5. “The Big Fella: Babe Ruth and the World He Created” by Jane Leavy (Harper, nonfiction, on sale Oct. 16)

What it’s about: With the World Series just a week away, the time seems right for a bio of the Babe, arguably the game’s biggest star ever.

The buzz: A “sparkling, exemplary sports biography, shedding new light on a storied figure in baseball history,” says Kirkus Reviews.

Check out the rest of the list at usatoday.com »