A NOVEL
Atria
2008

1931 HOLLYWOOD is the setting for a noir detective novel. Rich details of time, place get lost in too-complex plot. SOLID B

DEATH WAS IN THE PICTURE: A MYSTERY
Minotaur Books
2009

ALASKA NATIVE activist and politician looks at almost 70 years of changes in his homeland, and in Inupiat culture. A MINUS

FIFTY MILES FROM TOMORROW: A MEMOIR OF ALASKA AND THE REAL PEOPLE
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
2008