FICTION
1. THE APPEAL
by John Grisham
Doubleday
Political and legal intrigue ensue when a Mississippi court decides against a chemical company accused of dumping toxic waste.
2. 7TH HEAVEN
by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Little, Brown
In San Francisco, Detective Lindsay Boxer and the Women's Murder Club hunt for an arsonist and a missing teenager.
3. DUMA KEY
by Stephen King
Scribner
A Minnesota contractor moves to Florida to recover from an injury and begins to create paintings with mysterious power.
4. STRANGER IN PARADISE
by Robert B. Parker
Putnam
Jesse Stone, the police chief of Paradise, Massachusetts, must protect a hit man's intended victim.
5. A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS
by Khaled Hosseini
Riverhead
A friendship between two women in Afghanistan against the backdrop of 30 years of war.
6. PLUM LUCKY
by Janet Evanovich
St Martin's
Stephanie's grandmother finds a bag of cash and goes gambling in Atlantic City, pursued by the money's owner.
7. WORLD WITHOUT END
by Ken Follett
Dutton
Love and intrigue in Kingsbridge, the medieval English cathedral town at the center of Follett's Pillars of the Earth.
8. THE SENATOR'S WIFE
by Sue Miller
Knopf
A woman lives with her husband's persistent infidelity.
9. PEOPLE OF THE BOOK
by Geraldine Brooks
Viking
A rare-book expert unlocks the secrets of a medieval manuscript.
10. SIZZLE AND BURN
by Jayne Ann Krentz
Putnam
A member of the Arcane Society, dedicated to paranormal research, helps a woman with psychic powers.
11. WHERE THE HEART LEADS
by Stephanie Laurens
Morrow
With the help of a well-born amateur detective, a society woman in London investigates the disappearance of several orphans in the 15th Cynster novel.
NONFICTION
1. IN DEFENSE OF FOOD
by Michael Pollan
Penguin Press
A manifesto urges us to "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."
2. AN INCONVENIENT BOOK
by Glenn Beck and Kevin Balfe
Threshold Editions
Beck's solutions to problems including global warming and political correctness.
3. REAL CHANGE
by Newt Gingrich with Vince Haley and Rick Tyler
Regnery
How to build a better America, from the former speaker of the House.
4. I AM AMERICA (AND SO CAN YOU!)
by Stephen Colbert et al
Grand Central
The wit and wisdom of the mock pundit of Comedy Central's Colbert Report.
5. TOM CRUISE
by Andrew Morton
St Martin's
An unauthorized biography of the movie star.
6. HOPE'S BOY
by Andrew Bridge
Hyperion
A memoir of a childhood in foster care by an advocate for poor children.
7. LIBERAL FASCISM
by Jonah Goldberg
Doubleday
This "alternative history of American liberalism reveals its roots in, and commonalities with, classical fascism."
8. QUIET STRENGTH
by Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker
Tyndale
A memoir by the first black coach to win a Super Bowl (He did it with the Indianapolis Colts last year.)
9. ICEMAN
by Chuck Liddell with Chad Millman
Dutton
A mixed martial artist who competes for the Ultimate Fighting Championship describes his life and his fights.
10. GEOGRAPHY OF BLISS
by Eric Weiner
Twelve
A writer explores to what degree an individual's happiness is intertwined with a shared geography and culture.
11. THE COMMISSION
by Philip Shenon
Twelve
The story behind the Sept. 11 report.
12. BOOM!
by Tom Brokaw
Random House
The retired news anchor assesses the 1960s.
When the weather is too cold to enjoy the white beaches and blue waters of Pingtung County’s Kenting (墾丁), it’s the perfect time to head up into the hills and enjoy a different part of the national park. In the highlands above the bustling beach resorts, a simple set of trails treats visitors to lush forest, rocky peaks, billowing grassland and a spectacular bird’s-eye view of the coast. The rolling hills beyond Hengchun Township (恆春) in Pingtung County offer a two-hour through-hike of sweeping views from the mighty peak of Dajianshih Mountain (大尖石山) to Eluanbi Lighthouse (鵝鑾鼻燈塔) on the coast, or
Charges have formally been brought in Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je’s (柯文哲) bribery, corruption and embezzling of campaign funds cases. Ko was briefly released on bail by the Taipei District Court on Friday, but the High Court on Sunday reversed the decision. Then, the Taipei District Court on the same day granted him bail again. The ball is in dueling courts. While preparing for a “year ahead” column and reviewing a Formosa poll from last month, it’s clear that the TPP’s demographics are shifting, and there are some indications of where support for the party is heading. YOUNG, MALE
Taiwanese persimmon farmer Lo Chih-neng stands on a ladder in his sprawling orchard using pruning sheers to cut the golden-yellow fruit still hanging from branches after enduring a tough season. Persimmons are popular in Taiwan where people travel hours to buy bags and boxes of the sweet dried fruit to take home to their families or give away to friends. But changing weather and an aging population are posing a threat to the century-old industry, forcing some farmers to look at alternative ways to maximize returns — or get out altogether. Lo’s harvest was down by more than a third last year, the
Her greatest fear, dormant for decades, came rushing back in an instant: had she adopted and raised a kidnapped child? Peg Reif’s daughter, adopted from South Korea in the 1980s, had sent her a link to a documentary detailing how the system that made their family was rife with fraud: documents falsified, babies switched, children snatched off the street and sent abroad. Reif wept. She was among more than 120 who contacted The Associated Press this fall, after a series of stories and a documentary made with Frontline exposed how Korea created a baby pipeline, designed to ship children abroad as quickly as
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