Adult

Subtitled “The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life,” this book does a great job of ripping to pieces the current educational programs of America’s top bastions of higher learning. If you – like me – feel like too many of our top students are learning how to fill test bubbles well rather than think critically, you’re in for a treat. Excellent book – almost a “manifesto.”

I’ve been reading a lot of Classics lately that I never got around to reading in high school. There is something about 19^th century French literature that I find marvelously appealing. The writing is filled with wit, pain and social commentary that can be gripping and hilarious – sometimes within the same sentence.

Thought I’d include a Classic, just to mix things up. A lot lazy readers might not realize this, but some of the important literary authors they need to know to impress people actually wrote some shorter works. This is a great introduction to Plath, considered by many to be one of the most important “self-confessional” poets of the 20^th century.

October is the month Nobel Prizes are handed out, so why not impress your friends by reading the work of a Nobel laureate? The fictional narrator in this amazing story recalls surviving one of the worst maritime disasters of all time, the 1945 sinking of the German refugee carrier Willem Gustloff by a Soviet submarine. This one will whet your appetite to learn more about an event I had never heard of before.

The subtitle “Why You Binge Eat and How to Stop” was simply MADE for me. Just when I thought I had problems binge eating, Bulik sobered me into realizing that there are folks with some really clinical binge-eating disorders. Fascinating research.

One of the best books of 2003. Look at these opening lines, and you are bound to buy the book: “The way I see it, being dead is not terribly far off from being on a cruise ship. Most of your time is spent lying on your back.” An intriguing account that is as informative as it is entertaining.

Maybe I am only interested in Elmo because of my 2-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son. I think this is a great book for anyone to read, though. Do not let the page count throw you off, as the book is small (I read the entire book in a couple of hours while listening to CDs at Border’s). The book works because it is not some sing-songy drudge but a thoughtful semi-autobiography (I say “semi” because the book offers all sorts of inspirational messages and timely observations). This book just came out, and it is well worth your time.

I thought I’d throw in some classic literature this month. This is also appropriate for young adults, as it deals with a young man’s journey to self-discovery. I thought it was pretty good when I read it in high school; today, I like it even better.

Does it get any better than Charles Dickens? He was basically the John Grisham of his day, popular with everyone but the critics. Whether I am teaching 12th graders or preschoolers, this book is a mandatory read aloud. With young children I like to make the story highly interactive, allowing students to shout “Bah-humbug” whenever I say Ebeneezer Scrooge, “Ahh” whenever I say Bob Cratchit and “God bless us, everyone” whenever I say Tiny Tim. Every child needs to hear this tale of kindness and the true meaning of Christmas.

Now this is an old classic. Based on the “Babylonian principles,” this may be one of the first popular guides to containing one’s finances and planning for financial security. I’m a big believer in letting anecdotes guide my thinking rather than statistics, and even if this book was first published in the 1920s, the stories hold true today.

Sticking to Classics, I sped read this alternate version of Homer’s The Iliad. I think this book would make a great supplement for high school students reading Homer’s original. Baricco is one of the most talented writers I have read for the past ten years, and I highly encourage you to pick up any of his works, beginning with his debut Silk. Trust me: if you read Baricco, you will be more intelligent because of it.

If you are not familiar with Miss Marples Mysteries you need to start reading this delightful series (most of the books are around 256 pages). Miss Marple is best-known for solving crimes with the same methodical approach she devotes to her knitting. I believe Agatha Christie is the bestselling author of all time (outside religious disciples).

When I see high praise from Khaled Hosseini (The Kite Runner) on a book jacket, chances are I am going to have to buy that book. In this stunning debut of short stories about Russian immigrant experiences in America, Krasikov manages to write downer stories that have hope. I love this book and look forward to a lot more from this gifted author (how does the Iowa Writers’ Workshop produce such consistently great talent?).

I am not the world’s most veracious reader, but I like to think I have a firm grasp of what is on the market. So how is it I missed this poignant collection of short stories? Bloom is such a gifted writer that it makes me sick with envy. This book is a MUST.

I love quirky facts that nobody knows about, so this book fulfilled my inner-Cliff Clavin. Loaded with all sorts of gems, like it is illegal to sell stuffed articles depicting female breasts within a thousand feet of any county highway in California. Now you know.