READING L.A.

Brian Hayes, purchasing coordinator:

“My Dark Places” by James Ellroy (Alfred A. Knopf).

“Perhaps the only thing more brutal than his mother’s murder is Ellroy’s self-deprecating honesty. I was mesmerized by his narrative, a real gut-grinder that never lets go, leaving a permanent scar on your memory.”

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Haimanot Habtu, attorney:

“The Color of Water” by James McBride (Riverhead).

“McBride’s mother was outcast by her Jewish family for marrying a black man, survived two husbands and almost single-handedly educated her 12 children. This book is more than worthwhile just for discovering how McBride derives the title.”

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Roman Kochan, dean:

“The Climb” by Anatoli Boukreev and G. Weston Dewalt (St. Martin’s).

“I read ‘Into Thin Air’ and wanted to read more about Boukreev, whom Krakauer criticizes. The Russian focused on the art of climbing, while others seemed to be more focused on the business of climbing.”

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Molly Bendall, poet:

“Enduring Love” by Ian McEwan (Anchor Books).

“This novel puts us inside the process of a psyche pondering the forces of chance and destiny. It lingers like a ghost long after we put it down.”