READING L.A.

Diane Plitka, hairdresser and salon owner:

“News of a Kidnapping,” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Pantheon).

“Marquez tells the stories of media people kidnapped by the Colombian cartel and the desperate measures necessary to get them released. I love the way this book was set up and written so that the reader has the same personal interest in the characters as the author.”

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Gail Eichenthal, broadcast reporter and anchor:

“The Man of the House,” by Stephen McCauley (Simon & Schuster).

“Reading McCauley is like opening a box of candy: There’s such delicious humor in his view of the human predicament. He writes with great wit, compassion and wisdom in this story of a frustrated writer’s efforts to make sense of his relationships.”

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Michael Lippman, personnel manager:

“Reining: The Art of Performance in Horses,” by Bob Loomis and Kathy Kadash (Equimedia).

“I breed, raise and show quarter horses and am fascinated by ‘reined cowhorse,’ a sport combining dressage and cutting. The horses are considered the world’s greatest athletes, and this book is the bible of the sport.”

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David Munnecke, legislative aide:

“The Tummy Trilogy,” by Calvin Trillin (Farrar, Straus and Giroux).

“This sumptuous feast, describing Trillin’s travels across the country in search of the finest regional cuisines, will make your mouth water. One caveat, though: Read this book only after you’ve eaten a hearty meal.”