Lisa Pinckney, Cooking teacher, Culinary Sol, Norwood:
       Deck the Halls by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark (Pocket Books; $7.99).

        “I read all of her (Mary Higgins Clark) books because they're just brain candy. . . . Actually, exploring different ways to commit murder subsides my anxiety. (Laughs.) Truthfully, murder mysteries have always appealed to me.”

        Evelyn Ignatow, Co-owner, Hyde Park Gourmet Food & Wine:

        Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi (Simon & Schuster; $14).

        “I love historical epics. This takes place at the beginning of World War II in Europe. A young girl is born a dwarf in a well-to-do family and the Nazis are taking over. It offers a different perspective of history. She (the main character) has to overcome her own disabilities and the war.

        “Why do I like historical epics? That's like trying to explain why I like to read.”

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