Adult

Aaron Burcham says it best, “Healing. This book is not just about travel, it's about seeing the world with open eyes. Truly one of my favorite books and good for anyone with a wanderlust or appetite for life itself.”

Manderley Resort is a gleaming, new twenty-story hotel on the California coast. It’s about to open its doors, and the world--at least those with the means to afford it--will be welcomed into a palace of opulence and unparalleled security. But someone is determined that Manderley will never open. The staff has no idea that their every move is being watched, and over the next twelve hours they will be killed off, one by one. A wonderful thriller by a rookie author that you’ll devour.

A collection of three novellas that serve as a wonderful expansion to the SOS world and offer another puzzle piece in the heart-pounding world filled with shadowy conspiracies and bold hacktivists.

One of my favorite short novels and a wonderful movie with Peter Sellers, Shirley McLaine and Melvyn Douglas. Satire written in the 70s about the wonderful character known as Chauncey Gardiner, an imbecile whose world revolves around television that rises to the highest echelons of power in American politics.

Tolstoy is best known for the lengthy War and Peace, but we lazy readers can still impress folks at cocktail parties by mentioning we devoured the much shorter Death of Ivan Ilyich. Can’t say this book brought a lot of joy to me as I read it, but I certainly was happy to finish it!

Have to admit that I had limited exposure to O’Connor and was quite taken by this collection of short stories. She has a wicked sense of humor – but in that sweet, Southern-charming way. What a gifted writer!

Incredible entry by the Nobel Prize-winning author, Sula tells the tale of two little girls growing up in a poor, black neighborhood nestled in the barrio known as “The Bottom.” As they grow older and separately, the two friends become something worse than enemies in this brilliantly written novel.

Can’t believe I just discovered this gem about a Pakistanti Princeton grad trying to navigate subtle and blatant bigotry in a post-911 world. Provocative and heart-wrenching.

Bodell shows how to eliminate redundancies, communicate with clarity and make simplification a habit in this quick, engaging and informative read (strike that – for the point of simplification, let’s just call it an “essential” read).

Understand that I am NOT a Boston Red Sox fan (although Fenway Park is my favorite stadium in baseball). I preferred them as loveable losers, but there are a few people in the organization I just adore: Terry Francona (who now blesses the dugout of the Cleveland Indians) and Big Papi. Who the heck doesn’t like David Ortiz? The guy was always clutch and played the game the right way. Any baseball fan should like this autobiography.

So – I have this unwritten rule that I try to feature primarily new and under-appreciated authors, but I could not resist including this latest novel from the king himself. Chizmar is also well-published but not as widely known, so this is a great way to introduce yourself to fine writing that you cannot put down.

I’m starting to form a section of excellent self-help books just written by former Navy SEALs. Too many things in life are overcomplicated, and McRaven does an excellent job of helping people focus on the essential stuff. I’d actually recommend this book be placed in middle schools and high schools, and I am sure they’ll come out with an illustrated kids’ version (and I’d welcome that version).

Fascinating manifesto by the Founder of AOL (remember that?) that paints Case’s vision for the future direction and possibilities of the Internet.

Nothing thrills me more than learning from brilliant minds with the ability to take complex concepts and make them understandable to a layman like me. DeGrasse Tyson is an excellent teacher, and I am so grateful he is in the world to show people why science matters.

If you have never read any of McCullough’s books or heard him speak, here is a wonderful introduction to a historian who will make you proud to be an American and remind you why each of us needs to study the lessons of history or risk repeating the same mistakes.