Complete book coverage for Nov. 29, 2009

As she sets a story in the world of high school, a writer wonders: Should it be based on her own experience or something else entirely?

In his consideration of two volumes of American horror stories, our columnist finds that quotes take on a life of their own.

Satchmo loved to tape parts of his life. That record infuses ‘Pops,’ a new biography of the jazz great.

Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin see themselves as do-gooders. To their many ‘frenemies,’ it’s more complicated.

The author of “Julie and Julia” returns with a memoir that combines foodie interests and troubled personal relationships.

A new biography shows the intellectual prowess -- and interpretive liberties -- of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Two studies suggest that the killing instinct is what also defines us as Americans.

Plus: ‘The Beautiful Soul of John Woolman, Apostle of Abolition’ and ‘The Delicacy and Strength of Lace’

Fiction Weeks on list1.The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Putnam: $24.95) The lives of a maid, a cook and a college graduate become intertwined as they change a Mississippi town. 25 2.Under the Dome by Stephen King (Scribner: $35) A ragtag cast of characters fight to survive in their small Maine town inexplicably surrounded by an invisible force field. 1 3.The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper: $26.99) A writer’s escapades encompassing 1930s Mexican artist communities and Cold War America. 2 4.The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (Doubleday: $25.99) Harvard professor Robert Langdon uses his symbology skills to find a missing Freemason in Washington, D.C. 105.Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel ( Henry Holt: $27) The rise of Henry VIII’s advisor Thomas Cromwell.36.Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown : $27.99) An LAPD detective travels to Hong Kong to solve the murder of a Chinese immigrant. 67.Ford County by John Grisham (Doubleday: $24) A collection of short stories set in the same locale as “A Time to Kill.”28.Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney (Amulet: $13.95) Greg desires to spend summer vacation indoors despite his mother’s wishes for outdoor family fun.69.True Blue by David Baldacci (Grand Central: $27.99) After being framed for a crime, a cop must break a case to prove worthy of the badge again. 2 10.Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney (Amulet: $12.95) Greg’s dad enlists him in sports to toughen him up. 30 11.The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (Tor: $29.99) Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn, attempts to unite kingdoms and alliances in preparation for the Last Battle. 4 12.I, Alex Cross by James Patterson (Little, Brown: $27.99) Detective Alex Cross infiltrates a secret society while tracking down the killer of a close relative.1 13.The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson (Knopf: $25.95) A hacker implicated in two murders must revisit her past to prove her innocence. 14 14.Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (Scribner: $26) The story of a hard-knock gal who raised horses and survived floods and the Depression. 4 15.The Humbling by Philip Roth (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt: $22) A washed-up stage actor is rejuvenated when he begins an erotic affair with a younger woman. 3Nonfiction 1.Open by Andre Agassi (Knopf: $28.95) The tennis star’s memoir and personal odyssey of a lost childhood, drug use and comebacks.2 2.What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown: $27.99) A collection of the author’s writings of everyday and extraordinary people. 4 3.Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom (Hyperion: $23.99) Albom’s observations of a rabbi and a pastor on an eight-year journey of faith. 8 4.Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer (Little, Brown: $25.99) An examination and behind-the-scenes look at factory farming.25.Lit by Mary Karr (Harper: $25.99) The author’s descent into alcoholism and recovery.26.SuperFreakonomics by Steven D.

Fiction 1. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson ($14.95) 2.