Hi folks! I apologize that the site has not been working properly for the past couple of months. This website was originally designed by my good friend, Adam LeVrier, and Adam is the person who has helped me keep the site going (his work has been heroic, and he endured plenty of freaked-out phone calls from me over the years asking him to fix this and that on the site). Now that I am trying to redesign the site, I have managed to hit repeated snags due to my inexperience in web design. Thanks for your patience during this transition, as I am learning web design from scratch (the biggest snag many of you have noticed is that I have not been able to send out the monthly e-mails since June, and I hope to resolve that problem soon).
I have been on the road speaking a lot this summer, and I have completed a lot of my “testosterone” reading. I read just about every Carl Hiaasen book in print that I had not yet opened (if you have not read him yet, you are in for one of my favorite guilty pleasures). I also decided to delve into a few books in The Gunslinger action Western series by J.R. Roberts. Finally, although it is too long to put on this month’s list of book picks, I have to confess that I really enjoyed Tom Vanderbilt’s Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us), but maybe I am just fascinated by the psychology presented in the book.
Anyhow, enjoy this month’s book selections below. I hope you are all reading some wonderful books. Make sure to tell me all about them. If you're an author or a publisher and would like to send me review copies of your book(s), please send them to the address listed for authors and publishers.
I hope you are reading some wonderful books. Make sure to tell me about them by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Doyle is a wonderful author (check-out his The Woman Who Walked Into Doors, which is also under 250 pages), and I had to include this book as it was made into a magnificent film that won several British Oscars but was largely ignored in America. The story of the formation, rise and fall of a fictional white “soul” band in Dublin, The Commitments is just as great to read as it is to watch on the big screen.
I am always trying to include a diverse range of genres for this list, and I thought this Shirley Jackson classic would add great eclectic flair to this month’s list. Jackson offers wonderful female protagonists and one of my all-time favorite lines in a murder mystery (“Poor strangers…They have so much to be afraid of.”).
Part of the enjoyable Staying Sane series, this easy-to-read collection of helpful essays seems to be an appropriate release for all those dealing with the horrible mortgage crisis. Practical advice and words of wisdom.
A spectacular, true account of the author’s harrowing experiences as a ten-year-old daughter of a Japanese official in Korea. The story follows the family as they flee Korea for post-WWII ravaged Japan. The action is non-stop, and I’d love to see this book made into a television mini-series. While the story is spellbinding, my guess is that Watkins actually downplays the atrocities she had to endure. A book that belongs in every middle school classroom.
One of the short stories in this collection, “Lamb to the Slaughter,” sealed my interest in everything by Roald Dahl when I was in ninth grade. In “Lamb,” a wife murders her husband with a leg of lamb before feeding the murder weapon to local investigators. Dahl’s wicked sense of humor is perfect for teens.
A lot is going on in this book about a 15-year-old girl who witnesses her sister die in a car accident on September 11th. I sort of felt that all the stuff was a distraction, as I enjoyed the main character’s attempts to cope with her grief. I have had many wonderful book discussions with middle schoolers on this book.
A touching story about the cost of war on families over the course of the Civil War. I re-read this recently on an airplane where I sat next to a Marine returning home with the body of a fallen brother in Iraq, and I realized that some themes are timeless. Poignant and compelling for boys and girls (and their parents).
Featuring terrific illustrations by R.G. Roth, this delightful book teaches children all about different jazz musicians. Kids get to count up to nine (starting with Louis Armstrong at one) to the beat of “This Old Man.” A wonderful read-aloud for early elementary school teachers and students.
Maybe it’s because I have been listening to a lot of jazz on my plane rides, but I cannot get enough of good jazz stories lately. This is another beautifully illustrated book by Sean Qualls chronicling the extraordinary life of one of the most important musicians of the 20th century, Dizzy Gillespie.
A sweet story appropriate for parents preparing little ones who are off to school for the first time. This is pure saccharin with adorable raccoon illustrations by Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak. I must admit, though, that one of the motivating forces for me to get this book were the free stickers inside!
