Suzy Gershman

In the mid-1980s Suzy Gershman was having lunch in Beverly Hills with three friends - all ladies who loved to shop - when she hatched the idea: She would write a shopping guide that would make her readers "feel as if we've met for lunch and I'm giving them tips for their trip. " The result of her brainstorm was the first "Born to Shop" travel guide, published in 1986. Over the next three decades she turned out 15 more books loaded with carefully honed recommendations about the best places to buy almost anything - designer clothes, soap, garden torches, art supplies, homemade focaccia, antiques - in tourist destinations from New York to Shanghai.

In the mid-1980s Suzy Gershman was having lunch in Beverly Hills with three friends - all ladies who loved to shop - when she hatched the idea: She would write a shopping guide that would make her readers "feel as if we've met for lunch and I'm giving them tips for their trip. " The result of her brainstorm was the first "Born to Shop" travel guide, published in 1986. Over the next three decades she turned out 15 more books loaded with carefully honed recommendations about the best places to buy almost anything - designer clothes, soap, garden torches, art supplies, homemade focaccia, antiques - in tourist destinations from New York to Shanghai.

If there's ever a Shoppers Hall (Mall?) of Fame, Suzy Gershman will be a shoo-in. As the author of eight "Born to Shop" guides, she may be the ultimate cross-cultural consumer, at home in tony boutiques and gritty bazaars from Macau to Milan. Gershman conceived the series a decade ago over lunch at L.A.'s Bistro Garden with three friends--all Ladies Who Shop. That gathering helped set the books' breezy, opinionated tone.

If there's ever a Shoppers Hall (Mall?) of Fame, Suzy Gershman will be a shoo-in. As the author of eight "Born to Shop" guides, she may be the ultimate cross-cultural consumer, at home in tony boutiques and gritty bazaars from Macau to Milan. Gershman conceived the series a decade ago over lunch at L.A.'s Bistro Garden with three friends--all Ladies Who Shop. That gathering helped set the books' breezy, opinionated tone.

Rankings are based on a Times poll of Southland bookstores. *--* SO. CAL. RATING Fiction 1 The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead: $14) A writer returns to Kabul to rescue the son of a childhood friend. 2 The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (Penguin: $14) A teenage girl is haunted by her mother's death. 3 Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (Vintage: $12) An autistic teen seeks out a killer.

'Japan Solo," by Eiji Kanno and Constance O'Keefe, offers ways to enjoy the cultural riches of Japan and is supported by 193 comprehensive maps. This self-help guide challenges readers to take advantage of economical or deluxe transportation, restaurants and accommodations without having to join a costly tour group. It also provides tips on how to check baggage, communicate, change currency and where to find restrooms. Included is a collection of conversation cards (Warner Books: $14.95).

While children around the world anticipate Santa's arrival in the wee hours of Dec. 25, veteran shoppers cannot wait until the morning of Dec. 26. Revved up by coffee and armed with Christmas cash and a well thought-out plan, these early birds begin their attack in the earliest hours of the morning in search of the proverbial worm. But just what is being sold at after-Christmas sales? Shoppers at Neiman Marcus can expect reduced prices on cashmere and novelty sweaters.

Instead of blasting your way to Mammoth on U.S. 395, slow down; there now are more reasons to enjoy the drive. A new Eastern Sierra Cultural and Heritage Alliance map details 20 sites to visit along California's mother road, including national parks, museums and visitor centers such as Death Valley National Park and the Mammoth Ski Museum. To entice visitors to dally at as many sites as possible, the alliance has started a Passport Stamp Program, and the rewards for a stop are free items.

I don't care much about jewelry or perfume or shoes. Linen is my passion, which I indulged on a window-shopping trip to Paris in May. To me and those like me, Paris means D. Porthault, a linen heaven of a shop that Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis favored.

Parents who labor over packing their kids for camp also struggle with the gut feeling that much of what goes inside the duffel bags will never see the light of day. And who can blame kids for wearing the same old clothes once they get what might be their first taste of freedom? Fashion is the last thing on their minds. Convenience and conformity far outrank it.

Spuds, that bulldog with the black eye who's been whooping it up like one of the boys in the Budweiser TV commercials, is about to have a change in image. For an upcoming series of ads, Spuds will dress like an international playboy, Listen hears from Wanda Fudge. She's designed a new set of costumes for the dapper dog, including a bikini bathing suit, a wet suit, a yachting outfit with traditional blue blazer, a formal tuxedo and, for lounging, a silk paisley robe with a white ascot.