Adult

The * stands for “Chemo Not Included.” If you ever want to read a memoir, stick to comedians. They are our most precious commodities, as they have a way of dealing with serious issues lightly. As someone who admires comedians greatly, I was extremely pleased when Lissa Warren at DaCapo Lifelong Books sent me not one but two copies of Schimmel’s compelling page-turner about how humor got him through his battle with cancer. Why does that please me? After I read the books that make my lists, I always donate them to teachers, libraries and literacy charities. This is one I wanted to keep for myself (I gave the other one to a student), as Schimmel does everything a great writer needs to do: he makes you laugh, he makes you cry and he makes you think. Better yet, he does it all in under 200 pages!

A play in two acts, this masterpiece fascinated me, since I did not know anything about Sir Thomas More beyond Monty Python skits. Paul Scofield is excellent in the movie version, by the way (for the laziest readers that become the most motivated Blockbuster patrons).

Amazon lists this book as 208 pages, but they must be including the 30 pages of photos, too. I devoured this memoir. I had the honor of meeting Marian Wright Edelman at a Town Hall meeting in Los Angeles a few years ago, and she was one of the most eloquent and amazing speakers I have ever seen. She is also a warm and genuinely “interested” person. Author Jim Collins said that some of the best advice he received from his mentor at Stanford, John Gardner, was to “be less interesting and more interested.” Edelman has had such a tremendous impact on America by being interested in the futures of every child in this country. You will be a better person just by reading this book.

I am increasingly drawn to books with great titles, short stories and funny observations about other people’s miseries. This book has all of those things, and I look forward to reading more works by Crosley in the future. An easy read, perfect for a mindless afternoon at the beach.

While I am not a huge fan of Hemingway’s penchant for paragraph-long sentences (like the one I am trying to write right now), this is a fairly pleasing story if you just read it and do not search for all of its allegorical references.

It should not take a holiday to get your loved one roses or write a card or make a nice compliment. I confess: I saw this book in the front of the bookstore, and I was intrigued. The book deals with spirituality as well as romance, and I am glad to have read it if, for no other reason, to remind me how much I love and adore my wife.

Amazon says that this book is 272 pages, but my copy is 260 and includes a lot of blank pages. Regardless, I have boasted about this book to too many people to leave it off my recommended readings. This is one of the most inspirational stories I have ever read (I’ve read it twice  in the last three months), as it chronicles 103-year-old Dawson’s life and how he learned to read at age 98. Try reading the first chapter without crying (by the way: if you want to focus just on how he learned how to read at age 98, skip ahead to chapter 21).

I noticed that I was including a lot of “heavy” books this month, so this is for those interested in a book for pure entertainment purposes. If you love his show, you’ll enjoy the book.

While the earthquake hit Haiti in January, many Americans have forgotten of this tiny country’s struggles. Trost’s remarkable journey to feed Haiti’s needy takes place before the earthquake, but I urge people to read this tale to learn more about the Western hemisphere’s poorest nation. To learn how you can help, visit childhope.org, one of my favorite charities.

Have you ever read the real Grimm’s Fairy Tales? They’re pretty creepy, and Knipfel does a fine job of providing his own mischievous tales. I grabbed the book for its title and came away a big fan of Knipfel. I cannot wait to read more of his work.

Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts has always seemed to be one of the most refreshing personalities on television, so it was disheartening to find out she had cancer. In her typical fashion, though, Roberts has taken on cancer with a positive outlook, and I always like to read inspirational books by nice people.

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?).

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 83^rd viewing.

This book is one of the most honest and intriguing accounts of professional football I have ever read (and I have read a lot of them), as it tells Jackson’s story as a six-year NFL veteran who battled from practice squad to starting, only to endure an incredible amount of pain. Fascinating and gripping.

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.