Adult

Readers keep on asking me to include more mystery recommendations, so here is a nice series to keep you busy for a little while (there are five books so far in the series). Ambrose Bierce, of course, was a famous 19th century American journalist, and this latest mystery takes him to Colonel Studley’s Wild West Show in San Francisco. Yup, there’s a murder, and yup, there’s a ton of suspects. Another fun tale in this series narrated by Bierce’s own Dr. Watson-like character, Tom Redmond.

Here’s one for the ladies: female bonding at its finest. Hinton crafts a tale of women brought together through a cookbook collaboration, and she manages to tackle a lot of issues with love and tenderness.

I am traveling throughout Ireland in July, so I have been enjoying as many stories taking place in Ireland that I can. Bowen is a crafty writer, and this is her first entry in a historical series about a 19^th century heroine known as Molly Murphy. Bowen’s writing makes turning pages easy.

I am a sucker for baseball books, and – despite being a diehard Dodger fan – my dad’s side of the family comes from Chicago, so I have an affinity for the Cubs and White Sox, as well. O’Donnell’s book reminds us of all that is good about the game: the statistics, the personal memories of attending games as a kid and the trials and tribulations fans go through as their teams soar, then disappoint. A remarkably quick read that left me hungry for more.

Perfect beach reading! I always dig a good mystery that keeps moving, and this one does not disappoint. Anyone who is a fan of the “cold case” shows on television will enjoy this story of Jiminy Davis, who abruptly quits law school and flees Chicago for her grandmother Willa's farm in rural Mississippi, only to find herself sucked into solving a Civil Rights-era hate crime.

Subtitled “How Analogies Reveal Connections, Spark Innovation and Sell Our Greatest Ideas,” this page-turner was scribed by a former speech writer for President Clinton who unveils the beauty and power of our language. I zipped through this mesmerizing read.

Walter Mosley is one of the most talented writers around, and this collection of stories about Socrates Fortlow is a wonderful look at life in the 'hood. My students could relate to this book, and I found myself very attached to Socrates by book’s end.

One of the best books I have ever read is Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, and a friend recommended that I would love this book. He was right! Lobo Antunes is Portuguese, and translator Margaret Jull Costa has provided a huge service to Americans by translating this work. One of those rare pieces of literature that is a page-turner and will impress your friends when you boast of reading it.

Co-written by four Parisian women, this charming book provides tips of dos and don’ts that can be quirky, funny, sadistic and endearing – sometimes within the same sentence.

All Californians could use this book about now, especially with the Oct. 7th recall election looming. You can find a cheap paperback version of this bestseller at virtually any used book store or garage sale in America.

This endearing memoir about growing up Cuban in Miami is an easy read by a gifted author/poet.

Probably my favorite of Shakespeare's plays. I love the soothsayer and Anthony's speech after Caesar is slain. "Brutus is an honorable man." This will get your blood flowing when you relate it to modern day politics. I guess this recall has me thinking political betrayal!

Noticing I included several books already that exceed 200 pages, I decided to throw in a screenplay. This may just be the funniest movie of the last 20 years. If you dislike Monty Python or cruelty to animals, however, you may want to turn to something less challenging (e.g. watch re-runs of "Fear Factor" on NBC).

A captivating memoir of one woman’s journey to China to assist a friend in the adoption of a child, only to wind up adopting the child herself. If you believe in destiny, you’ll enjoy this book.

If you've never read anything by Patrick McManus, you're in for a treat. I love his curmudgeonly style of telling stories about hunting and fishing. He's a cross between David Sedaris and Jon Krakauer.