Boller, Diane, Don Selby, and Chryss Yost, eds., Poetry Daily: 366 Poems from the World's Most Popular Website, Sourcebooks Trade, 2003.

As the title makes clear, this book is based on the Poetry Daily Website (www.poems.com), which posts a new "Today's Poem" every day of the year. The concept behind the book is that readers will read one poem a day throughout 2004—a leap year, and therefore 366 days long—and by the end of the year will have read more poetry than most people read in a lifetime. The poems selected are from the web site's first five years, and it is an admirable, eclectic collection well worth reading.

Chafe, Eric, Analyzing Bach Cantatas, Oxford University Press, 2003.

Classical music experts and novices alike will appreciate this insightful look at what are considered some of Western music's highest accomplishments. In clear, straightforward language, Chafe examines Bach's...