Complete book coverage for Nov. 29, 2009

As she sets a story in the world of high school, a writer wonders: Should it be based on her own experience or something else entirely?

Nov. 29, 2009

Nov. 29, 2009

In his consideration of two volumes of American horror stories, our columnist finds that quotes take on a life of their own.

Nov. 29, 2009

Satchmo loved to tape parts of his life. That record infuses ‘Pops,’ a new biography of the jazz great.

Nov. 29, 2009

Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin see themselves as do-gooders. To their many ‘frenemies,’ it’s more complicated.

Nov. 29, 2009

The author of “Julie and Julia” returns with a memoir that combines foodie interests and troubled personal relationships.

Nov. 29, 2009

A new biography shows the intellectual prowess -- and interpretive liberties -- of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Nov. 29, 2009

Two studies suggest that the killing instinct is what also defines us as Americans.

Nov. 29, 2009

Plus: ‘The Beautiful Soul of John Woolman, Apostle of Abolition’ and ‘The Delicacy and Strength of Lace’

Nov. 29, 2009

Fiction Weeks on list1.The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Putnam: $24.95) The lives of a maid, a cook and a college graduate become intertwined as they change a Mississippi town. 25 2.Under the Dome by Stephen King (Scribner: $35) A ragtag cast of characters fight to survive in their small Maine town inexplicably surrounded by an invisible force field. 1 3.The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper: $26.99) A writer’s escapades encompassing 1930s Mexican artist communities and Cold War America. 2 4.The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (Doubleday: $25.99) Harvard professor Robert Langdon uses his symbology skills to find a missing Freemason in Washington, D.C. 105.Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel ( Henry Holt: $27) The rise of Henry VIII’s advisor Thomas Cromwell.36.Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown : $27.99) An LAPD detective travels to Hong Kong to solve the murder of a Chinese immigrant. 67.Ford County by John Grisham (Doubleday: $24) A collection of short stories set in the same locale as “A Time to Kill.”28.Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney (Amulet: $13.95) Greg desires to spend summer vacation indoors despite his mother’s wishes for outdoor family fun.69.True Blue by David Baldacci (Grand Central: $27.99) After being framed for a crime, a cop must break a case to prove worthy of the badge again. 2 10.Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney (Amulet: $12.95) Greg’s dad enlists him in sports to toughen him up. 30 11.The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (Tor: $29.99) Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, attempts to unite kingdoms and alliances in preparation for the Last Battle. 4 12.I, Alex Cross by James Patterson (Little, Brown: $27.99) Detective Alex Cross infiltrates a secret society while tracking down the killer of a close relative.1 13.The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson (Knopf: $25.95) A hacker implicated in two murders must revisit her past to prove her innocence. 14 14.Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (Scribner: $26) The story of a hard-knock gal who raised horses and survived floods and the Depression. 4 15.The Humbling by Philip Roth (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt: $22) A washed-up stage actor is rejuvenated when he begins an erotic affair with a younger woman. 3Nonfiction 1.Open by Andre Agassi (Knopf: $28.95) The tennis star’s memoir and personal odyssey of a lost childhood, drug use and comebacks.2 2.What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown: $27.99) A collection of the author’s writings of everyday and extraordinary people. 4 3.Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom (Hyperion: $23.99) Albom’s observations of a rabbi and a pastor on an eight-year journey of faith. 8 4.Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer (Little, Brown: $25.99) An examination and behind-the-scenes look at factory farming.25.Lit by Mary Karr (Harper: $25.99) The author’s descent into alcoholism and recovery.26.SuperFreakonomics by Steven D.

Nov. 29, 2009

Fiction 1. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson ($14.95) 2.

Nov. 29, 2009