Adult

Maybe it is because I spent all of April home (I did not travel for business once) or maybe it is because I am on a diet, but I seem to have done a lot of soul-searching and reflecting recently. Robinson’s lovely novel about dealing with a loved one’s death is both heartbreaking and hilarious. It made me want to dig into the dirt and plant a Southern garden.

This is a phenomenal account of Teddy’s life up until he became President.  Before reading this, I only knew that Teddy bears were named after him, and for some reason he has his mug on Mt. Rushmore.  Now I consider him one of the most fascinating Americans in history.  Morris points out that Teddy read nearly 20,000 books by the time he was 30.  I am trying to make up ground by reading lots of short books!

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and basis for the movie “Gettysburg.”  His son wrote a prequel (Gods and Generals) and sequel (The Last Full Measure), and, while not as good, they are both very appealing.  The Killer Angels is a must-read, as I have recommended it to nearly 100 people of all ages, races and genders, and all have told me that it is one of the best books they have ever read.  I never knew how interesting the Civil War could be, and I would recommend that all high school social studies teachers recommend this book to their students.  I would have been much more interested in this time in history (now I read every book on the Civil War that I can get my hands on).

This is a very warped, fun book with a great opening:  “Mother died today.  Or yesterday, maybe, I don’t know.”  Some funny characters, and mentioning this book at a cocktail party will make you sound “deep.”

Written in 1756, I laughed out loud more often while reading this book than while watching most TV sitcoms (excluding The Simpsons).  This guy has a truly demented style, the perfect anecdote to a long day of teaching.

This is one of my all-time favorites, as it hilariously follows the adventures of Arthur Dent and his friend Ford Prefect as they hitchhike their way through the galaxy following the destruction of Earth to build an intergalactic overpass.

If you have not read any of Sedaris’s essays before, you are in for a treat.  He is hysterical, and this book is broken up into very entertaining short stories.  Great bathroom reading.

I try not to include too many titles over 200 pages, but this book is as easy to read as chocolate milk (or tequila) is to drink.  It amazes me how the book, movie and TV show are all fairly different from one another yet so uniquely hilarious and touching.

Probably the greatest, truest American novel ever written.  If this does not relax you, you’re in for a pretty miserable life.

Short anecdotes of inspiration, humor and philosophy

Before he wrote that religious book with the volcano on the cover, L. Ron Hubbard was a pretty good science fiction writer.  I read this book when the cover advertised the quote “the scariest book I’ve ever read” by a guy named Stephen King.

Okay, so it’s a little over 200 pages.  This book will make you laugh, make you cry and make you think.  One of the most banned books in America because he uses the “f” word once.

His only book written based on a screenplay, Asimov almost inspired me to become a surgeon with this fascinating tale that takes place inside the human body.

So what if I included another book that is over 200 pages?  This book about a twentysomething’s search for enlightenment made me appreciate the world around me, and I enjoyed the writing even more than Krakauer’s excellent Into Thin Air.

The ultimate in bathroom literature.  These fake headlines are hilarious.  The Onion’s website is my favorite news source, as its insights are far more interesting than CNN or Fox News Channel.