READING L.A.

Susan Jacoby, attorney:

“Possession: A Romance” by A.S. Byatt (Vintage).

“I like the way the subplots come together in this novel. It’s fun to see how loose ends are tied up in the end. It’s one of those books you love to curl up with.”

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Jane Shanner, teacher:

“The Restraint of Beasts” by Magnus Mills (Arcade).

“I had family who once lived in northern England and, needless to say, it’s quite different from Southern California. Mills captures all of it--the frustration and the feeling that you’re locked into what you’re doing--in a very fun and lively way. It’s a marvelous read.”

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C.J. Wright, museum docent, school volunteer:

“The Wealth and Poverty of Nations” by David S. Landes (W.W. Norton).

“In spite of its daunting title, this is a very readable exploration of a profound and pertinent topic. That Landes is not afraid to be ‘politically incorrect’ makes it all the more satisfying.”

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Pauline Berryman, administrator:

“Mutant Message Down Under” by Marlo Morgan (HarperCollins).

“Morgan’s story starts in the Australian outback with a remote tribe of aborigines and soon becomes a three-month barefoot journey through these unmapped regions. Her journey reminds us that our journey of life depends upon faith.”