Books: Recommended books

One Art: Selected Letters of Elizabeth Bishop edited by Robert Giroux, Chatto pounds 25. A moving selection of letters by one of America's greatest poets. Review by Jamie McKendrick, 30 April.

The Bridge over the Drina by Ivo Andric, Harvill, pounds 8.99. A genuine modern classic, four centuries in the lfie of a war-torn bridge near Sarajevo. Review by Hugo Barnacle, 16 April.

The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker, Allen Lane, pounds 20. A learned, witty guide to the miraculous gift for speech. Review by Robert Winder, 15 April.

How late it was, how late by James Kelman, Secker, pounds 14.99. Scintillating novel detailing a hapless search for dignity. Review by Janette Turner Hospital, 2 March.