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The Organic Family Cookbook: growing, greening, and cooking together

The Organic Family Cookbook: growing, greening, and cooking together

By Anni Daulter 176 pages Adult

Danny Says

Why not start off the new school year by creating healthier, heartier meals as a family? Daulter shares her family’s own experiences going organic, and what I appreciate most are all of the lovely photographs accompanying her recipes (don’t you hate cookbooks that don’t feature pictures?).
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Trading Manny: How a Father and Son Learned to Love Baseball Again

Trading Manny: How a Father and Son Learned to Love Baseball Again

By Jim Gullo 272 pages Adult

Danny Says

Baseball season is winding down, and the boys of summer are battling for spots in the Fall Classic. This book hit me like a brick, as it tells the remarkable story of Jim Gullo and his son as they sadly watch as their baseball heroes are exposed as cheats – only to rediscover together why baseball is such a great part of American life. What can I say? I still cry at the end of Field of Dreams, even on the 83rd viewing. 
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The Killer

The Killer

By Jack Elgos 174 pages Adult

Danny Says

If you cannot finish this book in under three hours, you never opened it. One of those annoying books that you cannot put down because you HAVE to know what happens next. I loved the story of a reluctant IRA sniper-turned Spanish freedom fighter. Great characters.
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Mr. Chartwell

Mr. Chartwell

By Rebecca. Hunt Adult

Danny Says

For some reason I found myself reading odd British novels this past month. I guess I just admire the Brits’ sense of humor and imagination. Hunt takes us on interesting parallel tales of a widow and Winston Churchhill, both battling depression. The widow rents a room to a black dog (yes, a black dog), who constantly torments the dying elder statesman. If nothing else, this is one of the more unique novels I have read in recent memory.
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Remembrance of Things I Forgot: A Novel

Remembrance of Things I Forgot: A Novel

By Bob Smith 272 pages Adult

Danny Says

What a treat to be introduced to Bob Smith’s intelligent and hilarious brand of science fiction writing. This is satire at its finest with commentaries on politics, sexuality and regret. Found myself laughing throughout the novel.
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How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character

How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character

By Paul Tough 256 pages Adult

Danny Says

I don’t usually include education books among my selections, as I try to make my picks appeal to as broad of an audience as possible (and, being an educator, I don’t want folks to think this is just an education-related site). I must commend Tough, though, on creating a book that challenges the powers-that-be to move from their obsession with testing kids to a model that emphasizes on teaching values in early childhood. This is a fascinating examination that adds a lot to our dialogue about positive education reform in America.
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The End of Money: Counterfeiters, Preachers, Techies, Dreamers--and the Coming Cashless Society

The End of Money: Counterfeiters, Preachers, Techies, Dreamers--and the Coming Cashless Society

By David Wolman 248 pages Adult

Danny Says

Books that challenge the way we think about everyday items always delight me, and Wired editor Wolman does a superb job of causing readers to pause and ponder the usefulness and wisdom of physical currency. What would a cashless society look like? Wolman manages to make this a fascinating page-turner.



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A Bad Idea I'm About to Do: True Tales of Seriously Poor Judgment and Stunningly Awkward Adventure

A Bad Idea I'm About to Do: True Tales of Seriously Poor Judgment and Stunningly Awkward Adventure

By Chris Gethard 264 pages Adult

Danny Says

Tired of politics? To me, the perfect antidote is always a funny read, and Gethard will keep you laughing and cringing as he shares his personal tales of “seriously poor judgment and stunningly awkward adventure.”
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Pearl Harbor Christmas: A World at War, December 1941

Pearl Harbor Christmas: A World at War, December 1941

By Stanley Weintraub 227 pages Adult

Danny Says

One reviewer called this book “absorbing,” and I would concur, as it devotes a chapter to each of the final 10 days of 1941 and New Year’s Day of 1942. Weintraub does a masterful job of giving the reader a human glimpse into the minds of Allied leaders in the early days of America’s entry into World War II. Not just a book for history junkies – a very compelling read.
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The Quantum Universe: (And Why Anything That Can Happen, Does)

The Quantum Universe: (And Why Anything That Can Happen, Does)

By Brian Cox,Jeff Forshaw 272 pages Adult

Danny Says

In the interest of living up to my reputation as an eclectic reader, I chose to dive into this look into the world of quantum mechanics, a topic I have about as much knowledge and interest in as Washington politicians have of compromise. Cox and Forshaw do a brilliant job of patiently explaining complicated concepts in a way that laypeople like me can somewhat comprehend. At least I’ll hold my own if I ever get invited to a cocktail reception at M.I.T.!
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Working Out Sucks! (And Why It Doesn't Have To): The Only 21-Day Kick-Start Plan for Total Health and Fitness You'll Ever Need

Working Out Sucks! (And Why It Doesn't Have To): The Only 21-Day Kick-Start Plan for Total Health and Fitness You'll Ever Need

By Chuck Runyon 304 pages Adult

Danny Says

Let me get you thinking about your New Year’s resolutions BEFORE you add ten pounds this holiday season. You’ll get a kick out of this funny book designed to inspire you to get off your butt and make some simple lifestyle changes that will have huge benefits. Include all the indices, and this book is over 300 pages long. Take out the acknowledgments and 21-day fitness plan, and we’re down to under 220 pages. Works for me!
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Because I Said So!: The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales, and Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids

Because I Said So!: The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales, and Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids

By Ken Jennings 256 pages Adult

Danny Says

I hate to admit this, but I read this book after seeing an excerpt in Parade magazine (yes, I read Parade; I am also addicted to Property Brothers on HGTV). Jennings, as you may recall, won 74 consecutive episodes of Jeopardy!, and I get a kick out of his random knowledge on EVERYTHING! He’s the real-life version of one of my heroes, Cliff Clavin, from Cheers. This is perfect bathroom reading, as Jennings debunks a number of old wives’ tales in very entertaining fashion.
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JUST ROLL WITH IT! 7 BATTLE TESTED TRUTHS FOR BUILDING A RESILIENT LIFE

JUST ROLL WITH IT! 7 BATTLE TESTED TRUTHS FOR BUILDING A RESILIENT LIFE

By Sarah Plummer Taylor 220 pages Adult

Danny Says

All of us go through adversity, and some of us – like Sarah Plummer – choose to take those lessons and create something truly magical and meaningful. Sarah’s ‘SEMPER’ wheel of principles, grounded in faith, provides readers with a daily inspirational guide to lead truly ‘significant’ lives. You are truly blessed to read this magnificent book. Let Sarah help you accept yourself for all you are so that you may accomplish all that you are supposed to be.
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The Yellow Birds: A Novel

The Yellow Birds: A Novel

By Kevin Powers 256 pages Adult

Danny Says

A National Book Award Finalist (and rightly so), this book’s take on the Iraqi War captivated me in much the same way as Kathryn Bigelow’s film The Hurt Locker did. Powers – a veteran of the war – powerfully paints a picture of the effects of war that stirred me the way All Quiet on the Western Front did when I read it in ninth grade. 
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Unstoppable: The Incredible Power of Faith in Action

Unstoppable: The Incredible Power of Faith in Action

By Nick Vujicic 256 pages Adult

Danny Says

When I need inspiration, I turn to books or the television show CBS Sunday Morning. Every now and then, the show features a wonderful book, and that’s how I came across Vujicic’s incredibly motivating tale of how he has not let the fact that he was born without arms or legs prevent him from achieving all he has wanted to achieve; on the contrary, he credits his perceived “disability” as being the driving force that has helped him accomplish so much before the age of 30. I cannot wait to watch him speak in person and tell him how much I admire him.
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