Reading L.A.

Marissa Curland, student:

“Horror at the Haunted House”

by Peg Kehret

(Minstrel Books).

“A girl named Ellen helps to reopen an old house as a museum, and she doesn’t believe it’s haunted until she feels a strange icy feeling. She sees a ghost in the mirror, but no one believes her. It beckons her into a nightmare beyond her wildest dreams. It was so good I couldn’t put it down.”

*

Loreen Arbus, television producer:

“Dogs Never Lie About Love”

by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson

(Vintage).

“This wonderful book explains the enduring mysteries of dog behavior, illuminating their deepest emotions and demonstrating why humans cherish our canine friends.”

*

Sheila Lamson, CAL-WORKS job developer:

“Komarr”

by Lois McMaster Bujold

(Pocket).

“This is the latest in an incredible series of science fiction adventures set in a technological future. The story of a nobleman born handicapped is Bujold’s vehicle for exploring complex issues of ethics, morality, the human spirit and soul.

*

Gisele Ben-Dor, symphony conductor:

“Foucault’s Pendulum”

by Umberto Eco

(Ballantine).

“I became addicted to Eco’s works after reading ‘The Name of the Rose’ and have found another reason to enjoy him in ‘Foucault’s Pendulum,’ a book that is a cultural tour de force and a thriller. It’s quite irresistible, and Eco’s a true, boundless genius.”