Adult

Just out in paperback, this book is quite enjoyable. Truss is fed up with miserable punctuation, and this book not only makes fun of various mistakes but also teaches the reader how to avoid errors. Trust me: it is worth reading just to understand the title.

If you’re looking for a quick, quirky tale, you’re in business. This book reads like a relatable, nightmarish family reunion featuring 99 brothers (one couldn’t make it) ranging in age from 25 to 93 trying to locate their dead father’s remains. Fun, demented humor.

My lifelong friend Adam LeVrier was the first person to introduce Kurt Vonnegut’s demented dark humor to me, and I have devoured anything Vonnegut ever wrote ever since. This quick read represents Vonnegut’s first and last works and shows off his ability to deal with touchy subjects in a way that makes us all laugh at ourselves – uncomfortably!

Why wouldn’t Stan Lee create a graphic novel autobiography? The creator of virtually every recognizable superhero, Lee represents all that is good about the human spirit. His zest for life, kindness, sense of justice…this is a man all of us can learn from. Learning that he does not receive royalties for all of the iconic characters that he has created made me livid, yet Lee takes it all in stride. A book that truly delivers on its title.

If you have not read any of the books in this series, why not start with the fourth installment? After all, the others stretch to about 240 pages each. Precious Ramotswe, a female private detective in Botswana, is one of the more interesting characters to have been created in recent literature. A perfect book for those who have to deal with bureaucracy daily.

I can tell I am getting older when I can relate to childhood memoirs that take place in the 70s. Peppe is funny and engaging, and the book does what any good memoir does: it reminds us of simpler times and pleasures. A great gift.

I’m not sure why, but I have been reading a lot of novels set in World War II recently. This book is remarkably written and vividly depressing, as it sets a tone for war from a foot soldier’s point of view that is reminiscent of All Quiet on the Western Front.

Finally, a book without a colon (punctuation-wise, that is). This is largely considered to be Cather's first masterpiece. I enjoy it because it reminds me a lot of the much longer "Little House on the Prairie." Whenever you feel like you've got a tough life, pick this up and read about the first settlers on the frontier. It will put things in perspective.

Besides proper nutrition, I have found that personal finance is one of the most important areas that parents and teachers need to prioritize for children nowadays. One way to educate children about money is to check out The Money Mammals, a wonderful program designed to teach kids how to save and invest their money. It was through that program that I discovered this wonderful book by David Owen, an excellent writer who offers a lot of practical advice on how to educate children about money. I have always found money to be the easiest way to attract students’ attention to math, as well. Own makes educating children about money fun and painless.

As the school year winds down for many, I thought I’d offer this simple yet powerful guide to meditation. This is an easy book to read with a variety of helpful exercises. Don’t take my word for it, though, as it has been a bestseller for over 25 years.

Jackpot! My favorite kind of book: short and funny. Nora Ephron is one of the funniest men or women alive, and this collection of 15 essays highlights her talent for dealing with subjects that seem depressing with her wry wit. Ephron is an intelligent humorist worthy of high praise and recognition.

So what if I am a disciple of Steven Sample? I’m a proud Trojan, and anyone can learn a thing or two from USC’s President, who has raised over $3 billion in his ten years there. For a book on leadership, this is a practical, easy-to-read book that I kept beside my bed and read a chapter each night before I went to bed. I especially enjoyed his thoughts in Chapter 10. Buy the book to find out what I am talking about.

Wally Amos, a.k.a. Famous Amos, offers his “recipes” for successful living. With unbridled optimism and good cheer, Amos inspires with his story of rise, fall and perspective.

While this is not one of my favorite books, I can appreciate its incredible use of language (Burgess, after all, was a linguist). Most people find the book to be hilarious, but it just disturbed me. Perhaps that is a tribute to its powerful images.

My life has been a little too fast-paced lately, and Bailey White is the perfect antidote. She has always regaled me with her stories of life in rural Georgia on NPR, and I can hear her voice as I read the wonderful short stories in this delightful collection of some of White’s most unusual characters. Georgia’s version of Garrison Keillor or Tom Bodett.