Adult

Full disclosure: I think The Office is one of the greatest human contributions of the 21^st century, and I needed funny books to boost my spirits this past month. Kaling, a star and writer for The Office, provides a variety of wonderful observations that make a great coffee table book or bathroom reader.

Ever deal with any obstacles? I didn’t think so. For those of us who have stumbled, though, Wagers provides a heartwarming and personal, informative and practical guide to organizational success. Quick reading – lasting lessons.

The heart-wrenching story of a peasant woman’s daily trials and tribulations in a small village in India.

The author’s mother, Daphne Cavin, was featured in Tom Brokaw’s superb The Greatest Generation. This book expands on this poignant story of love, set in World War II. Warning: have Kleenex ready, as this one is a tear-jerker.

Pilchen is a dependable British storyteller whose engaging characters always make you want to turn the page to find out what happens next.

I know, this sounds like an "academic" book, and I will admit that Maxwell sometimes delves into graphs. However, the majority of the book includes inspirational anecdotes about people from Harriet Tubman to Jaime Escalante. I read this book in three hours, and I now have a better clue as to who deserves my vote for President.

Subtitled “A Most Glorious and Definitive Compendium of the World’s Favorite Canned Meat,” this is the book I have been waiting for my entire life. I love Spam! Maybe it is just in reverence to Monty Python, but I have always gotten a kick out of all things Spam, and this book makes the perfect gift for the Spam aficionado or curious bystander. Great photos and hilarious (and often fascinating) tidbits about Spam.

I know! There’s a new Richard Paul Evans book out called The Mistletoe Inn, but at over 300 pages, I cannot include it on this list. Regardless, if you’ve never read one of his Christmas stories, you’re in for a treat.

You may have read Frazier’s bestseller Great Plains. If you haven’t, you should. I understand, however, that at 320 pages, you may want to reach for lighter faire. Hence, take a crack at this collection of five pieces Frazier published in the New Yorker. His writing made me want to go fishing in Montana or hanging out with Cheyenne in Kansas.

Pretty fascinating accounts from a forensic pathologist about her encounters with the dead, and how to make the living feel better about their loved ones during their bereavement. The pages turn easily on this one.

Don't let the page count frighten you, as there are a ton of appendices highlighting UCLA stats, etc. Even though I am a Trojan for a life, John Wooden is simply one of the most amazing and good people in the world. If we all live our lives half as well as this fine man, there is nothing to fear. I love Coach Wooden's anecdotes and philosophies, and you have to give credit to a coach who finds the time to teach players how to put on their socks. One of the ten people alive that I would like to meet.

For parents who worry that their children are falling behind, this is a must-read. Nash does a great job of examining her personal triumphs and travails in passing along her passion for reading to her two young daughters. I cannot believe that I accidentally came across this delightful book while perusing the shelves for skinny books at Border’s.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not an animal lover. It is not that I dislike animals; I simply tend to despise irresponsible pet owners who think I enjoy their cats ripping up my welcome mat or celebrate their dogs doing their business in my front yard. That is why I was surprised to love this book so much. I guess Jon Katz is well-known, but I just grabbed his book from a pile and found myself instantly captivated. He is better known for other books, and I intend to read them. In the meantime, grab a copy of this treasure and learn plenty about human beings as well as “man’s best friends.”

Will you stop worrying about the page count? This book includes 103 two to three-page, real-life mysteries that are crafted with Paul Harvey's marvelous touch. Any collection of Paul Harvey's stories, gathered by his son, Paul Aurandt, is worth reading. How else would you learn about the dead jockey that won the Belmont Stakes or the hypochondriac who would be immortalized as the world's most beloved nurse?

There are a surprising number of books about how to marry wealthy people (oddly, I could not find any authored by Anna Nicole Smith, Tom Arnold or John Kerry). This book was handed to me by a woman at the library, and I read it in a couple of hours. She had described it as “instructive,” but it is meant to be humorous at the expense of greedy women. If you are interested, I have found all sorts of short books in this genre, for both greedy women and men.