SLAMMERKIN Emma Donoghue
The odd title is a word that means both a loose dress and a loose woman, and this novel, set in the 18th century, offers an involving tale about both. (Harcourt, $24)

RISE TO REBELLION Jeff Shaara
The genius of this book, the story of the founding of our nation, is that the author uses the novelized voices of Washington, Adams and Franklin to tell it. (Ballantine, $26.95)

BETWEEN LOVERS Eric Jerome
Dickey Lust and confusion collide in this supple novel about a woman who wants it all: the man she dumped at the altar—and the sexy female lawyer she loves. (Dutton, $23.95)