Night-Table Reading

A. R. Gurney, playwright: Conquest: Montezuma, Cortes, and the Fall of Old Mexico, by Hugh Thomas (Touchstone). "My son George recommended this as a 'neat' combination of history, adventure, and drama, and he was right."

Stella Tennant, model: The Heart of the Matter, by Graham Greene (Penguin). "One of the most elegant and accomplished stories."

Patrick McCarthy, executive editor ofW: The Sun at Midday, by Gini Alhadeff (Pantheon). "The riveting story of a Catholic woman rediscovering her Sephardic roots. It's one of the most touching books I've read in a long time—even if the author is a friend of mine."

Nick Hornby, author: Radio On: A Listener's Diary, by Sarah Vowell (St. Martin's). "A sparky, ferociously intelligent examination of a medium that people forget about from one of the most promising young journalists I've come across recently."