From a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker to a landmark film by Steven Spielberg to a soul-stirring hit Broadway musical, THE COLOR PURPLE is now a dazzling coffee table book, aptly named THE COLOR PURPLE: A MEMORY BOOK (Carol & Graf, $40). The 176-page book, richly illustrated with 200 images, offers a compelling look at the incredible journey of Walker’s timeless tale, which revolves around Celie, who triumphs over obstacles to live life as her true unfettered self. THE COLOR PURPLE: A MEMORY BOOK, with a foreword by Oprah Winfrey, a producer of the musical, is certain to be a collector’s item. From the writing of the libretto to the creation of the costumes and sets to rehearsals to its Broadway premiere, THE COLOR PURPLE: A MEMORY BOOK gives readers the ultimate insider’s look at the stage production.

On a different subject, actress/comedienne Mo’Nique, author of the New York Times best-seller Skinny Women Are Evil, returns with an equally humorous title that is a recipe book, SKINNY COOKS CAN’T BE TRUSTED (Amistad/HarperCollins, $26.95). The actress proclaims that she is proud to bring back the days when folks didn’t know what soy and tofu were, when there were no substitutes to mess up the flavor, just menus that had folks begging for the recipe. Mouth-watering recipes include fried chicken, green beans with onion, butter and bacon, and peach cobbler. In addition to the recipes, readers will find Mo’Nique’s fondest food memories (like the time her mother’s stuffed fish blew up in the oven, but still made it to the table), cooking tips (“When in doubt, taste it to make sure’’), food strategies (“Gather everything in one place so you don’t tire yourself out running around the kitchen’’), and the proper wine to accompany a meal (“Baby, whatever you got in the ’fridge will do’’). Complete with photographs of Mo’Nique and her recipes, SKINNY COOKS CAN’T BE TRUSTED is sure to stir up an appetite.

Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington says that he endured many challenges on his path to success. “There was a long list of kids in town who weren’t going to make it out of Mount Vernon [N.Y.] alive, and for a time I was on that list,’’ he says. But he found hope and purpose at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, where he was steered by the gentle hand of his mentor, Billy Thomas. In A HAND TO GUIDE ME (Meredith Books, $24.95), Washington pays tribute to Thomas and scores of other mentors who touched the lives of others. Written with Daniel Paisner, Washington gathered intimate and inspiring stories from other successful luminaries who reached out to mentors to help them fulfill their early promise. The luminaries include Bill Clinton, Colin Powell, Toni Morrison, Whoopi Goldberg, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, John Singleton, Debbie Allen and Hank Aaron. The narratives are rich with insight, humor, and the triumphs of the human spirit made possible by the touch of someone’s helping hand. A HAND TO GUIDE ME continues Washington’s long-standing commitment to the powerful role that mentoring played in his life as a child. As national spokesman for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Washington has dedicated his royalties from sales of the book to support the organization.