"What is the What" by Dave Eggers. This true narrative illuminates the history of the civil war in Sudan through the eyes of Valentino Achak Deng, a refugee now living in the United States. As a boy, Deng was driven from his home, and forced to walk cross country seeking refuge. As he traveled in desperation, he faced both hostile soldiers and rebels, as well as lions, disease and starvation. Unexpectedly, he also discovered kindness and love. The story continues through his immigrant experience in the United States.

"Born Standing Up" by Steve Martin. Steve Martin, the celebrated writer, actor, and stand up comedian, reads his amusing memoir of his years in comedy. Martin shares the sacrifice, discipline and originality that marked his development as an iconic comedy performer.

"Room" by Emma Donoghue. To five-year-old Jack, room is the world. It’s where he was born, and it is all the world he knows. But to his mother, it’s the prison where she has been held since she was nineteen, for seven long years. But in this room, this eleven-by-eleven-foot space, she fiercely creates a life for her child, protecting him as she can, and teaching him what she remembers of the world. But now his curiosity and her desperation are becoming bigger than the room can contain.

"The Red Queen" by Philippa Gregory. Heiress to the red rose of Lancaster, Margaret Beaufort believes that she is destined for greatness, and she will plot and scheme to charts her own way towards that destiny. Set in the late 15th century, this historical novel combines conspiracy, intrigue and ambition with passion that changes the course of history.

"Freedom" by Jonathan Franzen. Patty and Walter Berglund were the original alternative generation. They were whole foods, recycling, and environmental activists. But now, they seem to have become a mystery. Their teenage son has moved in with an aggressively Republican family, and Walter has a job with Big Coal. This extraordinary novel explores the temptations and compromises of middle age, and the challenges of contemporary love, marriage and family.

"Rapture of the Deep" by L.A. Meyer. On the very day that Jacky Faber is to wed her true love, Jaimy, she is kidnapped by British Naval intelligence and forced to embark on yet another daring mission for the crown--this time to search for sunken Spanish gold. Jacky and her mates find more than they bargained for in the warm waters off Havana, including skirmishes with pirates and treasures beyond their wildest dreams.