READING L.A.

Brenda French, clothing designer:

“Guenevere” by Rosalind Miles (Crown).

“This is the Arthurian legend told from the point of view of Guenevere, who was the original owner of the Round Table. How England moved from the rule of the goddess to the acceptance of male-dominated Christianity makes fascinating reading.”

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Prem Kishore, leasing agent:

“A Short Walk from Harrods” by Dirk Bogarde (Penguin).

“The late actor-author describes with sensitivity and gratitude a tiny chunk of France where he lived. There are his fascinating neighbors who ramble through his life, amusing him with their French logic that, of course, always eluded him.”

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Phillip Evans, graphic designer:

“Infinite Jest” by David Foster Wallace (Little, Brown).

“Wallace’s 1,000-plus-page novel allows readers to experience, rather than simply read, six or seven plot lines. His book deals with everything from growing up in a school that grooms kids to become tennis pros to being a spy in a breakaway Canadian province.”

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Temperance Lance-Council, social activist-commentator:

“Pros and Cons: The Criminals Who Play in the NFL” by Don Yaeger and Jeff Benedict (Warner).

“This book looks at the personal problems dogging a group treated as role models for children: professional football players. It unabashedly outlines why they clearly aren’t.”