THE LIST: DVDs, CDs and books hitting stores this week

DVDS

"27 Dresses" (PG-13): Chick-flick fans of the world, lift your champagne glasses in a toast to this semisparkling romantic comedy about a perennial bridesmaid ("Knocked Up's" Katherine Heigl), whose fixation on other people's weddings -- and the lack of romance in her own life -- make her a prime target for a cynical reporter ("Enchanted's" James Marsden) desperate to escape the wedding beat. As frilly and fluffy as the title attire, an insouciant spirit and a nimble cast make this more fun than the by-the-numbers plot indicates.

Also out today: "The Golden Compass" (PG-13); "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (PG-13); "How She Move" (PG-13); "Bernard and Doris" (Unrated); "Fall of the Roman Empire" (Unrated); "The Red Balloon" (G); "Saludos Amigos"/"The Three Caballeros" (G); and "Disraeli" (Unrated).

CDS

Madonna, "Hard Candy": Hard candy and harder beats, that's what you get with the latest from Madge, a ceaselessly up-tempo album that hits like a session of disco calisthenics.

On her previous disc, the body rockin' "Confessions on a Dancefloor," Madonna returned to her roots with an album marinated in sweat and sass.

This time around, she pushes the needle even further into the red with a high-BPM set of hot-and-bothered electro pop that conjures up more perspiration than a Vegas summer.

Also in stores: Mark Chesnutt, "Rollin' With the Flow"; Def Leppard, "Songs From the Sparkle Lounge"; Estelle, "Shine"; Lyfe Jennings, "Lyfe Change"; Earl Klugh, "The Spice of Life"; Mana, "Arde el cielo"; Portishead, "Third"; The Roots, "Rising Down"; Santogold, "Santogold"; Carly Simon, "This Kind of Love"; Phil Stacey, "Phil Stacey"; and Steve Winwood, "Nine Lives."

BOOKS

"Sundays at Tiffany's" by James Patterson: As a lonely little girl ignored by her mother, Jane had no one but her imaginary friend, Michael. In her 30s and a successful playwright, Jane is still lonely, until she is reunited with Michael, who this time is not imaginary.

Also hitting shelves: "A Writer's People: Ways of Looking and Feeling" by V.S. Naipaul; "Yum-o!" by Rachael Ray; "Child 44" by Tom Rob Smith; "Days of Infamy" by Newt Gingrich; "Life Beyond Measure: Letters to My Great-Granddaughter" by Sidney Poitier; "The Secret to True Happiness: Enjoy Today, Embrace Tomorrow" by Joyce Meyer; "The South Beach Diet Supercharged: Faster Weight Loss and Better Health for Life" by Arthur Agatston; "A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World" by Tony Horwitz; "A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir" by Augusten Burroughs; "Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World" by Lisa Lillien; "Living on the Black: Two Pitchers, Two Teams, One Season to Remember" by John Feinstein; and "America's Hidden History: Untold Tales of the First Pilgrims, Fighting Women, and Forgotten Founders Who Shaped a Nation" by Kenneth C. Davis.