The fictitious town of Unity, Mass., is fertile ground for the kind of paranormal activity that frequently inhabits Alice Hoffman's work. The author of such acclaimed novels as "Practical Magic" and "Indigo" delivers another witches' brew of ethereal characters, lush settings and florid dialogue in "The Probable Future" (Doubleday, 322 pages, 24.95).

To say Tom Robbins' prose is inventive and enjoyably absurd is not to offer fresh insight into his work. To point out the author's writing is allusion-heavy and peppered by raucous iconography is not to proffer original praise. Robbins' uncanny talent for characterization and dialogue has consistently pleased readers throughout his past seven novels, so what makes his eighth, "Villa Incognito" (Bantam, 241 pages, $24), so different?

Some writers make it seem so fun to be famous, and Brit Nick Hornby is one of them. But would one expect anything less from the man who brought the world "High Fidelity" and "About a Boy"? Hornby is the closest any author gets to rock-star status, and he's already whipping rock-star-worthy crowds into a frenzy at each of his appearances during the marathon U.S. book tour planned to promote, "A Long Way Down" (Riverhead, 352 pages, $24.95).

It must be every novelist's dream. Write a debut novel that is nominated for the Booker Prize and achieve worldwide notoriety. For Monica Ali, 35, this is no mere fantasy, for the prodigiously talented author's first book spent the entire summer on Britain's best-seller lists. After being included on Granta's list of Best Young British Novelists before her novel even hit bookstores, it's no surprise that this acclaim is following her across the Atlantic.

Isaac Newton was a celibate, grouchy loner who "led an obsessive life, lacking parents, lovers and friends." These facts hardly make a biography on the scientist's life sound sexy or promising. In James Gleick's capable hands, however, Newton's remarkably productive life is a compelling page-turner.

Mary Gordon is one of those intensely interesting literary personalities whose creative energy -- and enthusiasm -- seems boundless. It is therefore unsurprising that Gordon's latest novel, "Pearl," (Pantheon, 368 pages, $24.95) brilliantly tackles many of the most perilous literary themes: the nature of motherhood, political activism and religion.

What happens when a writer jaded by the Los Angeles dating scene moves to Seattle for some relationship R&R? In the case of former music critic Amy DeZellar, the 39-year-old dynamo behind the hilarious new blog-turned-memoir "Dating Amy" (Warner/5-Spot, 254 pages, $12.95), a love affair ensued. A love affair, that is, between a writer and her adopted city.

Does Francine Prose ever sleep? Open almost any magazine on the newsstand and it's a safe bet you'll find an article or essay by the author whose novel "Blue Angel" was a finalist for the National Book Award. Prose's thought-provoking new book, "A Changed Man" (Harper Collins, 421 pages, $24.95), explores whether Vincent Nolan, a former neo-Nazi, can shed his troubled past in favor of a more meaningful existence.

The wait is finally over for Julia Glass fans. After nabbing the National Book Award for "Three Junes," the author beloved for her brilliantly converging plotlines has finally returned to offer up another emotionally satisfying page-turner in "The Whole World Over" (Pantheon, 509 pages, $25.95). Just how does Glass manage to weave together such a complex set of characters so deftly?

Lynn Freed has constructed an impressive career mining the complicated emotional territory between mothers and daughters, and her latest book "House of Women" (Little, Brown, 211 pages, $12.95) is no exception. This unusual anti-fairy tale is set on a dreamlike island where 17-year-old Thea lives as a virtual prisoner of her mother, Nalia.

Susan Vreeland has built a career fictionalizing the lives of artists. This dependable recipe for success has secured her a devoted following, even among fans who may not have characterized themselves as "arty" before reading "The Passion of Artemisia" or "Girl in Hyacinth Blue." Vreeland maintains her intent has always been to "open up a whole new world for people who were previously not art-lovers."

Amy Tan's first book of non-fiction offers curious fans a long-awaited look inside her eccentric life and the personal demons that shape her fiction. "The Opposite of Fate: A Book of Musings" (Putnam, 416 pages, $24.95) brings together many previously published pieces that address such subjects as Tan's thoughts on writing, the eerie nature of fame and, most entertaining, her many brushes with the supernatural.

"At what point do we as individuals prefer to die than to compromise and live?" This alarming question lies at the heart of "Collapse: How Societies Choose To Fail or Succeed" (Viking, 575 pages, $29.95), a book proving that even the world's greatest catastrophes can be fascinating to read about when Jared Diamond is at the helm.

In her fourth novel, "The Lady and the Unicorn," Tracy Chevalier relies upon the art-centric blueprint that spelled such phenomenal success for her lush period tale, "Girl With a Pearl Earring," based on the workings of Dutch painter Vermeer's household. This time the action hinges upon six medieval tapestries of the same name that hang in a Paris museum.

In "Yoga for People Who Can't Be Bothered To Do It" (Pantheon, 272 pages, $22), Geoff Dyer offers not a fitness manual, but a travel bible for modern-day slackers. This collection of 11 essays takes the art of hipster adventure to a level rarely seen since Jack Kerouac fashioned a series of cross-country treks into classic literary fare in "On the Road."

For readers hungry for the latest book in the highly addictive Smokey Dalton mystery series, the wait has come to an end. In the just-released "Stone Cribs," (St. Martins, 323 pages, $24.95), Kris Nelscott's beloved African American private investigator shelters a Memphis boy who witnessed the slaying of Dr.