Adult

Even though this book was written for adults, I would encourage any teenage boy to read this wonderful memoir, as Franzen (a National Book Award winner for The Corrections) details his childhood and does a particularly great job of describing the awkwardness of his adolescence, often to comical effect. This book was very easy and enjoyable to read.

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.

My inner economist told me to buy this book because it was on the cheap rack at Barnes & Noble (you’d be amazed how many random, brilliant books you can find for under $5). Cowen writes like Malcolm Gladwell about principles popularized by Freakonomics, and I found myself thoroughly entertained and intrigued throughout this delightful read. Cowen also convinced me that I shouldn’t feel badly about watching only parts of movies or putting books down after a few chapters.

My friend Forest Hamilton gave me a great quote: “Every time I want to learn something new, I read something old.” Embarrassingly, I had never read Og Mandino’s books before. As a speaker I have always heard about him, and now I understand why Mandino is considered one of the grand masters. In my ideal school this would be required reading. Want to know the others that would make that list? E-mail me via my website, www.dannybrassell.com.

Being the father of a daughter who turns three this month and a year-and-a-half-old son, I totally related to this funny narrative about fatherhood. Cooper shares the same attitude I had about my children being born: it was not miraculous as much as it was totally freaky. This is the perfect gift for any dad.

This book cracked me up! When a high-powered, under 30 lawyer discovers she has to spend the last three months of her pregnancy confined to hear couch, she begins her greatest adventure. I highly recommend you check this one out.

Written to his adolescent son, Coates’s book is probably the most honest and thought-provoking look at race in America that I have read in years. Truly a mature examination that the media tends to lack.

How had I never heard of this book? I stumbled across this hundred-year-old book while scanning the Classics at Barnes & Noble, and I could not put it down. When you think about Japanese literature, you do not often think “hilarious.” I devoured this book in a couple of hours. Soseki reads like a Japanese version of Voltaire or Camus. I am pleading with high school English teachers to recommend this book to their students, as it is just a wonderfully entertaining treasure.

Why do schools require dry scientific texts, when instead they could intrigue the next generation of scientists with compelling stories like this one? Fonteneau, a successful businessman and colleague of Jacques Cousteau, takes a trip to the Caribbean. Along the way he measures the tectonics of a submerged island, translates fish talk and a bunch of other fascinating things that made me want to take an oceanography class and watch the Discovery Channel.

Page-turner that will keep you laughing. Ansari never ceases to stop cracking me up. Nice diversion on a hot summer day.

Maybe I should move to Japan. I cannot stand “stuff,” and Americans seem to be obsessed with accumulating as much stuff as possible. Really enjoyed this book chronicling the values of decluttering.

I receive a ton of feedback about the Lazy Readers’ Club, and most of the comments come from women. Many have asked for more romance-related stories, so I thought I would include this Pulitzer Prize winner that deals with a young Navajo couple’s budding romance.

I was most intrigued by the look at Native American life, especially since I attended junior high and high school near the Four Corners area.

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.

A classic that is ideal reading for those of you who feel you are stuck in loveless marriages. There are some pretty awesome twists in this romance, and I must admit I was quite engaged with the story. Not the book to read if you want a pick-me-up, though.

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.