Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris

Sedaris’ first collection of memoirs, Me Talk Pretty One Day, had me rolling on the floor, clutching my sides with laughter. This set of essays continues the tradition of side-splitting glee. (Though, honestly, I thought his first collection was funnier). I admire the way he shares his most embarrassing, neurotic, ridiculous anecdotes – and those of his entire family. It takes real guts to humiliate your loved ones like that. My favorite quote comes from one of the stories about his teen years: “How was it that one moment you could look so good and the next you would give almost anything to crawl into your grocer’s freezer, settling beneath the pot pies until you reached that mysterious age at which a person could truly think for himself.”

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Part of the bookshelf in my living room is designated for “classic and contemporary novels I have never read but should so that other English teachers won’t look at me like I’m stupid.” This was one of those. It is the story of Billy Pilgrim, a soldier and prisoner of war during the WWII firebombing of Dresden. Most critics consider this an “anti-war” novel. I think Vonnegut was trying to do more with it. He seems to say that war is never glorious, but it is inevitable – like death. Even when it is necessary it is full of unnecessary parts ranging from the nightmarish to the ridiculous. Vonnegut has a gift for combining a kind of sarcastic, witty humor with the sickening mournfulness that is standard issue for topics like war. Favorite Quote: “All time is all time. It does not change. It does not lend itself to warnings or explanations.”

Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman

This is a collection of essays about books and the people who love them. It is truly a delight. Fadiman muses on everything from merging libraries with her husband, to flyleaf inscriptions, to cataloging one’s library with a humorous level of compulsion. I especially liked her essay on obsessive proofreading. Strangely, I got misty-eyed when I read the acknowledgements at the end of the book, probably because she dedicates it to her husband and parents. Her love of books is intricately bound to her love for them. Favorite Quote: “Marriage is a long-distance course, and reading aloud is a kind of romantic Gatorade formulated to invigorate the occasionally exhausted racers.”

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

This book has kind of an “It’s a Wonderful Life” feel to it. The main character, Eddie, dies while trying to save a child from an amusement park accident. When he gets to heaven, he meets five people who help him try to make sense of his life. The WWII stories and the bit about his wife really tug at the ol’ heartstrings. Favorite Quote (from a piece of dialogue): “ ‘Sacrifice is a part of life. It’s supposed to be. It’s not something to regret. It’s something to aspire to.’ . . . Eddie shook his head ‘But you . . .’ He lowered his head. ‘You lost your life.’ The Captain smacked his tongue on his teeth. ‘That’s the thing. Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you’re not really losing it. You’re just passing it on to someone else.’”

Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis by Jimmy Carter

This book is a must-read for Christians with even a passing interest in politics. Carter is not afraid to tackle the tough topics such as America’s approach to war, diplomacy, poverty, abortion, and homosexual marriage. As a former president, humanitarian aid worker, naval officer, and educator in both secular and Christian institutions he uses both statistics and scripture to support his arguments. You may not believe everything he writes, but this book is definitely thought provoking and a launching pad for some serious discussion. Favorite Quote: “I believe that anyone can be successful in life, regardless of natural talent or the environment in which we live. This is not based on measuring success by human competitiveness for wealth, possessions, influence and fame, but adhering to God’s standards of truth, justice, humility, service, compassion, forgiveness, and love.”

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

Everyone told me that Kingsolver had a fantastic writer’s voice and I agree completely – the minute you’re finished with the first paragraph of this book you feel like you’re in the heart of Kentucky. The story is about a young woman named Taylor Greer who buys a piece of junk car just after she graduates high school and heads west. Eventually she settles in Tucson after unofficially “adopting” an abused baby girl (named Turtle). Taylor’s life in Tuscon is filled with colorful characters including Mattie, who owns an auto-repair shop and runs a safe house for Mexican refugees. A lot of the story is about finding Turtle’s heritage, but oftentimes it seems like Kingsolver is trying to make some kind of point about immigration. I wouldn’t necessarily consider this a deeply compelling story, but it was enjoyable and Kingsolver is definitely a gifted writer. Favorite Quote: “There were two things about Mama. One is she always expected the best out of me. And the other is that then no matter what I did, whatever I came home with, she acted like it was the moon I had just hung up in the sky and plugged in all the stars. Like I was that good.”

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

This is a memoir about Dr. Nafisi’s experience teaching literature in the Islamic Republic of Iran (1979-1997). In addition to teaching at the university (as it was being overrun by Islamic fundamentalists), she secretly gathered with a small group of women in her home to teach them works from “forbidden” western authors (Austen, James, Fitzgerald, and Nabokov). The academic portions of this book would probably only appeal to pompous English teachers (my colleagues – not me, though I did enjoy her comparisons of Bronte and Austen, chortle chortle). Everyone can glean something from her descriptions of life under Islamic law, especially women. (At times it seemed like it would be be better to be a dog in Iran than to be a woman.) I definitely came away with a renewed appreciation for the freedom we have here in the states. Favorite Quote: “[Khomeini] had been a conscious mythmaker, and he had turned himself into a myth. . . . Like all great mythmakers, he had tried to fashion reality out of his dream, and in the end, . . . he managed to destroy both reality and his dream.”

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

I picked this book as a pre-cursor to Reading Lolita in Tehran. I cannot pretend that Nabokov is not a gifted writer, especially in his use of imagery and his command of the English language, but in terms of content this was by far one of the most disturbing stories I have ever read. Most of you are probably familiar with it: a man in his late 30s develops an insatiable lust for a 12-year-old girl and establishes a “relationship” with her after her mother’s death. There is also a great deal of exposition explaining his developing insanity and pedophilia. The book is positively haunting and offers a glimpse into the dark, depraved capacity of the human mind that most of us would choose to avoid. Favorite Quote: “Every limit presupposes something beyond it.”

What Went Wrong? The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East by Bernard Lewis

During the height of the Ottoman Empire the Middle East was a leader in military, economic, and scientific achievement, but all of that changed with their response to the rise of the Western world. Lewis addresses elements such as response to secularization, separation of church and state, and emancipation of women along with other issues that have contributed to the steady decline of the Middle East. The book was eye-opening and did a thorough job of covering the topics at hand. Lewis did not appear to take sides until the end. This quote I found interesting: “If the peoples of the Middle East continue on their present path, the suicide bomber may become a metaphor for the whole region . . . If they can abandon grievance and victimhood, settle their differences, and join their talents, energies, and resources in a common creative endeavor, they can once again make the Middle East in modern times as it was in antiquity.”

I’m a Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson

After living in England for 20 years, Bill Bryson and his family return to America. This book is a witty collection of his observances of American life with topics ranging from supermarkets to road trips. I especially liked his bit about the complicity of filing one’s taxes (seeing as I have cried over my own tax forms on more than one occasion). Check out this book if you enjoy humor writing. It’s good, clean fun. Favorite Quote: “If you informed an American that a massive asteroid was hurtling toward Earth at 125,000 miles an hour and that in twelve weeks the planet would be blown to smithereens, he would say, ‘Really? In that case I suppose I’d better sign up for that Mediterranean cooking course now.’”

The Physician by Noah Gordon

The story begins in 11th century England when Rob J. is orphaned and then apprenticed to a barber surgeon/entertainer. He later travels to Persia where he must pose as a Jew in order to attend medical school. While the gory descriptions of early surgeries and plagues were somewhat engaging, I didn’t think Gordon was a phenomenal writer by any means. He seems to have trouble weaving the history in with the narrative, which makes the entire book oppressively long. Yet, it was kind of interesting to learn about Middle Eastern history and medicine. You would have to judge for yourself on this one – but abandon it if you don’t like it by pg. 50. Had I not been stuck on planes and in airports for 20 hours, I may have given up on it. Favorite Quote: “Science and medicine teach of the body, while philosophy teaches of the mind and the soul, and a physician requires all these as he needs food and air.”

Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper

Frankly, I thought this book was a waste of time. I kept turning the pages just waiting for it to be over. I feel guilty saying that because it was given to me as a gift and recommended by several people. While I like the fact that Piper references scripture, he does so to such a degree that there is only a sprinkling of actual commentary in some parts. It ends up being just a list of verses – very choppy – and too much focus on the basics without requiring any real thinking from the reader. Also, I really didn’t care for the part where he said we were all “silent learners” when it comes to our pursuit of Christ and we should simply “cover our mouths” and listen. Jesus was and is a great teacher and, as far as I can tell, none of his original disciples were “silent learners.” I really didn’t have a favorite quote but this one made me smile because I could picture Jesus in peals of laughter, clutching his sides with a drink coming out his nose. (He may even be farting a little.) “Favorite” Quote: “It is not glorious to be gloomy. Therefore Christ has never been gloomy . . . Jesus Christ is the happiest being in the universe.”

The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler

It has been a long time since I ran across a book that made me laugh out loud and feel sentimental at the same time. The book was delightful: a story about six women who form a club to discuss Jane Austen's complete works. I know it doesn't sound particularly enticing, but most of the book is spent on each woman's personal narrative, with bits of Austen commentary woven in. There are stories about romance, friendship, mothers and daughters - all with a predictable but appeasing ending. Flowler's writing is thoughtful and inspiring, ideal for anyone in need of a chuckle and a light, touching read. Favorite Quote: "Sylvia thought how all parents wanted an impossible life for their children - happy beginning, happy middle, happy ending. No plot of any kind. What uninteresting people would result if parents got their way."