READING L.A.

Dan Silver, doctor, activist:

“The Decay of the Angel” by Yukio Mishima (Vintage).

“I finally got around to the last series of novels by Yukio Mishima--the “Sea of Fertility” tetralogy. “The Decay of the Angel” is the last in the series and it is really tremendous. I like Japanese novels because they are serious--the prose is evocative and poetic.”

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Robert Teinowitz, producer:

“Wry Martinis” by Christopher Buckley (HarperPerennial).

“Buckley has put together a humorous collection of stories, ranging from politics to the everyday foibles in life. These funny and insightful tales are the olives in a good drink. Buckley is one of the best political satirists today.”

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Barbara Niven, actress:

“Legend: The Life and Death of Marilyn Monroe” by Fred Lawrence Guiles (Madison Books).

“I’ll be playing Monroe in an HBO production, and this biography helped me understand why and how she struggled with herself and her stardom. She’s always been my idol, and now I can play her as a real woman, not a caricature.”

Travis Peterson, student-camp counselor:

“American Psycho” by Bret Easton Ellis (Vintage).

“This is the most disturbing book I have ever read. The crazy scenes that make up this book, coupled with Ellis’ sparse prose, make it a defining reference to the 80s--about what was going on and who the yuppies were.”