Adult

Quindlen's reflections on her reading experiences, readers and the state of reading in general is one of the best accounts I have ever read on why books matter.

This summer, why not take a moment to pause and reflect about what really matters. Bender’s touching memoir of seeking simplicity among the Amish while leaving the harried lifestyle so many of us lead is poignant, beautiful writing.

I wanted to begin the new year with a book that could make everyone laugh, cry and think, and I could not think of a finer writer to capture all human emotions than the expert satirist Jonathan Swift (best known for Gulliver’s Travels). This book contains a wonderful collection of Swift’s essays that should bring joy to anyone who is trying to decide who to vote for in 2008’s elections (I have not seen any candidate make as bold of a proposal as Swift’s “modest” idea for solving hunger and overpopulation by encouraging poor Irish folks to eat their babies). This is one of the books that actually attracted me to literature as a teenager (while almost all other reading assigned to me quickly decimated any interest I had in the classics).

With the help of a black ex-GI, some determined German nuns build a chapel in the desert. Short in length but filled with substance, the movie earned Sidney Poitier a well-deserved Oscar in 1963.

This is the perfect type of book for the lazy reader who wants to sound “cultured” at a cocktail party. At under 80 pages, this classic is a terrific introduction into the quick wit of one of literature’s most prized humorists. The play is easily adaptable for modern middle and high school students, as well.

I like to sound intelligent every now and then by including a classic. This book freaked me out in high school, as it tells the story of a man whose African expeditions lead him to the heart of the Belgian Congo and the darkness of man’s desire for power (classically adapted by Francis Ford Coppolla into his Vietnam epic Apocalypse Now). I am always more fascinated learning the story behind the story (the same as the story behind any great painting), and you may find it interesting to know that English was Conrad’s third language (he preferred to write in French).

The great thing about the start of the new year is the vast amount of potential that each of us has. I included this book because it is a quick-read and reviews some simple considerations for improving a variety of life skills. We each have the power to change our own lives, and I enjoy books like this to reinforce that concept.

This one could just as well be classified as “young adult,” as I have introduced it to teenage girls with very positive results. It is the coming of age story of a young girl who has made up her mind that she will go on her brother’s honeymoon whether she is invited or not. A very well-written novel.

A wonderfully humorous and enlightening guide for all parents of teens. Who says a book cannot sell itself with a great title? Lots of practical tips.

If you have an afternoon free to dive into a wonderful mystery, be sure to dive into one of Camilleri’s Inspector Montalbano books. This is the sixth in a terrific series that are pure chocolate: easy to devour in a single sitting.

You’ve probably seen the movie any of the 357 times it is aired each December, but if you have never read anything by Jean Shepherd, you are in for a real treat. Shepherd is a master at nostalgic storytelling, especially around holidays. He also wrote a wonderful collection of stories about the Fourth of July.

A touching and informative book written by a doctor who wants terminally ill people (and their families) to understand their options. Good book for everyone to read, as the empathetic Dr. Martensen points out the tough questions that people need to ask.

I’m a sucker for baseball stories, and Halberstam’s book (told ingeniously using flashbacks as Dominic DiMaggio and Johnny Pesky drive 1,300 miles to visit their former teammate and beloved dying friend Ted Williams) chronicles the bonds of four legendary Boston Red Sox during the 1940s. This book will move even Yankee fans. It reinforced my depression over Halberstam’s early death a few years ago in a car accident that left a lot of us wondering how many great future books were stolen from us on that tragic day. Two words: Read Halberstam. He is masterful.

Bombeck is a prolific humorist whom I have just discovered, thanks to my own baby that’s on the way. This woman really makes me laugh.

I had not read a good, old-fashioned Western in awhile, and a recent viewing of the wonderful Henry Fonda movie inspired me to pick up the text. It did not disappoint. As a matter of fact, readers could draw a lot of parallels between this story and current incidents involving mob justice.