7 Money Mantras For a Richer Life
by Michelle Singletary
(Random House Audio) CDs - $29.95
How to live well with the money you have is the goal of this book by Michelle Singletary, author of the syndicated newspaper column "The Color of Money." In a straight-talking, easy-to-understand style, Singletary presents seven financial rules, which include "Sweat the small stuff," and "Priorities lead to prosperity." An inspiring read that will make you believe you have the power to live well, no matter what your salary figure.

Cork Boat
by John Pollack
(Random House Audio) CDs - $29.95
The premise of this non-fiction book is literally fantastic: author John Pollack follows his childhood dream of building a boat made of wine corks that can carry him on a river voyage. He quits his job as a speechwriter in Washington, D.C. and builds a boat out of 165,321 corks, then attempts a journey down the Douro River in Portugal, which is the birthplace of cork. His recounting of collecting the corks and engaging friends to help with the building is inspiring. This is a fun memoir, as well as travelogue.

The Man in My Basement
by Walter Mosley
(Time Warner Audiobooks) CDs - $31.98
Here's an intriguing book from writer Walter Mosley, who's best known for his Easy Rawlings series of mysteries. This book is more philosophical than his previous writings, but there is a mystery at its core: why would a white man pay an inordinate amount of money to spend the summer in the basement of a black man's house? The story unfolds in an unconventional way that will hold your interest, as will the social and racial issues it raises.

The First 48
by Tim Green
(Time Warner Audiobooks) CDs-$31.98
Here's the latest mystery/thriller from author Tim Green, this one centered on a former cop-turned-lawyer who must find his kidnapped daughter. The title refers to the belief that unless an abducted victim is found in the first 48 hours, odds are they won't be found alive. That sets up a nice countdown for the story, as the father travels from upstate New York to Washington, D.C., where his daughter was an investigative reporter for the Washington Post. The story can be a bit predictable, but veteran author Green knows how to spin a tale and keep the action moving.

The Journals of Eleanor Druse: My Investigation of the Kingdom Hospital Incident
by Eleanor Druse
(Hyperion Audiobooks) CDs - $31.98
Fans of all things Stephen King will enjoy this book, which inspired the ABC-TV series "Kingdom Hospital" that originally aired in the spring. This is a fictional journal, but as with many things related to Stephen King, it seems like it could have really happened. It contains an incident that mirrors King's own accident a few years ago, when he was hit by a van while walking along a road in Maine. In this book, the focus is on the hospital that the King character is taken to, which was erected on the site of an old textile mill. Unfortunately, the mill was destroyed in a fire that killed dozens of workers, mostly children, who now appear to haunt the hospital.