Arab/American: Landscape, Culture, and Cuisine in Two Great Deserts by Nabhan, Gary Paul The essays in Gary Nabhan's Arab/American explore how various threads of arabian cultures have inextricably woven themselves through his life and the multi-cultured fabric of the deserts of the American Southwest. As engaging and timely as his subject matter, is the manner in which it's presented. Nabhan employs a variety of elements from travel, adventure, autobiography, fact-finding detective, scientific, and historical (to name a few) writing styles making him one of the most engagingly ecclectic storytellers today. (He also visually spices up the text with photographs he has taken on his travels.) Arab/American is not just for desert dwellers. All readers will walk away with a fresh perspective of place and a deeper appreciation for the complexities of cultural blends and the treasures they bestow--wherever they occur.

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In Mozart's Shadow: His Sister's Story by Meyer, Carolyn Young Adult Pick Nannerl Mozart was a musical prodigy who seemed to have a brilliant future. But once her younger brother, Wolfgang, began composing symphonies at the age of five, her career and talents were utterly eclipsed. Here, at last, is Nannerl's heart-wrenching tale. It's the story of her undying passion for music; her relationship with her "miracle boy" brother; and her life as the "other Mozart," the one forgotten by history. The acclaimed Carolyn Meyer has written a powerful historical novel about a little-known but gifted musician who never stopped dreaming.

Case Histories by Atkinson, Kate With a trio of compelling "cold case" mysteries at its core; with its wonderfully sympathetic and complex private detective hero; with its host of instantly endearing, lovably flawed characters; and with its effortlessly beautiful and intelligent prose, Case Histories is Kate Atkinson's breakout book - the most accomplished, most compulsively readable novel yet from a writer of the first rank. "Case Histories combines the suspense of a whodunit with the richly textured plot of a sprawling family saga. The result is top-notch literature - an unforgettable, unclassifiable read." —Chicago Sun-Times Discussion on May 25 at noon.