Adult

In a society obsessed with pills, this book riveted me with a psychiatrist’s journey as she determines ways to assist her patients that often focus much more heavily on empathy than medicine. Reading this book solidified my belief that we have a lot to still learn about mental health. A very engaging read.

I had not realized that I had never included this beautiful book on a previous list. Thanks for the nudge from my friend Evan. This is one of the loveliest and most gratifying books that I have read. It was one of the few books that I read for pleasure in college as an undergrad. It was also made into a wonderful movie, for the truly lazy reader.

An inspirational memoir from former Heisman Trophy-winner and current Denver Bronco quarterback Tim Tebow. The last time I found myself get through a memoir this quickly was with Lance Armstrong’s It’s Not About the Bike. Tebow’s story is one I’d love to share with all students.

The author of A Complaint Free World offers a practical guide to happiness, based on extensive recent research. If nothing else, this book will get you focused on making better choices and understanding that you are in control of your circumstances.

This is actually part of a series of Staying Sane books. I have not read any of the others, but I will. This is my kind of book, filled with collections of short stories from different authors describing their wedding trials and tribulations (and the occasional triumph). Funny and easy reading.

Shallenberger’s 12 principles of highly successful leaders, based on over 40 years working with some of the world’s finest leaders, is a must-read for those interested in making 2016 their best year ever.

April means the start of baseball season. While most of us are still excited about our teams (as most of our teams should still be in the race for the pennant by the end of the month), I figured I would include a great baseball book. Warning: this book is not exactly like the wonderful Robert Redford movie. I found that out the hard way when I first read the book in junior high school (yes, when I was young, we did not have middle schools).

Subtitled “A Snapshot History of America,” this coffee table book tells the history of America through the snapshots of regular Americans. Simple idea with powerful images.

I guess I cannot take credit for discovering this book, as it is a bestseller. All I can say is that this is one of the more interesting books I have read in the past year. A great look into the Chinese Cultural Revolution, the book follows a couple of Chinese peasants who escape misery through literature. Do you think you have one of the world’s worst jobs? Try carrying excrement up hills everyday (I understand that a lot of us think our jobs entail that, but the protagonists in this book literally carry excrement up hills everyday).

So many people remember Robert DeNiro’s stunning performance as the tragic boxer Jake LaMotta in the Martin Scorcese film version, but a lot of folks forget about the original book that leaves readers incredulous. LaMotta’s autobiography has the power to make you love him and despise him, and this book stands as one of the all-time moving sports stories.

This is an old favorite of mine, as the author offers spiritual awakening by combining the teachings of the great philosophers, Confucius and A.A. Milne. A treat for all ages.

Braun’s "Cat Who" series consists of something like 25 books, and I will confess that this is not the best. It is the shortest, however, and I hope it gives you a taste of what to expect in her more interesting (but longer) mysteries, which usually run 240-320 pages.

A friend asked me to include a dark and twisted thriller, and this tale of star-crossed lovers seemed to fit the bill perfectly. I’ll just warn you that this slaughterhouse romance-turned-murder may leave you with sleep difficulties.

While the book exceeds my loosely-enforced 200-pages-or-less rule, it is one of those books that I was required to read that actually pleasantly surprised me. Hurston is masterful in her story-crafting and dialogue, and this book makes it evident why she is considered one of the most important African-American women authors of the Harlem Renaissance (which does not refer to the signing of Meadowlark Lemon by the Globetrotters).

Probably the greatest joy I get from reading short stories are the innumerable quirky characters and situations gifted authors can portray. This book was a breeze to read and did what any great book does: it made me laugh, it made my cry and it made me (heaven forbid) think.