In The Cookbook Collector (Dial, $15) Allegra Goodman tells the story of two sisters, Emily and Jess, close, but opposites in almost every way.  The novel begins as Emily is about to take her Internet startup public, making its investors millionaires overnight.  Emily’s boyfriend is involved in a similar venture in Boston, and their relationship is stressed by jealousy, ambition, and distance.  Meanwhile, Jess works in a used-book store in Berkeley, owned by a cryptic man who made millions in Microsoft.  The novel takes place between 1999 and 2001, and Goodman deftly evokes the dot-com bubble, its burst, and the 9/11 attacks, making them as fresh and startling for the reader as they are for the characters. This is a truly amazing book.