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The Bad Driver's Handbook

The Bad Driver's Handbook

By Zack Arnstein & Larry Arnstein 192 pages Adult

Danny Says

This is the funniest book I’ve read this year. I delighted in reading it from cover to cover at Border’s while listening to the Mamma Mia! soundtrack. Filled with hilarious tips and illustrations, who could not love a book with chapters like “Turn Signals – Why Give Up the Element of Surprise?” and “Bumper Stickers: Religion & Politics Are Just the Beginning – You Can Start a Conflict with Another Driver Over Almost Anything.” It also has my favorite “direct paraphrase” from Patrick Henry: “We must fight to dismantle systems of oppression created by distant and tyrannical monarchies, and the DMV!” This book is sure to bring a smile to any driver frustrated by other motorists’ ineptitudes. 
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Everyman

Everyman

By Philip Roth 182 pages Adult

Danny Says

Discussing books by Philip Roth will make you look intelligent. I really enjoyed Roth’s The Plot Against America, but this is a great book to introduce you to Roth’s writing style (nice and slim for the lazy reader). This book, in particular, spoke to me about life’s “unfulfillments.” Am I the only person who does not feel like I have reached my potential? Roth is a good person to read if you are suffering from a mid-life crisis (as I do every three years).
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Use This Book!: The Only Book You'll Ever Need!

Use This Book!: The Only Book You'll Ever Need!

By Melissa Heckscher 208 pages Adult

Danny Says

I am always fascinated by how clever authors are. This book is literally “the only book you’ll ever need,” as it includes a variety of pages that can be used immediately. For example, one page can be assembled into a sun dial for those who do not have a watch. Maps of the world, “No Parking” signs, charts with measurements and a variety of other useful information fill this spiral volume, which could be deemed the “MacGyver” book. Cool idea.
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Choke

Choke

By Darnella Ford 215 pages Adult

Danny Says

At the insistence of my teaching credential students at the university, I have begun reading more African-American literature. It may seem silly for a white guy to be reading a book about a divorced black woman trying to start a new life for her talented daughter, but I could identify with this story based on my teaching experiences in Compton. Darnella Ford is a gifted writer, and you do not have to be black to appreciate this moving tale of the lengths a mother will go to ensure a brighter future for her daughter. Touching and powerful. Click here to read this month’s blog, a monologue I wrote inspired by one of my past second graders. 
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The Man Who Ran the Moon

The Man Who Ran the Moon

By Piers Bizony 272 pages Adult

Danny Says

I have decided to stop including subtitles to books, as too many books nowadays seem to include overly long subtitles like this one, “James E. Webb, NASA, and the Secret History of Project Apollo.” For goodness sake, folks: read the book, as it chronicles how James Webb ran NASA in the 1960s, for better or worse, by brokering all sorts of backroom, good ole boy deals. Bizony’s book is fascinating, as it reveals the realistic side of inspirational programs like our country’s space program. I loved the book and commend the author for presenting the facts without shattering the dream. If you have not guessed, I am a space nut who admires the one program that seems to rally the world around America (in a positive way, that is): NASA.
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The Franklin Affair

The Franklin Affair

By Jim Lehrer 208 pages Adult

Danny Says

Bet you did not know that the host of “Newshour” on PBS and the moderator of several Presidential debates is also a novelist. This is actually Lehrer’s 15th book, but it is quite different from his previous works. Too many people get their history from the mass media, and I got a kick out of this mystery/thriller that examines the fine lines of plagiarism with great comic effect. It made me want to become a Benjamin Franklin groupie.
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Death of a Snob

Death of a Snob

By M.C. Beaton 160 pages Adult

Danny Says

With school starting, a lot of teachers, students and parents find themselves with little time to read. I have just the cure: M.C. Beaton. Beaton’s series of mysteries featuring Scottish detective Hamish Macbeth is one of my favorites, as these books are always quick, intelligent and written with just the right amount of humor.
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Rick Monday's Tales from the Dodger Dugout

Rick Monday's Tales from the Dodger Dugout

By Rick Monday 192 pages Adult

Danny Says

I selfishly included this book on this month’s list because I am caught up in pennant fever, and I am pulling for the Dodgers to hold on to the NL West. Rick Monday has always been one of my favorite commentators, and he is beloved by all for sparing the American flag from a couple of knuckleheads who tried to ignite it on the field of a game at Dodger stadium in the 70s. This book recounts the ups and downs of the 1981 world champion Dodger team, with great anecdotes about one of my favorite teams. Yes – this is a selfish pick.
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The Unfinished Novel and Other Stories

The Unfinished Novel and Other Stories

By Valerie Martin 212 pages Adult

Danny Says

Browsing the shelves at Border’s one day, I was intrigued by this book’s title and cover art. Four hours and two coffees later, I found myself advertising the book to all who would listen. Wonderfully written with its fair share of twists and turns, this book left me wanting more books by Valerie Martin.
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Crabwalk

Crabwalk

By Gunter Grass 252 pages Adult

Danny Says

October is the month Nobel Prizes are handed out, so why not impress your friends by reading the work of a Nobel laureate? The fictional narrator in this amazing story recalls surviving one of the worst maritime disasters of all time, the 1945 sinking of the German refugee carrier Willem Gustloff by a Soviet submarine. This one will whet your appetite to learn more about an event I had never heard of before.
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My Life as a Furry Red Monster

My Life as a Furry Red Monster

By Kevin Clash 224 pages Adult

Danny Says

Maybe I am only interested in Elmo because of my 2-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son. I think this is a great book for anyone to read, though. Do not let the page count throw you off, as the book is small (I read the entire book in a couple of hours while listening to CDs at Border’s). The book works because it is not some sing-songy drudge but a thoughtful semi-autobiography (I say “semi” because the book offers all sorts of inspirational messages and timely observations). This book just came out, and it is well worth your time.
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Girl with a Pearl Earring: A Novel

Girl with a Pearl Earring: A Novel

By Tracy Chevalier 240 pages Adult

Danny Says

I have been meaning to put this book on the list for months, as it is not often that I get to recommend a bestseller that is also fairly short. This is a quick read and most enjoyable, as Chevalier writes a tale of how a young maiden was immortalized in one of the world’s most famous paintings. Vermeer is a fascinating character in art history, and I once convinced a bunch of fraternity brothers to accompany me to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. to see an exhibit of his work (in exchange, they forced me to watch “Showgirls,” so I would argue they got the better part of that bargain).
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The Discomfort Zone

The Discomfort Zone

By Jonathan Franzen 208 pages Adult

Danny Says

Even though this book was written for adults, I would encourage any teenage boy to read this wonderful memoir, as Franzen (a National Book Award winner for The Corrections) details his childhood and does a particularly great job of describing the awkwardness of his adolescence, often to comical effect. This book was very easy and enjoyable to read. 
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Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things

By Michael Braungart,William McDonough 193 pages Adult

Danny Says

Let me preface by saying that I was not excited to read a book dealing with idealistic environmental arguments. Now that I have admitted that, let me say that I think everyone should read this book, especially CEOs and politicians. The authors, an architect and chemist, respectively, respond to environmental crises with refreshingly original thinking. The book reads like a science fiction novel, but by the end I found myself believing that the authors’ ideas could really work. I sound like a character from a B movie, but this book really got me excited about ways to solve various environmental problems.
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The Case of the Roasted Onion

The Case of the Roasted Onion

By Claudia Bishop 240 pages Adult

Danny Says

I have a confession to make: I love reading short mysteries. I’ve read just about every Agatha Christie, and I treasure reading a book from cover to cover in one sitting. Bishop writes in a very reader-friendly style, and I plan on reading more of her work. This book is a breeze.
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