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Here Speeching American: A Very Strange Guide to English as It Is Garbled Around the World

Here Speeching American: A Very Strange Guide to English as It Is Garbled Around the World

By Kathryn Petras,Ross Petras 240 pages Adult

Danny Says

Two things I am interested in: language and humor. Here the authors of The 776 Stupidest Things Ever Said present their favorite misuses of English from around the world, with gems like this one on a Japanese medical form: “do you run after your own nose?” A fun book for all ages.
The Other Side of the Sky: A Memoir

The Other Side of the Sky: A Memoir

By Farah Ahmedi 256 pages Adult

Danny Says

What is it about Afghani writers? One of the best books I have read in the last decade was Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, and now Ahmedi presents this touching autobiography of growing up as a girl in Kabul and escaping death after stepping on a landmine. This book inspired me and kept me awake at the thought of Ahmedi’s harrowing experiences.
Inklings

Inklings

By Jeffrey Koterba 272 pages Adult

Danny Says

Just because this book is a little over 250 pages does not mean it does not read quickly. On the contrary, Koterba’s moving autobiography is a collection of highly personal observations and insights, along with intriguing sketches. I grabbed a copy because I love reading political cartoons (Koterba’s day job), but Koterba treated me to a look at his battles with Tourette’s Syndrome and using his art to escape his abusive father. 
Making Friends: A Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Child's Friendships

Making Friends: A Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Child's Friendships

By Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer 224 pages Adult

Danny Says

Subtitled “A Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Child’s Friendships,” this book is essential reading for parents trying to better meet the needs of their children. I have three children who all live under the same roof, share the same genes and could not be more different from one another, and I am grateful to Hartley-Brewer for the many practical tips this book offers.
Fallen

Fallen

By Margaret Lind 212 pages Adult

Danny Says

Perfect reading for those interested in an intriguing story about a small town priest who questions his faith, his vows and everything around him. Breezed through this book.
Little Patient Big Doctor: One Mother's Journey

Little Patient Big Doctor: One Mother's Journey

By Haleh Rabizadeh Resnick 170 pages Adult

Danny Says

Maybe this book touched me because of my own children, as Resnick offers a refreshing perspective for parents to be advocates. It is alright to trust one’s instincts and maintain healthy skepticism when doctors prescribe this or recommend that. I think more people need to educate themselves and ask a few more questions before anyone tells them what is or is not best for “their” children. Very informative and easy to read.
Healing Hearts: A Memoir of a Female Heart Surgeon

Healing Hearts: A Memoir of a Female Heart Surgeon

By Kathy Magliato M.D. 272 pages Adult

Danny Says

This is exactly the book you need to read to make for a happy new year. Kathy Magliato's touching memoir about her experiences as one of the few female heart surgeons in a heavily alpha-male field accomplishes the trifecta: it makes you laugh, cry and think. Magliato is a role model for little girls everywhere. She inspires me.
Him   Her   Him Again   The End of Him

Him Her Him Again The End of Him

By Patricia Marx 256 pages Adult

Danny Says

Very few books get me to laugh out loud, yet this one did it repeatedly. I picked up this book because of its unique title (it made me do a double-take), and I was treated to Tina Fey-like story about a woman obsessed with the wrong man. Perfect for a cross-country flight.
The Anthologist

The Anthologist

By Nicholson Baker 256 pages Adult

Danny Says

Heck – why not begin the new year with a grin on your face? I know no better way than to read Baker’s clever, poignant and funny prose. He is a poet that has delighted me since his book Mezzanine.
Happy: Simple Steps to Get the Most Out of Life

Happy: Simple Steps to Get the Most Out of Life

By Ian K. Smith 240 pages Adult

Danny Says

I am all about New Year’s Resolutions (evident from my annual holiday guilt diet that I am currently following), and one of the things I hope to see and attract more of in 2011 is happiness. There are a lot of people hurting out there, and one of my goals is to get more people smiling. Dr. Smith’s book is a good guide for those interested in making small changes that can lead to big results.
Come to Me: Stories

Come to Me: Stories

By Amy Bloom 192 pages Adult

Danny Says

I am not the world’s most veracious reader, but I like to think I have a firm grasp of what is on the market. So how is it I missed this poignant collection of short stories? Bloom is such a gifted writer that it makes me sick with envy. This book is a MUST.
The Book of Strange and Curious Legal Oddities

The Book of Strange and Curious Legal Oddities

By Nathan Belofsky 242 pages Adult

Danny Says

I love quirky facts that nobody knows about, so this book fulfilled my inner-Cliff Clavin. Loaded with all sorts of gems, like it is illegal to sell stuffed articles depicting female breasts within a thousand feet of any county highway in California. Now you know.
Natural Born Hustler

Natural Born Hustler

By Nikki Turner 114 pages Adult

Danny Says

Nikki Turner’s books are easy reads for doctors’ appointments and plane rides. I like them because they are short and read like intense soap operas (and make me seem hip to my African-American teenage girls; by the way, just by using the word “hip” makes me “un-hip”).
Revolution: The Year I Fell in Love and Went to Join the War

Revolution: The Year I Fell in Love and Went to Join the War

By Deb Olin Unferth 224 pages Adult

Danny Says

Say that title five times fast. I am a sucker for travel memoirs, especially ones with “quixotic” journeys (“quixotic” is such a wonderful word, and I find I get to use it so infrequently). I had read some of Unferth’s fiction, and she brings her solid writing to this wonderful story of her idealistic travels throughout Central America in the late 80s with her boyfriend. Both were looking for a worthy cause to fight for, and, like any good travelogue, this one features plenty of bumps in the road that should garner tension and laughs.
Transformations

Transformations

By Anne Sexton 128 pages Adult

Danny Says

Sexton presents a brilliant retelling of Grimm’s fairy tales from her own demented and talented pen. I think this might be one of my favorite new books to teach older students on how to see things from different perspectives and how to use poetry as a journal.

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