READING L.A.

Dan Harary, public relations specialist:

“The Death of a President” by William Manchester (Galahad Books).

“Manchester’s book was written a few years after the assassination of JFK, and he is convinced that Oswald was the sole killer. While the book is pure fiction, the details of JFK’s last hours are riveting.”

****

Michael Dula, computer technology consultant:

“Cold Mountain,” by Charles Frazier (Atlantic Monthly).

“It’s not just a fine Civil War novel but also an absorbing depiction of western North Carolina, where I was born. Perhaps because the terrain’s familiar to me, I found it easy to imagine myself lost in the dark hollows of the Appalachian foothills.”

****

Corky Hale, musician:

“A Mad, Mad, Mad World: A Life in Hollywood,” by Stanley Kramer (Harcourt Brace).

“Because I grew up in a small town, I was always fascinated by Hollywood. Even though I live here now, the city is still fascinating, and I love reading about the directors and the producers I came to know down at the local bijoux.”

****

Mary Frann, actress:

“Kay Boyle: Author of Herself,” by Joan Mellen (Farrar, Straus and Giroux).

“I’m fascinated by people’s inner life and how it affects their creativity. Short story writer and ex-patriot, Boyle had a fierce need for financial and artistic independence. She would let nothing compromise her absolute obsession and passion to express herself.”