Adult

At eight years old, Burroughs profoundly misunderstood the meaning of Christmas. Now he shows how the holidays can bring out the worst in us and sometimes, just sometimes, the very best in this hilarious and irreverent – if not traditional – holiday classic.

Charles Dickens is not feeling the Christmas spirit. His newest book is an utter flop, the critics have turned against him, relatives near and far hound him for money. While his wife plans a lavish holiday party for their ever-expanding family and circle of friends, Dickens has visions of the poor house. But when his publishers try to blackmail him into writing a Christmas book to save them all from financial ruin, he refuses. And a serious bout of writer’s block sets in. Laced with humor, rich historical detail from Charles Dickens’ life, and clever winks to his work, Silva's novel is an irresistible new take on a cherished classic.

Have you had a really bad day – or year? This book is the perfect pick-me-up to get you laughing out loud. A wonderful gift to get you in the perfect mood for the upcoming new year.

Since I speak for a living, people often ask me how to do it. There are plenty of charlatans out there, but there are also some wonderful “givers” who provide useful guidance. Newman’s book is unbelievable, as he provides a roadmap for anyone interested in becoming a speaker. Read carefully: he has crammed a $10,000/year coaching program into a $20 book. If you don’t grab this treasure, you’re not serious about speaking. Even an old hack like me learned some practical tips!

Laura Hunt was the ideal modern woman: beautiful, elegant, highly ambitious, and utterly mysterious. No man could resist her charms – not even the hardboiled NYPD detective sent to find out who turned her into a faceless corpse. As this tough cop probes the mystery of Laura’s death, he becomes obsessed with her strange power. Soon he realizes he’s been seduced by a dead woman – or has he? Noir at its best! To paraphrase UCLA basketball coach John Wooden: the problem with new books is they keep us from reading the old ones. Femmes Fatales (publishing) restores to print the best of women’s writing in the classic pulp genres of the mid-20th century.

Couldn’t put this book down! Read it on a flight from Houston to Los Angeles, and I chuckled at Maher’s escapades with co-conspirators as they successfully invaded some of Hollywood’s biggest events. They know no fear, and I am convinced he needs to make this into a reality TV show (look for the Steven Seagal lookalike stories and the invalid having his “last supper” at a posh sushi restaurant beside the Farrelly brothers; they’re priceless!).

Thanks to my buddy Ruben Gonzalez for insisting I read this fascinating diatribe by KISS founder Gene Simmons. Filled with all sorts of great practical tips on how to get ahead in business. Not always “politically correct,” Simmons impresses with his no-nonsense approach to succeeding financially in America.

The first comprehensive social history of jazz, this book provides an intimate and compelling look at the many forces that shaped this most American of art forms and the many influences that gave rise to jazz’s post-war styles.

Want to sound impressive at cocktail parties? Fit this quick, literary read into the conversation. In A Room of One's Own, Virginia Woolf imagines that Shakespeare had a sister – a sister equal to Shakespeare in talent, and equal in genius, but whose legacy is radically different. This imaginary woman never writes a word and dies by her own hand, her genius unexpressed. If only she had found the means to create, argues Woolf, she would have reached the same heights as her immortal sibling. In this classic essay, she takes on the establishment, using her gift of language to dissect the world around her and give voice to those who are without. Her message is a simple one: women must have a fixed income and a room of their own in order to have the freedom to create. Best of all? This summary is just a little longer than the book itself.

This collection of essays focuses on the most important transformation in Niequist’s life: leaving behind “busyness” and frantic living and rediscovering the person she was made to be. Great examination of how to pull free from the constant pressure to perform faster, push harder and produce more. This book was as relaxing as a yoga session.

There’s nothing like reading a good Western. Wonderfully written – a lot like True Grit – with terrific characters. I sped through this novel.

Truly moving reminder about gratitude and helping others. This real-life story of Ron Hall and Denver Moore takes a new look into the mind of a homeless man who’s spiritually filled and a wealthy entrepreneur who is struggling with spiritual strength through his wife’s illness. Engaging and uplifting.

Before becoming a New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize winner for the extraordinary All the Light We Cannot See, Doerr wrote this collection of short stories, which provide readers a glimpse into his extraordinary future writing.

A compulsively readable collection of short stories that explore the complex – and often darkly funny – connections between gender, sex, and power across genres. Spanning a range of genres and topics, these stories fascinate and repel, revolt and arouse, scare and delight in equal measure.

I know Sedaris doesn’t need my help, but I cannot resist sharing his books with all my friends – and enemies. No writer more reliably gets me laughing out loud. The perfect book after a draining day.