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Parliament of Whores

Parliament of Whores

By P. J. O'Rourke 233 pages Adult

Danny Says

What ever happened to short titles?  Regardless, P.J. O’Rourke is one of the funniest political satirists today.  I once bumped into him at the bar at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.  He said, “Hey,” and I replied, “Excuse me.”  That is about the extent of my brushes with celebrities. 
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Stiff

Stiff

By Mary Roach 303 pages Adult

Danny Says

One of the best books of 2003.  Look at these opening lines, and you are bound to buy the book:  “The way I see it, being dead is not terribly far off from being on a cruise ship. Most of your time is spent lying on your back.”  An intriguing account that is as informative as it is entertaining.
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Siddhartha

Siddhartha

By Hermann Hesse 160 pages Adult

Danny Says

I thought I’d throw in some classic literature this month.  This is also appropriate for young adults, as it deals with a young man’s journey to self-discovery.  I thought it was pretty good when I read it in high school; today, I like it even better.
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The Richest Man in Babylon

The Richest Man in Babylon

By George S. Clason 144 pages Adult

Danny Says

Now this is an old classic.  Based on the “Babylonian principles,” this may be one of the first popular guides to containing one’s finances and planning for financial security.  I’m a big believer in letting anecdotes guide my thinking rather than statistics, and even if this book was first published in the 1920s, the stories hold true today.
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Thirteen Problems

Thirteen Problems

By Agatha Christie Adult

Danny Says

If you are not familiar with Miss Marple’s mysteries, you need to start reading this delightful series (most of the books are around 256 pages).  Miss Marple is best-known for solving crimes with the same methodical approach she devotes to her knitting.  I believe Agatha Christie is the bestselling author of all time (outside religious disciples).
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Breakfast at Tiffany's

Breakfast at Tiffany's

By Truman Capote 160 pages Adult

Danny Says

This is a perfect book for light and entertaining reading.  Actually, the book that is in bookstores now has a collection of Capote’s short stories, including this classic about Holly Golightly.  I love Truman Capote for a number of reasons:  (a) he was best friends as a child with To Kill a Mockingbird scribe Harper Lee; (b) his stories are very different and all well-written; and (c) I read a story that a six-year-old boy sent Capote a story he wrote, and Capote mailed the boy this response:  “good writing…poor spelling…send more.”  That boy turned out to be a Pulitzer Prize-winning author.  Moral:  be nice to everybody because you never have any idea who they may or will be.
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Blue Suburbia

Blue Suburbia

By Laurie Albanese 224 pages Adult

Danny Says

Sunee Foley recommended this “almost” memoir to me, and it appealed to me because it is written in verse.  The book reads a lot like Larry McMurtry’s excellent (but longer) Terms of Endearment.
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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

By Mark Haddon 226 pages Adult

Danny Says

So what if it’s a tad bit longer than I’d like.  Patricia and Jay Edie, as well as Jill Aguilar, recommended this book to me, and I am so glad I read this hilarious and touching mystery of sorts.  I do not know quite how to categorize this book:  think Rain Man meets As Good As It Gets, with touches of Memento and What the Deaf Man Heard thrown in.  Do I sound like a guy who can pitch a movie to Hollywood or what?
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Leading with Soul

Leading with Soul

By Lee G. Bolman & Terrence E. Deal 304 pages Adult

Danny Says

Since I have started conducting motivational leadership seminars, I have read an endless array of books on leadership.  This is one I recommend because of its length, lessons and readability (many thanks to Beverly Franco for telling me about it).  Written more as a parable (a la Ken Blanchard) than a business text. 
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Laughing Boy

Laughing Boy

By Oliver La Farge 193 pages Adult

Danny Says

I receive a ton of feedback about the Lazy Readers’ Club, and most of the comments come from women.  Many have asked for more romance-related stories, so I thought I would include this Pulitzer Prize winner that deals with a young Navajo couple’s budding romance.  I was most intrigued by the look at Native American life, especially since I attended junior high and high school near the Four Corners area.
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Ethan Frome

Ethan Frome

By Edith Wharton 68 pages Adult

Danny Says

A classic that is ideal reading for those of you who feel you are stuck in loveless marriages.  There are some pretty awesome twists in this romance, and I must admit I was quite engaged with the story.  Not the book to read if you want a pick-me-up, though.
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The Right Questions

The Right Questions

By Debbie Ford 192 pages Adult

Danny Says

The book is just a tad shorter than the title.  I figure that after reading Ethan Frome you may want to ask yourself how to make a relationship or dream work.  Ford lays out a pretty easy-to-understand roadmap to success for all areas of life.  I love self-help books like this.
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Silent Night

Silent Night

By Mary Higgins Clark 224 pages Adult

Danny Says

This book could just as easily make a Young Adult reading list, as I have recommended it to plenty of high schools and heard raves (especially from girls).  I have to confess that I love Mary Higgins Clark, as her books always entertain and force you to read them straight through to the end.  The teachers at the first elementary school I worked at used to swap her books like trading cards.  I read her books out of sure pleasure.
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The Motorcycle Diaries

The Motorcycle Diaries

By Che Guevara 166 pages Adult

Danny Says

No, I did not include this book because I am infatuated by Communist revolutionaries.  I enjoyed this book because it is one of the few journals that truly captures the simple traveler’s life on the road, and there are very limited travelogues on South America (although I hope to write one based on my experiences in 1996).  A movie version of the book will soon be in theatres.
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Dear Mr. President

Dear Mr. President

By Gabe Hudson 176 pages Adult

Danny Says

I read a review of this book that complained it was actually only 130-140 pages of actual writing, and that immediately drew me to the text.  While it is the author’s debut novel, it is a fairly bizarre and humorous set of tales of veterans’ Gulf War syndromes.  It is not as political as some claim.  Just enjoy it and don’t read too deeply into the situations (e.g. the veteran who grows a third ear).
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