Works of Fiction:
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Still Life
with
Woodpecker
by
Tom Robbins
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In which the author ruminates on, among other things, the state of romance
in the early eighties and into the nineties. Robbins, a master of the play-on-words,
inspired Dan Fogelberg's hit song, "Make Love Stay," with this novel. This remains my favorite work of fiction. Other works by Robbins include
Skinny Legs and All,
Jitterbug Perfume, Even Cowgirls
Get the Blues,
Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates, and his latest effort,
Villa Incognito, which I haven't read yet as of this writing.
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Century's
Son
by
Robert Boswell
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I was referred to this author by a guest appearance on Vin Scelsa's New York radio program
several years ago. Boswell is a master storyteller, a true craftsman in the art of
character development. Here the story takes place in Illinois, and delves into
the relationships between family members, as well as examining the implications of living
with regret, wedding one's self to one's mistakes, and hoping despite the odds.
Powerful & moving. Other outstanding works include
American Owned Love,
Mystery Ride
and Crooked Hearts.
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One
True
Thing
by
Anna
Quindlen
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Former op-ed columnist for the NY Times tells the story of a career-minded
young woman persuaded by her father to provide live-in care for her terminally ill mother.
Follows the patient through the stages of the dying process, while chronicling the
relationships of the family members and townspeople as they themselves react to each
phase of the illness. Protagonist comes to realize, as the story unfolds, that in
family relationships, things are not always as they seem.
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Nobody's
Girl
by
Antonya
Nelson
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This author is the wife of the aforementioned Robert Boswell. Here she writes
of life in a small southwestern town for a Chicago born and raised 29-year-old
school teacher on the run from a less than glorious past. Her attempts to reinvent
herself meet with less than total success, as she repeatedly engages in self-destuctive
relationships. There's not a lot of action in the story, but the characterizations are
excellent, and there's certainly some food for thought here regarding the tendency
to judge others without having stood in their shoes. Good stuff.
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The Notebook
by
Nicholas Sparks
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Some of you who've visited my homepage know I'm a basketball fan. I was visiting
WNBA.com
recently and I came upon a recommendation for this book from
Rebecca Lobo, one of my favorite
WNBA players. So naturally I had to read it, and I found it to be quite enjoyable!
It's a VERY romantic story (Lobo couldn't believe a man actually wrote it) about lifelong
love....I won't give away the ending, suffice it to say it touches upon some important issues
while it tugs at the heartstrings. And it's a very quick read.
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Skipping
Christmas
by
John Grisham
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If you've ever thought about skipping the holidays altogether, and believe me I have!!! - get hold of a copy and give this a quick read. It's the first Grisham I've ever read (not sure what that says about my credibility as an avid, albeit slow, reader, but it's true nonetheless) and I was pleasantly surprised at his sense of humor. Follow the trials and tribulations of the Kranks as they carry out their wacky plan despite the objections of their neighbors. I may try this myself next year!
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About A Boy
by
Nick Hornby
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I started reading Nick Hornby novels when I heard there was a movie coming out about a self-absorbed music store manager named Rob who obsesses over his past. It sounded kind of familiar. That, of course, was High Fidelity, which took me a while to get into, but ended up being very enjoyable. About A Boy, on the other hand, just hooked me right from the start. Hornby's phrasing is as clever and crisp as any I've seen. Story about a professional slacker who passes himself off as a single dad to hook up with attractive single moms just had me laughing out loud on the train. I would rate this as my second favorite work of fiction.
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Works of Non-Fiction:
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Let's Roll
by
Lisa Beamer
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The story of United Flight 93 hero Todd Beamer as told by his wife Lisa Beamer. As I skimmed through the first couple of chapters, I thought it was a bit heavy on the details of Todd & Lisa's early childhood years, college days and their courtship. As I read further, I came to understand that Lisa was setting the stage for what was to take place on September 11th, 2001, because people don't just HAPPEN to do heroic things when called upon. Rather, they are who they are by way of upbringing, experience and choice, and then they act accordingly when circumstances arise. From the middle of the book on, I got choked up every time I picked it up, and could only read a chapter at a time. Beautiful, inspirational story, and nicely told.
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Tuesdays
with
Morrie
by
Mitch Albom
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You probably are familiar with the story. I believe it was one of the first Oprah
selections and was made into a 1999 TV movie with Jack Lemmon. I didn't get around to reading it
for quite a long time but found it to be extremely compelling reading when I did finally get to it. It's one of those true life stories - the biography of Professor Morrie Schwartz - which has a lot to say about what's important in life. And how we rarely take the time to consider it until it's almost too late. If ever at all. With recent historical events, we shouldn't need a reminder, but sometimes we still do, and this is an easy read which fills the bill.
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Compassionate
Capitalism
by
Rich DeVos
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Amway co-founder serves up an excellent refresher course
in business ethics, while depicting ordinary Americans from every
walk of life (not all of whom are in Amway) who, despite difficult circumstances,
persevere in doing the right thing. It's also an excellent primer for reviewing some of the basic principles of various economic systems.
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Pour Your
Heart
Into It
by
Howard Schultz
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Starbucks CEO relates how he built up the company from a small, privately
owned firm to an internationally known brand. Much to be learned here for
anyone who'd like to run a business, large or small. Or if, as I do, you
happen to love their coffee and you want the inside scoop!
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Stop And Sell
The
Roses
by
Jim McCann
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McCann is an ex-Social Worker, now CEO of the successful Long Island based
business 1800FLOWERS, offering wit and wisdom useful if you fancy yourself
a fledgling entreprenour. Or for anyone who manages people. Offered in a
very down-to-earth, regular guy style. As with all these type of books, it
begins to sound like a commercial after a while, but I enjoyed it all the same.
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Daddies
and
Daughters
by
Carmen Renee
Berry
and Lynn
Barrington
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Looking at the cover and the title, I was hoping to pick up a book about men
who undertook fathering on a full-time basis, something I will always wish I'd had
the chance to do. Instead, it turns out the co-authors sat down with lots of men,
women, and girls to discuss various aspects of the father-daughter relationship.
The book is a collection of essays recounting the results of the conversations.
It reads easily, and may be of help to someone on the verge of fatherhood,
particularly if you're anticipating a little baby girl. If you don't care
to read the whole book, it's pretty easy to zero in on the topics you're
interested in. On average, each section is only about 5-6 pages long.
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Humor:
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Family
Man
by
Calvin
Trillin
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Long-time columnist for The New Yorker, Time, and The Nation,
and frequent guest on Letterman, looks back fondly at the years spent
raising two daughters in Greenwich Village, NYC. Short on advice, long on
deliciously playful prose. I had a lot of fun reading this one! You don't
even need to be a parent...you just have to enjoy clever writing.
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It Was
On Fire
When I
Lay Down
On It!
by
Robert Fulghum
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The wit and wisdom of Robert Fulghum, author of
All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten.
Easy reading, spirited, FUNNY! As are his other books,
Uh-Oh, and
Maybe, Maybe Not.
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Self-help/Inspirational:
It's a funny thing about self-help books...if you read them once and put them back on the shelf
to gather dust, their effect will last all of about two hours. But if you make a habit of
reading at least a few pages a day and keep it up for a while, it's amazing the difference
they can make on your outlook!
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Don't Sweat The
Small Stuff
by
Richard Carlson
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This one was recommended to me by a coworker, and the nice thing
about it is it's broken up into small essays, each about a page and a half to three pages long.
This allows you to read small chunks at a time, ideal for railraod commuters or (dare I say?)
restroom material. My own favorite sections involved suggestions about how to be a better
listener, something I've been working on of late. Lots of great ideas, written in very
simple, everyday language.
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The Twelth
Angel
by
Og Mandino
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Didactic fiction at its best. One of the great inspirational writers of
our time tells the story of a young boy living out his dreams, one day at a time,
in the course of his short lifetime. An easy read, and one that helps put a lot
of things in perspective. Mandino's other fine works include
The Greatest Salesman In The World,
The Choice,
and
The Spellbinder's
Gift. If you start reading Og, you'll probably want to read them all.
Start with this one!
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Personally Speaking
by
Msgr. Jim Lisante
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Msgr. James Lisante is the pastor at my parish church. He is flat out the best preacher I
have ever heard. Perhaps because we are very similar in age and grew up only a few miles apart,
it seems whenever I hear him give a homily I feel as if he prepared it especially for me -
that's how much what he says hits home for me. The book contains a series of essays written
over the last several years about recent news stories and his encounters with people from all
walks of life. (He's had the opportunity to meet and speak with many well known people through
his role as a television interviewer.) Each essay can be read in a minute or two, making this
another ideal selection for commuter or bathroom reading. One caution - Msgr. Lisante makes no
effort to be politically correct - in areas of ethics and morals, he calls it as he sees it.
But I would think even those who might disagree with him on some points will still find the
book to be quite thought-provoking. Also available from Monsignor Jim, The Power of One.
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God
Underneath
by
Edward Beck
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We had a guest preacher at my Church during recent Lenten observances. Fr. Edward L. Beck is a Passionist Priest who
has made a career of traveling the country giving retreats and days of recollection, as we Catholics sometimes call them. His talk during Lent intrigued me and I enthusiastically purchased a copy of his well known memoir entitled God Underneath. While this is NOT a book I would recommend for someone interested in learning the orthodox teaching of the Church (because the author takes issue with it in a number of places), I found it a worthwhile read in terms of gaining insight in to the decision making process that one undergoes when discerning a religious vocation, as well as the struggles and rewards as one undertakes such a calling over a period of a number of years. The value of the book, I think, is that it allows the reader a look at the human side of at least this particular clergyman at a time when many questions have arisen about the value of a life of celibacy in contemporary society. As it turns out in this case, priests are people, too!
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