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January 2007

Hi folks!

I hope you are all doing well. I am in Singapore with my wife and two young children until January 9th. If you ever have the urge to take a couple of children on a trans-Pacific flight for 20 hours, let me advise against it. While it has been delightful visiting my wife’s family (who are all the nicest people in the world), it has been exhausting looking after the kids. I am itching to return home.  

The great thing about traveling, though, is that it always affords me the time to read longer and more obscure books that I do not normally grab. My brother-in-law, Patrick Tan, has acted as my library in Singapore, as he has graciously loaned me all sorts of wonderful books. I have enjoyed a variety of interesting books including Pervez Musharraf’s excellent autobiography In the Line of Fire (fascinating insight into a sitting President’s views), Beyond the Age of Innocence by Kishore Mahbubani (Singapore’s UN Ambassador provides his ideas on America’s strengths/weaknesses), the insightful and very readable No god But God by Reza Aslan (who makes Islam very understandable to a layperson), a wonderfully intriguing biography of Steve Jobs called Icon by Jeffrey S. Young and William L. Simon, and finally a paperback that is over a thousand pages that I have been meaning to donate to the library, but one I can never put down: Herman Wouk’s awesome The Winds of War (if you ever have the time, read this one).

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..

Have a wonderful January, and enjoy your books!

Danny ;-)
The Book of Courage

The Book of Courage

By Hans Wilhelm 128 pages Adult

Danny Says

A children’s book author and illustrator best known for his tear-jerker I’ll Always Love You, Wilhelm offers bits of wisdom meant to inspire people of all ages. I think this is the perfect gift for all occasions, including graduations and bar mitzvahs. An excellent book to read to start off the new year right.
Buy on Amazon
The Royal Ghosts

The Royal Ghosts

By Samrat Upadhyay 224 pages Adult

Danny Says

I was in Tibet in the summer of 2001 when I discovered that the entire royal family of Nepal had been assassinated by the Crown Prince Dipendra. This collection of short stories by Nepali writer Upadhyah takes place in Kathmandu during this tumultuous time, and its depictions are both stirring and shocking.
Buy on Amazon
The Bluest Eye

The Bluest Eye

By Toni Morrison 224 pages Adult

Danny Says

I have an unwritten rule that I do not usually promote Oprah’s Book Club books, as these books need no help from me (if Oprah ever wants to talk about my books on her show, though, I’d gladly make an appearance). I do feel it is important from time to time to get people reading important authors. Toni Morrison is a Nobel Prize winner, and this book affords lazy readers a glimpse at her genius in a lot fewer pages.
Buy on Amazon
Macho!

Macho!

By Victor Villasenor 240 pages Adult

Danny Says

If you have not read Villasenor’s Rain of Gold, you have ignored one of the great books of the later half of the 20th century. Villasenor captures the Mexican-American experience better than perhaps any other author. This book describes the migrant worker experience in a way that has not been duplicated since Edward R. Murrow’s Harvest of Shame.
Buy on Amazon
The Mad Scientist Handbook

The Mad Scientist Handbook

By Joey Green 144 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Yes, there are some problems with this book, as I found quite a few problems with the author’s scientific knowledge (and, believe me, science is not my area of expertise). Still, I have tried quite a few of the experiments with success, and a lot of the creations are sure to impress friends, business associates and students. The book is just meant for fun.
Buy on Amazon
The Life History of a Star

The Life History of a Star

By Kelly Easton 200 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

This one is a winner! Written as the diary of a teenage girl during the mid-1970s, this book sounded like a “girl” book all the way. Do not make that mistake. I was amazed to find the story to be captivating, funny and gripping all at once. A real page-turner about a girl’s coming of age disrupted by a ghost in the attic that happens to be her brother, who died in Vietnam.
Buy on Amazon
Where Should I Sit at Lunch?

Where Should I Sit at Lunch?

By Harriet S. Mosatche & Karen Unger 208 pages Young Adult

Danny Says

Subtitled “The Ultimate 24/7 Guide to Surviving the High School Years,” this book is the perfect gift for the child who is preparing to enter high school (or even, I daresay, middle school). The book is filled with practical advice from real-life teens, checklists and interesting tidbits from the authors, who I understand are quite good speakers (I have not had the opportunity to see them yet).
Buy on Amazon
No Bigger than My Teddy Bear

No Bigger than My Teddy Bear

By Valerie Pankow 32 pages Children

Danny Says

My daughter was born two months prematurely, and my wife and I were fortunate that we were at Torrance Memorial Hospital in Torrance, CA (which, we accidentally discovered, has one of the best NICUs anywhere). I wish someone had given me a copy of this wonderful book back then, as it is a perfect gift for anyone panicking over the premature birth of a child. I’d also use it with siblings who are anxious about “newcomers” to the family. 
Buy on Amazon
The 39 Apartments of Ludwig Van Beethoven

The 39 Apartments of Ludwig Van Beethoven

By Jonah Winter 40 pages Children

Danny Says

I selected this book not for its biographical value (as some of the facts are questionable), but because I have become a huge fan of the book’s illustrator, Barry Blitt. The illustrations are marvelous and sure to provoke wide laughs and speculations among young children. In that respect, that makes this book a perfect story to entice children to write their own versions of Beethoven’s life (and stimulate their interest in Beethoven).
Buy on Amazon
Nacho And Lolita

Nacho And Lolita

By Pam Munoz Ryan 40 pages Children

Danny Says

I have a crush on Pam Munoz Ryan, as she is one of my favorite authors and a delightful speaker. She may be best known for her young adult book Esperanza Rising, but this is probably my favorite of her works. It stems from a Mexican folktale her grandmother used to tell her about a pitacoche bird (beautiful for its multicolored feathers) that falls in love with a much smaller swallow. Lovely and heartwarming, I rate this up there with Robert Munsch’s Love You Forever among my favorite read-alouds. 
Buy on Amazon

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