Reading, writing and real estate

... buying and selling

"Nextville: Amazing Places to Live the Rest of Your Life" ($24.99, Springboard Press) by Barbara Corcoran. A record number of baby boomers will be retiring and Corcoran, a real estate guru on the "Today" show, identifies ideal places for retirees to pursue their passions. It includes a handy chart with vital stats for those communities, including median age and average home price. For people who don't want to move, Corcoran gives tips on retrofitting a residence to age in place.

"How to Sell a House Fast in a Slow Real Estate Market" ($19.95, Wiley) by William Bronchick, and "How to Sell Your Home in Any Market" ($16.95, Sphinx Publishing) by Loren Keim. Both paperbacks cover the basics -- pricing, best way to sell, staging, showings and negotiations, but Keim's book is easier to use, with room checklists and a glossary of real estate terms.

"Own It: The Ups and Downs of Home Buying for Women Who Go It Alone" ($15.95, Seal Press) by Jennifer Musselman. Single women make up the fastest-growing group of home buyers, and Musselman is tapping into that market. Her book doesn't offer more than home-buying basics, but her "been there, done that" attitude and encouraging prose will help solo women get over their fears of homeownership.

"Marketing Residential Properties: The Science and the Magic" ($54.95, Institute of Real Estate Management), by longtime local marketing experts Laurence and Kathleen Harmon, is a textbook-style manual geared toward those in the industry, particularly those faced with trying to sell in a difficult market.

... renting

"The Accidental Landlord" ($18.95, Alpha) by Danielle Babb. For homeowners who can't sell, renting their home has become a more common option to help make mortgage payments or ride out the market until it rebounds. Babb explains the pros and cons of becoming a landlord, lease agreements, getting your home rented and tenant troubleshooting. A helpful glossary defines terms landlords should know.

... foreclosure

Foreclosures are big news. Thousands of homeowners are trying not to lose their homes, and buyers are hunting for housing bargains when they do. Here are three new books on the topic:

"American Foreclosure: Everything You Need to Know About Preventing and Buying" ($25.95, McGraw Hill) by Trevor Rhodes. Explains the foreclosure process in each state. The book comes with a CD that has printable forms.

"Foreclosure Self-Defense for Dummies" ($19.99, Wiley) by Ralph Roberts and Lois Maljak. A step-by-step "Dummies" guide on how to prevent foreclosure, bankruptcy, and if it happens, how to re-establish your credit.

"The Everything Guide to Buying Foreclosures" ($14.95, Adams Media) by George Sheldon and Lorraine Rufe. Outlines strategies, risks and rewards in buying pre-foreclosure and foreclosed properties -- in large, easy-to-read type.

... building & design

"Dream Homes Minnesota" ($34.95, Panache Partners). Although this book resembles an expertly done architect's portfolio, the custom projects featured are by builders, architects and designers who paid to be in this 224-page book. The publisher, which does a version of this coffee-table book in 22 markets nationwide, says that it interviewed the firms before including them in the book. With 31 local architectural firms and building companies profiled, it's a good resource for those hoping to find an architect or builder or to get interior design ideas. The beautifully photographed projects include additions, renovations and new construction from White Bear Lake to the North Shore. Profiles of the architects and designers, written by the book's editorial staff and approved by the firms, accompany the photo spreads, which depict a wide range of architectural styles -- from a lake home with an Old World stone turret by Kurt Baum to a modernist retreat nestled into a hillside by Cheryl Fosdick.

Sustainable design and construction continues to be all the rage. Several new titles cover the topic in a variety of ways. "Green From the Ground Up" ($24.95, Taunton Press) was co-authored by Scott Gibson, a freelance writer and editor for Fine Homebuilding magazine. Much of the text was written for the trade, but anyone with an interest in sustainable, healthy and energy-efficient home construction will appreciate a high level of detail and readability. Chapters include drawings and photographs that explain concepts.

It's been a decade since former Twin Citian Sarah Susanka and co-writer Kira Obolensky launched "The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live" (Taunton Press, $32). The book and subsequent related titles helped inspire an entire generation to think differently about the spaces we live in. The message? Value quality over quantity. Taunton Press is celebrating with a 10th-anniversary edition of the book, which has a new introduction and a new chapter.

Another Taunton title with a strong local connection comes from Dale Mulfinger, former Susanka business partner at what is now SALA Architects. His latest offering is another in a series of cabin books. This time it's "Cabinology: A Handbook to Your Private Hideaway" (Taunton Press, $25). This book deviates slightly from Taunton's standard architecture and design books. It's smaller -- more like a Boy Scout handbook -- and it has more how-to advice on topics ranging from picking a site to putting it together.

Twin Cities-based architect Charles Stinson has been designing houses worldwide -- most notably and recently for a man-made island in Dubai, but you can check out some of his location creations in "Charles R. Stinson Architects: Compositions in Nature" (Images Publishing, $78). With words by local writer Camille LeFevre and photos by Peter Bastianelli-Kerze, the book delves into Stinson's design philosophy and profiles several dozen of his best-known houses.