Adult

I figured a book about an obsessive teacher is always a good way to start off the school year.  Maggie Smith won an Oscar for her portrayal in the movie.  I read this cover-to-cover while attending a meeting one day.

I still do not know why Achebe never won the Nobel Prize for Literature, as he was one of Africa’s most gifted writers.  This book is for all those interested in blood, violence and suffering (or you could pick up a copy of your local newspaper any day).  

A play in two acts, this masterpiece fascinated me, since I did not know anything about Sir Thomas More beyond Monty Python skits.  Paul Scofield is excellent in the movie version, by the way (for the laziest readers that become the most motivated Blockbuster patrons).

While I am not a huge fan of Hemingway’s penchant for paragraph-long sentences (like the one I am trying to write right now), this is a fairly pleasing story if you just read it and do not search for all of its allegorical references.

I noticed that I was including a lot of “heavy” books this month, so this is for those interested in a book for pure entertainment purposes.  If you love his show, you’ll enjoy the book.

Walter Mosley is one of the most talented writers around, and this collection of stories about Socrates Fortlow is a wonderful look at life in the 'hood.  My students could relate to this book, and I found myself very attached to Socrates by book’s end.

All Californians could use this book about now, especially with the Oct. 7^th recall election looming.  You can find a cheap paperback version of this bestseller at virtually any used book store or garage sale in America.

Probably my favorite of Shakespeare's plays.  I love the soothsayer and Anthony's speech after Caesar is slain.  "Brutus is an honorable man."  This will get your blood flowing when you relate it to modern day politics.  I guess this recall has me thinking political betrayal!

Noticing I included several books already that exceed 200 pages, I decided to throw in a screenplay. This may just be the funniest movie of the last 20 years.  If you dislike Monty Python or cruelty to animals, however, you may want to turn to something less challenging (e.g. watch re-runs of Fear Factor on NBC). 

If you've never read anything by Patrick McManus, you're in for a treat.  I love his curmudgeonly style of telling stories about hunting and fishing.  He's a cross between David Sedaris and Jon Krakauer.  

Yes, it is a long title.  Sure, even God handed down only 10 commandments.  Still, this book provides many useful tips and inspirational anecdotes.  My good friend Pat Wainwright loaned me her copy, so I saved 13 bucks.

Jeff Miller loaned me this gem, which is yet another book that likes to give a title: subtitle.  There are some wonderful lessons in this book.  I guess I have been on a motivational kick because I am teaching a great group of new students this semester, and they push me to want to be a better teacher.

One of my favorite monologists, Gray masterfully reminisces about his experiences while shooting the film The Killing Fields.  I hope I can write this well when I reflect on my own travel catastrophes.

Some very funny monologues from one of the best.  Bogosian is superb when it comes to writing characters all of us know but wish we did not.

I include this book because Stephen Krashen tells me that this is one of the most purchased and least read books.  I know that I began reading it because I thought it would make me sound intelligent at cocktail parties.  Unfortunately, it bored me after 30 pages.  Tell me if you get through it.