The Book of Basketball, by Bill Simmons

A:  Jay Mandel      P:  Ballantine     C:  Reference

NYT:  1      USAT:  1     PW:  1

Bill Simmons, star web writer and podcaster for ESPN, finally publishes his magnum opus on professional basketball, a heavily footnoted 700+ page doorstop of a book.  It might take a year and a half to read, but if you have any interest in the NBA, you'll relish every page.

Superfreaknomics, by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner

A:  Suzanne Gluck    P:  Harper Collins    C:  Reference

NYT:  2     USAT:  2     PW:  2

The renegade economist Steven Levitt and his writing sidekick Stephen Dubner are back, challenging popular thinking on a number of topics, including suicide bombers and global warming.  Mildly controversial at time, but the duo's second book is still full of fun looks at the math behind what we believe to be true.

Have A Little Faith, by Mitch Albom

A:  David Black        P:  Hyperion       C:  Self Help/Improvement
NYT:  5     USAT:  5     PW:  5

A more cynical man than I might say that Mitch Albom is returning to the formula that made him famous with Tuesdays with Morrie, in which an older wise man teaches him the way to really live life, but I prefer to assume that the somewhat similar themes are more of a coincidence.  Albom looks at the lives of two religious figures in his life (a pastor and a rabbi) and ponders the deep questions in life.

What The Dog Saw, by Malcolm Gladwell

A:  Tina Bennett      P:  Little, Brown     C:  Essays

NYT:  2     USAT:  2      PW:  2

Gathered from a decade of Gladwell's work from the New Yorker, rabid fans of the Tipping Point author's work will have read these essays already, but it's still nice to have the work all in one place.  If you only know Gladwell from from his three previous books, this collection will be a nice addition to your library.

Arguing with Idiots, by Glenn Beck (and others)

A:                          P:  Threshold Editions     C:  Politics/Government
NYT:  6      USAT:  6     PW:  6

Glenn Beck explains how win arguments with those who don't understand the intellectual world of Beck.  Big government is the enemy and knowledge is the cannon firing at the walls of ignorance.

Too Big To Fail, by Andrew Ross Sorkin

A:  David McCormick      P:  Viking      C:  Politics/Government

NYT:  2      USAT:  2      PW:  2

I don't know if everyone is quite ready for the post-mortem on the economic collapse - the body has been buried, but who wants to host the wake? - but Sorkin manages to get behind the scenes in a way that creates an interesting narrative of what happened and why.  Unfortunately, buying the book requires actual money which seems to be in short supply these days.  Put a reserve on it at the library.

Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell

A: Tina Bennett       P: Little, Brown      C: Self Help/Improvement
NYT:  50      USAT:  50      PW:  48

In this landmark work, the author of Blink and The Tipping Point asks what makes high-achievers different. Brilliant and entertaining, Outliers is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate.

True Compass, by Edward Kennedy

A:                          P:  Twelve                      C:  Memoir
NYT:  7      USAT:  7     PW:  7

The legendary (and, if you ask some, infamous) Ted Kennedy wraps up his recently finished life with his memoir, discussing the highs and lows of his fifty years in the public eye.

Highest Duty, by Chesley B. Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow

A:  Jan Miller     P:  Harper Collins      C:  Memoir

NYT:  3     USAT:  3      PW:  3

He safely landed a jet on the Hudson River saving the lives of hundreds, and instantly "Captain Sully" was a national hero.  Not only does Sully recap what happened that day in the skies, but he discusses the attributes and life lessons that helped him stay calm at the controls.

Eating the Dinosaur, by Chuck Klosterman

A:  Levine Greenberg     P:  Scribner     C:  Essays

NYT:  2      USAT:  1     PW:  -

Chuck Klosterman, the unofficial cultural ambassador of the Dakotas, returns with a book of original essays.  Ostensibly, the essays deal with popular culture, but that descriptor fails to cover the wide ranging of topics covered, from Ralph Sampson to the Branch Davidians.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks, by Ree Drummond

A:  LJK Literary Management    P:  Morrow     C:  Cooking

NYT:  -     USAT: 2     PW:  1

She was a city girl, until she met a man, Green Acres style and ended up cooking for him every night in the middle of nowhere at their ranch.  These are the recipes she uses to please both of their tastes, city and country style.

Knockout, by Suzanne Somers

A:  The LA Literary Agency      P:  Crown     C:  Health/Wellness

NYT:  -     USAT:  3     PW:  2

In the midst of the seventies, who would have guessed Suzanne Somers would become known as a natural health guru?  This time, Somers takes on cancer and the traditional methods of attacking it.