South and West

It is to Joan Didion's credit that her notebooks from a trip through the South and to California in the 1970s remain startlingly relevant 40 years on. The observations of Southerners and their habits are particularly keen.

Lincoln in the Bardo

I detected a tiny bit of padding in this inventive and affecting novel, but that is about the only negative that comes to mind. The tone and language are perfectly pitched: resembling the speech of 1862 but not exactly, more like formal modern speech heard through a sepia filter. The story is grave and the emotions are pure and real. The technique is redolent of the Dos Passos newsreels but comes off as strikingly original. A beautiful and memorable work.

The Uncommon Reader

Alan Bennett's short novel finds Queen Elizabeth II discovering the joys of serious reading. In a way she stands in for all readers who attempt to tackle difficult or unknown books: All she needs is a quiet room and focused attention. Reading turns her to writing, and to a surprising and satisfying ending.

City of Green Benches

Published in the 1980s about St. Petersburg, Fla., this work of contemporary anthropology focuses on how old people live and, more importantly, the factors that allow them to have a full and satisfying old age. Some of the successful programs mentioned here (adult day care) have since been discontinued, although Meals on Wheels continues to be a vital social link and nutritional necessity for many aged in St. Petersburg. The author, Maria Vesperi, is the best kind of observer: sensitive and meticulous.

Conversations with John Schlesinger

Captured by his nephew, these accounts by the British film director John Schlesinger (1926-2003) reveal his skills in all aspects of filmmaking. Literate and talented, Schlesinger left a substantial oeuvre that repays repeated viewings. Among his best: The Day of the Locust.