Adult

I have my friend, Patricia Edie, to thank for this wonderful retelling of one of my favorite books of all time, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This version focuses on the relationship between the escaped slave Jim and his wife Sadie, and it follows their love story’s ups and downs. How Rawles was able to successfully pull this off is beyond me, as she creates a remarkable character in Sadie while staying true to Twain’s text and tone. An excellent supplementary book to give to students.

If you have failed to read a Walter Kirn novel yet, you are in for a real treat. He writes for slate.com, and I would consider him a modern George Orwell, suspicious of technology and corporations. Kent Selkirk works for AidSat, a cyber how-to organization run amok. Let’s just say that there is surveillance taking place everywhere, and you may wind up looking over your back more than once after reading this quick read.

I have Stacey Mulrenin to thank for this recommendation. The winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize in Drama, it tells the tale of how a new lector changes the lives of Cuban immigrants working at a cigar factory in Florida in the 1920s. This is a topic I have been interested in, as the magazine Cigar Aficionado had a wonderful feature in their June 2008 edition on the tradition of lectors reading aloud to workers. A great story, and very easy-to-read play.

It may be a bestselling book, but I picked it up after my pal Tyra Thompson kept on pestering me to read it. What an amazing examination of growing up poor in the Rust Belt. Leaders of both the Democratic and Republican parties should take heed, as I was touched to learn more about a population that is quite misunderstood (I now have a better idea of why our country has reached the political crises I think we can all agree exists in this country between both parties).

Is your life a mess? I’m not talking just about your house. There’s a psychology to all of this, and Sullivan encourages readers to go with the FLOW. Delightful read that will help anyone feeling disorganized and guilty immensely.

I have always liked TNT’s lead NBA anchor Ernie Johnson, but I found so much respect for him with a heart-felt plea he gave to Americans following the 2016 Presidential election. Folks, there is a lot of noise in society right now. How about we try being respectful and listening to one another? Reading Johnson’s autobiography brought tears to my eyes, as he is truly an extraordinary and humble man – the kind I would love to have as my friend. Good to know there are still some really good people out there.

Does it get any better than Charles Dickens? He was basically the John Grisham of his day, popular with everyone but the critics. Whether I am teaching 12^th graders or preschoolers, this book is a mandatory read aloud. With young children I like to make the story highly interactive, allowing students to shout “Bah-humbug” whenever I say Ebeneezer Scrooge, “Ahh” whenever I say Bob Cratchit and “God bless us, everyone” whenever I say Tiny Tim. Every child needs to hear this tale of kindness and the true meaning of Christmas.

Sticking to Classics, I sped read this alternate version of Homer’s The Iliad. I think this book would make a great supplement for high school students reading Homer’s original. Baricco is one of the most talented writers I have read for the past ten years, and I highly encourage you to pick up any of his works, beginning with his debut Silk. Trust me: if you read Baricco, you will be more intelligent because of it.

When I see high praise from Khaled Hosseini (The Kite Runner) on a book jacket, chances are I am going to have to buy that book. In this stunning debut of short stories about Russian immigrant experiences in America, Krasikov manages to write downer stories that have hope. I love this book and look forward to a lot more from this gifted author (how does the Iowa Writers’ Workshop produce such consistently great talent?).

A new President gets sworn in this month, and many Americans catch themselves wondering, “Could I be President?” The authors of this fun book have put together a battery of 200 questions to see if you have what it takes. I learned that I certainly cannot be President based on my past (and present).

I am so proud to be an American, and one of my guilty pleasures is being involved with wonderful charities like BookEnds and The Wonder of Reading. This delightful book profiles some of the extraordinary differences ordinary American citizens make every day. A good read for those who want to affirm the positive things about our country.

Endorsements usually sell me, and when I see that both Khaled Hosseini (The Kite Runner) and Dave Eggers (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius) love something, I have to buy it. Greer is a gifted novelist who understands how to be economical with words. This easy page-turner deals with sexual and racial restraints in the 1950s. The language of the story is wonderful.

Grab a copy of this book, or anything else by Gordon Livingston, if you want a quick read that makes you smile, think and treat others better. Subtitled “Thirty More True Things You Need to Know Now,” this book is filled with simple wisdoms that rank among the best writing I have seen since Robert Fulghum. How can I not recommend an author who has an uncanny ability to inspire me to be a better human being after every book? I am serious – check out anything by Gordon Livingston.

For truly lazy readers, I recommend reading lots of books by photographers. Not only are they quick reads, they tend to leave readers seeing the world from different perspectives. Robert Frank is an interesting photographer, but this book is a hoot, as it highlights one of my favorite comic talents, Zero Mostel, excelling at what he does best: pantomime.

From the creators of Molvania, this latest fake travel guide made me laugh and yearn to get back on the road of leisure travel. There is nothing better than encountering foreign cultures and griping about the things we fail to appreciate about our homeland every day.