KATHLEEN
The Bookseller by Mark Pryor
“Hugo Marston works for the American Embassy in Paris. When booksellers from the book stalls along the Siene, the first of which a personal friend of his, start to disappear he turns to the Paris police. They’re reluctance to help and having no time to loose Hugo seeks assistance from semiretired CIA agent Tom Green. The result is a fast paced mystery that I am loving. The Bookseller is the first book in a trilogy, I can’t wait to see where Hugo goes next.”
JOE
The Lord of the Rings A Reader’s Companion by Wayne G. Hammond & Christina Scull
“What can I say about this book beyond that it’s 900 pages of annotations about Tolkien’s epic novel. Either you’re for it or against it. Regardless, it’s an amazing book wholly acknowledged, supported, and referenced by Christopher Tolkien and the Tolkien estate. I repeat: NINE HUNDRED PAGES OF ANNOTATIONS!!! If you’re a Tolkien scholar like myself, this belongs on your shelf next to The Lord of The Rings and the 12 volume History of Middle Earth. I highly recommend it!”
MARIE
Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
“I just started Perdido Street Station for SciFriday, I’m focusing on Steam Punk. I’m realizing this book and Steam Punk in general is probably not the best to read on my lunch break- it’s very gritty and dirty. Although I’m not far into it it’s clear Mr. Mieville truly has a way with words. He does an amazing job of introducing complex abstract ideas seamlessly, as if they were a part of your everyday life. If you hold on he’ll show you what he’s created with such detail that you’ll find yourself deep in this new world. Perdido Street Station is filled with scientific splendor, magical intrigue, and wonderfully realized characters.”
SHAPPY
Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss by Philip Nel
“Crockett Johnson is famous for writing the children’s classic Harold and the Purple Crayon. Crockett and his wife Ruth collaborated on many popular children’s titles as well mentored such notables as Maurice Sendak. During the height of McCarthyism the couple helped to get many blackballed writers contracts for children’s books which were less scrutinized. Langston Hughes was among these authors. This book is so completely interesting and Chris Ware did the cover art- I love it.”
BookPeople 
Man, I want that LoTR book…:]