Adult

For the record, retired pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson is one of my idols. His own story (Gifted Hands) is one I have shared with tens of thousands of people, and I will read and trumpet everything he ever writes.

I try to include a variety of books for all ages and genres, and here is a book that captures the imaginations of all ages and fits a variety of genres. Charley Hopper’s modern art drawings of animals, along with brief descriptions, make this a great coffee table book that is sure to start wonderful conversations at any party (or in any classroom).

This site’s web designer, Adam LeVrier, gave me Burton’s demented “Boy with Nails in His Eyes” X-mas tale, which is just one of 23 twisted poems in this collection that reminds me of the macabre artist Edward Gorey. Truly original and worth the quick read.

You need to know that I LOVE Ken Blanchard. He is one of the best speakers on the circuit, and his books read like his speeches: inspirational, filled with practical advice and packed with great anecdotes. I’d recommend anything Blanchard writes, and this great, quick read chronicles the success of the Yum! Corporation (which includes KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, A & W, etc.).

Don’t be fooled by the page count, as the book has big print and short pages (two of my favorite things). Sykes may offend, but she is absolutely fair in her disbursement of rants and raves. Ever since I first watched her on Larry David’s fantastic show Curb Your Enthusiasm, I have made sure to catch Wanda Sykes whenever she is on TV or in print. She is undeniably one of the funniest comedians around today (beware, though: she is blunt and uses language that may be deemed unsuitable for many adults – although it is commonplace with most teenagers).

One of the dilemmas I face on my page-length requirements is what to do with books that are small in size with large fonts. This is such a book, and I am including it because it is a great Valentine’s Day gift and should take only a couple of hours and glass of Merlot to finish. Nicholas Sparks, move over, as Nash writes a touching tale of a cancer survivor trying secure her dream beach house. Reminded me of that Kevin Kline movie My Life As a House…but I enjoyed this book much better.

If you are like me, your typical holiday diet consist of half a grapefruit and some bran flakes for breakfast, grilled chicken and a light salad for lunch with two Oreos for dessert, an apple and the rest of the bag of Oreos for a snack and a dinner that consists of pizza dipped in gravy served with fried chicken and egg rolls, two bottles of wine and a hot fudge sundae for dessert. You see, I often lack willpower and discipline around the holidays, so this book might be a good guilty reminder to have lying on your coffee table as you lunge for that fifteenth piece of Mom’s homemade fudge this month.

The brain fascinates me, especially since it remains such a mystery. Bolte Taylor, a Harvard-trained brain scientist, recounts how her own massive stroke provided insight into one of the greatest conflicts taking place on the planet: the conflict between the right and left brain. Fascinating!

A journalism professor once told me that it was not enough to be funny. “If you want to be a great writer,” he said, “You need to make people laugh, you need to make people cry and you need to make people think.” Billy Crystal, one of my favorite comedians, writes a touching memoir of his father that makes me yearn to see his Tony award-winning. one-man Broadway show.

Amidst the torment of her relocated Vietnamese family’s home in Michigan, Nguyen finds humor in this coming-of-age story that is filled with enough 80s references to fill a VH-1 special.

Yes, it is a long title. Sure, even God handed down only 10 commandments. Still, this book provides many useful tips and inspirational anecdotes. My good friend Pat Wainwright loaned me her copy, so I saved 13 bucks.

Before writing Dianetics, Hubbard was a prolific pulp fiction writer. His book Fear was one of the freakiest books I have ever read, and this Western shows me yet another side to this complex writer. Reads as easily as a Louis L’Amour book.

Subtitled “Letting Grapes Do What Comes Naturally,” this delightful diatribe espousing the author’s joy and passion for wine is sure to send you out planting your own vineyard. Feiring’s adventures creating her own natural wine and clever examination of the wine industry is sure to spark plenty of provocative discussion. You don’t need to be interested in wine, however, to appreciate Feiring’s wonderful, self-effacing writing style.

Jeff Miller loaned me this gem, which is yet another book that likes to give a title: subtitle. There are some wonderful lessons in this book. I guess I have been on a motivational kick because I am teaching a great group of new students this semester, and they push me to want to be a better teacher.

Talk about an inspirational tear-jerker! Patterson’s touching tale of his daughter, born with Down syndrome and later diagnosed with leukemia, shows how faith and love conquer all. Everyone’s life has meaning, and it is powerfully touching to see how many lives little Emily in her short time here.