Adult

All parents need to read this book. Ever have a doctor tell you something, and your gut instinct told you that was not the right thing for your child? This book will illuminate all sorts of questions parents should ask their medical providers – as parents need to remember that they know more about their children than just about anyone else. It is also so easy to read that it will not intimidate anyone.

I’m a sucker for Thomas Pynchon. While most of his books are much longer than this one, you will find yourself hooked by Pynchon’s brilliant satire. Afterward, you probably won’t even mind tackling his 750+ page Gravity’s Rainbow.

A children’s book author and illustrator best known for his tear-jerker I’ll Always Love You, Wilhelm offers bits of wisdom meant to inspire people of all ages. I think this is the perfect gift for all occasions, including graduations and bar mitzvahs. An excellent book to read to start off the new year right.

Now that summer has arrived, treat yourself to plenty of light reading. This wonderful collection of short stories detailing the trials of black girls in the South is something that you will enjoy and may even want to share with your teenagers.

Heartbreaking and hilarious in equal doses, this journal told by “the wife” reveals a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Completely held my attention as I flew threw the pages.

I was in Tibet in the summer of 2001 when I discovered that the entire royal family of Nepal had been assassinated by the Crown Prince Dipendra. This collection of short stories by Nepali writer Upadhyah takes place in Kathmandu during this tumultuous time, and its depictions are both stirring and shocking.

John Christensen also co-authored this bestseller, which I include here because I have been consulting with plenty of schools and businesses that could use a “shot in the arm.” This simple parable can be read by everyone in your organization in less than two hours, and its lessons – while simple – are worth replicating.

For the ultimate lazy reader, here’s a 2-for-1 bonus, as Japanese master auteur Haruki Murakami shares two shorter coming of age stories that launched his career in the late 1970s.

I have an unwritten rule that I do not usually promote Oprah’s Book Club books, as these books need no help from me (if Oprah ever wants to talk about my books on her show, though, I’d gladly make an appearance). I do feel it is important from time to time to get people reading important authors. Toni Morrison is a Nobel Prize winner, and this book affords lazy readers a glimpse at her genius in a lot fewer pages.

Laugh-out-loud funny. If you’re having a bad day, turn off your electronic devices and sit behind this book. I also found the book to be quite inspirational.

If you have not read Villasenor’s Rain of Gold, you have ignored one of the great books of the later half of the 20th century. Villasenor captures the Mexican-American experience better than perhaps any other author. This book describes the migrant worker experience in a way that has not been duplicated since Edward R. Murrow’s Harvest of Shame.

I spoke throughout Kentucky this past summer and fell in love with the Bluegrass State. My friends, the teachers of Hindman, presented me with this wonderful collection of poems about Kentucky. Still’s writing provides a lyrical Appalachian tongue with observations that leave the reader craving for more.

The Super Bowl is this month, so I had to include one book about football, right? This book may profile a football player’s career, but it is more of a story about the human spirit and giving back. Joe Ehrmann, a former star player in the 70s with the Baltimore Colts, is a hero because of the difference he has made off the field in the years following his football career. Great inspirational reading.

Poignant look at one woman’s efforts to overcome the personal childhood tragedy of losing her sister. I like stories about hope, and this one fits the bill. Just beware that you may shed a few tears on the way. Remarkable debut novel.

I have my sister to thank for this recommendation, as she loaned me her copy of this delightful and completely accurate guide that takes less than three hours to devour. The authors don’t need my help, as this book has maintained a solid position on the best-seller list the past couple of months. I have recommended this book to clueless men as well as women. It contains plenty of useful tips and hilarious side notes, most of which I agree with.