Former New Yorker writer Bill Barich is best known for his horse racing book "Laughing in the Hills," published 25 years ago now. For his latest book, Barich has again written about horses, but this time added Ireland as a topic as well in "A Fine Place to Daydream: Racehorses, Romance and the Irish." Barich fell in love, moved to Dublin and took quickly to the Irish love for the race track. As Barich explores Ireland, he also meets top trainers, horses and jockeys. A Fine Place to Daydream builds up to the English Cheltenham Festival in March - when Irish and British patriotism do battle on the track. Along the way, Barich paints a humorous picture of Ireland that will appeal to racing fans and non-fans alike. ($23 / 228 pages / Knopf)