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The call of the wild
FIVE BOOKS everyone should read about the wilderness.
American memoirs
Cheri Register (left) won the 2001 American Book Award for "Packinghouse Daughter," her memoir of growing up in Albert Lea, Minn. Here she recommends five memoirs, limiting her choices to American books, she says, in order to avoid the issues of translation. "There are bolder, more experimental memoirs that I like but wouldn't necessarily recommend as foundational," she says. "I trust that most readers of the book page will find something unfamiliar even on this list."
five books CREATING A HOME
Architect Sarah Susanka launched a revolution in house design in 1998 with "The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live." Here are five books she regards as essential reading:
five books for parents of teens
Julie Schumacher (below) began writing adult fiction but found that she really enjoyed writing for younger adults. Her latest novel, "Black Box," is about a teenage girl's depression. Schumacher, who teaches creative writing at the University of Minnesota, shared what she calls "five books that might get your 14- to 18-year-old to talk to you."
five books with voice
Writer-storyteller Kevin Kling knows a thing or three about voice. Here are five books he thinks have strong voice and finds to be a "bit off the normal path":
About walking trips
Five books: About walking trips
Five books: Adventure
Arctic explorer Ann Bancroft of Scandia doesn't just have adventures - she reads about them, too. Here are five books of exploration that she thinks no one should miss.

The new season: Five literary heavyweights are coming for the 10th season, with a theme of the big social novel. That’s certainly true of James Ellroy’s “Blood’s a Rover,” a giant political noir that tears into the conspiracy theories, eccentric behavior, paranoia and chaotic violence of the late 1960s. Read an interview with Ellroy in the Star Tribune Sept. 20, and see him live at the Fitzgerald Theater Oct. 7. Other big names in the 2009-10 lineup include Barbara Kingsolver (Nov. 11), Stephen King and Audrey Niffenegger (together on Nov. 18) and Monica Ali (May 19, 2010). All shows at 7 p.m. at the Fitzgerald Theater. Tickets are $20 per event ($18 for Star Tribune subscribers and members of Minnesota Public Radio and the Loft Literary Center) and are available through the box office at the Fitzgerald, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul, 651-290-1221. Season-pass buyers get all four shows for the price of three. Update: The King and Kingsolver appearances are sold out.

Here are some of Books Editor Laurie Hertzel's favorite sites and blogs. Got a literary link to share? E-mail Laurie.

Twin Cities Literary Scavenger Hunt Home page for the scavenger hunt, which runs now through Dec. 26.
Reading Minnesota A blog that features Minnesota writers, illustrators, publishers, bookstores, and reviewers.
Talk of the Stacks An author series from the Library Foundation of Hennepin County.
Poets & Writers The website for Poets and Writers Magazine--podcasts, author interviews, and writing resources.
Creative Writing A place to keep apprised of writing competitions in the United States.
Gather Minnesota Readers The Website for Minnesota Public Radio's books blog.
The Loft Literary Center The Website for the Loft, a local place for writers and readers.
Good Reads A way to track what you're reading, and what your friends are reading.
Lost Manuscripts Just what it sounds like - a blog (sporadically updated) devoted to missing and destroyed manuscripts.
Maud Newton Very hip, reviews, links, a little attitude.
bookreporter.com A plethora of online book reviews and reading guides.
Rain Taxi Rain Taxi Review of Books.