The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Anne Fadiman (Noonday, $13, first published in 1997) Winner of the 1997 National Book Critics Circle Award, this true story follows a sick child caught between two cultures. Diners: People and Places Gerd Kittel (Thames and Hudson, $17.95, 1990) Evocative photos of Northeastern eateries pay homage to 68 cozy relics of a bygone era.

Aimee & Jaguar Erica Fischer (Alyson, $12.95, 1994) Nonfiction account of a passionate, doomed lesbian love affair pales in comparison with the author's vivid portrait of Nazi Berlin.