No matter what your style preferences, one of two new, wildly opposite architecture books is bound to appeal to you.

"Historic Houses of Virginia," by Kathryn Masson with photos by Steven Brooke (Rizzoli, $55, out in November), features 20 classically inspired estates from the 18th and 19th centuries, including Mount Vernon, Monticello and Gunston Hall. Well-researched text offers a broad view of how the gentry lived. It's a perfect book for that Queen Anne coffee table.

"Hip Hollywood Homes" by Sue Hostetler (Clarkson Potter, $40, out next month), looks at 21 stylish cribs of largely obscure Tinseltowners (a possible exception: "Sex and the City" creator Darren Star). Think Spanish Colonial, old movie star glam, Zen serene and midcentury modern houses. Unfortunately, the prose is pure L.A. hype, so skip it, read the captions and ogle Peter Christiansen Valli's swell photos.