READING L.A.

David Beckman, attorney:

“Under the Tuscan Sun” by Francis Mayes (Broadway).

“Here’s an escape from workaday life! What a fantasy--to run away to the Italian countryside, fix up a 500-year-old house and worry about your house wine!”

****

Howard Laskavy, retired salesman:

“A World Lit Only by Fire” by William Manchester (Little, Brown).

“From the Goths and the Visigoths to Da Vinci and Michelangelo, Manchester takes us from a time when man was living like an animal to the height of the Renaissance. It is a history about the beginning of our search for a good and decent life.”

****

Ann Jones, travel agent:

“Through a Glass Darkly” by Karleen Koen (Avon).

“This is a historical novel, based in 18th century England, that captures the customs of the time--from what people wore to how they got married. I learned about the lives of both high society and everyday people in the context of what was going on in England, France and the colonies in America.”

****

Laurie Levenson, law professor:

“Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea” by Gary Kinder (Atlantic Monthly).

“Actually, this is two books in one: the amazing story of a ship sailing and sinking with tons of gold and the intricate and daring expedition to recover the wreck. I felt like I was living both adventures.”