By Christopher Cappiello

A Classic Returns

When last we saw Armistead Maupin’s colorful cast of characters from the Tales of the City series, it was 1989, charming Southern boy Michael “Mouse” Tolliver was diagnosed with AIDS, and the future looked bleak. This summer, Maupin reconnects readers with his beloved band of Bay Area eccentrics with Michael Tolliver Lives. Unlike so many from his time, Michael has survived and, at 55, enjoys life with his 30-something husband. When his mother becomes seriously ill with emphysema, opportunities for reconcilation with his rigid Southern family arise; and when the 85-year-old transsexual landlady, Anna Madrigal, slips into a coma, Michael rediscovers who his true family is. With heartfelt reunions, poignant exits and moving explorations of aging, Michael Tolliver Lives is a touching stand-alone read for the uninitated and a meaningful coda for hardcore fans.
HarperCollins, $25.95

The Devil Wears Makeup

When little Marnie Mann takes a temp job at the high-powered Manhattan headquarters of LeVigne Cosmetics in The Immaculate Complexion, she has no idea what a Devil Wears Prada experience she’s in for. Painting pigeons white for a product launch, tracking down tainted Botox and avoiding wrongful prosecution for an apparent murder-by-fellatio are only some of the Lucy-and-Ethel-like exploits she endures. Author Edie Bloom—really the writing team of Michelle Meyers and Robin Strober, former PR execs at Estée Lauder—writes with a knowing eye about the industry, the city and the idealistic girl who could.
Leisure Books, $6.99

One Plastic Bag at a Time

It’s hard to forget Madonna strapping on a Les Paul at Wembley Stadium and seeming to play a guitar solo during “Ray of Light.” But what else from the July 7 Live Earth concerts sticks in the memory? If all the environmental stuff seems a little overwhelming, check out The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook. Subtitled, “77 Essential Skills to Stop Climate Change—or Live Through It,” the book is written with wit and clarity, offering practical and—most importantly—doable steps that you can take to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. Who knew that building a small bat house in your yard can help reduce the rising risk of disease-carrying tropical insects? With clever illustrations and alarming statistics, this Survival Handbook is as entertaining as it is indispensable.
Rodale Books, $14.95

As Baldwin Hills Turns

In Looker, Stanley Bennett Clay’s latest steamy novel set in L.A.’s upper middle class African American community, successful entertainment lawyer Brando is coming off of two years of celibacy after breaking up with his last boyfriend. Although his longtime friend Omar is quite the opposite when it comes to hooking up, the two have managed to ignore the long-simmering attraction between them. A host of issues—personal and professional—come to a head when Brando takes on a case defending a lesbian friend who killed a rapist. Clay, the author of In Search of Pretty Young Black Men, keeps the locomotive running at full speed with crisp, short chapters and some expertly crafted eroticism.
Atria Books, $13