Jae-Ha Kim

Candace Bushnell has a new contingent of fans, thanks to a pair of young adult novels that are prequels to her best seller “Sex and the City.” “The Carrie Diaries” and “Summer and the City” introduce readers to a teenage Carrie Bradshaw years before she became a famous Manhattan sex columnist. The CW is creating a series based on “The Carrie Diaries” that will air later this year.

For his latest book, “Planet Barbecue” (Workman Publishing, $35), master griller Steven Raichlen traveled to 60 countries to see for himself how grilling is done in places such as South Korea, Uruguay and South Africa. With his first-hand knowledge, he put together more than 300 barbecue recipes that are eclectic yet basic enough for the average home griller to follow. The 57-year-old chef describes his life as spending “half the year in Miami, half the year in Martha’s Vineyard and half the year on airplanes. No wonder I’m so tired.”

After winning an Academy Award for her breakthrough performance in “Children of a Lesser God,” Marlee Matlin has proven herself to be a serious actress with a deft comedic touch. But Matlin, 42, is also an accomplished author of children’s books. Her latest, “Leading Ladies” ($15.99, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing), which features a spunky young heroine who Matlin says is a lot like she was as a child, picks up where her previous books “Deaf Child Crossing” and “Nobody’s Perfect” left off. As for acting, Matlin returns to the fifth season of “The L Word” next month, and also has an upcoming guest-starring role on “Nip/Tuck”. But for now, the well-traveled actress – who resides in Los Angeles with her husband and children – reminisces about one of her favorite vacations: a Mediterranean cruise.