Flashlight Worthy

Expatina's Las Vegas Lucky 7

2009-06-20T11:33:29-04:00

In my family, the religious gene was recessive and the gambling gene dominant, so I’ve read a lot of books about that Xanadu, Las Vegas, city of bright lights and brighter hopes. I used to spend a lot of time there — I watched Richard Nixon resign on a TV in my suite at the MGM Grand after interviewing Helen Reddy, which seemed somehow fitting. So I know a good Vegas tale when I read one. These are some of the best.

Click here to see the 7 books on the list

The Best of P.G. Wodehouse

2009-06-19T22:17:47-04:00

Pelham Gringham Wodehouse is one of the most hilarious writers I've ever read. Delightfully understated, Wodehouse wrote stories about the good old days of England, when everyone had butlers and valets and were called things like "Bingo" and "Kipper." My dad was the first to introduce me to him, at the age of 12. I believe I have every one of his books now, almost 80. Wodehouse is timeless, as shown by the search engine (now called Ask.com) that was named after his most famous valet ("gentleman's gentleman"): Jeeves.

Click here to see the 8 books on the list

Novels Set in Schools

2009-06-19T22:04:46-04:00

Given the near universal common experience with formal education, schools have a long history as a setting for fiction. They open fascinating windows into social, emotional and political issues, and provide great opportunities for humor as well.

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Teacher Memoirs

2009-06-19T21:53:32-04:00

We’ve all been affected by teachers in our lives... now consider how they’ve been affected by us, their students. These memoirs provide a range of experiences in the classroom that are touching, humorous and enlightening.

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Memoirs of The First Year of Teaching

2009-06-19T21:19:30-04:00

Nothing compares to the first year of teaching: the highs, the lows, and the NoDoz. Few things require as much planning, creativity, energy, and determination as surviving the first year managing your own classroom. Here's a selection of books that capture the challenges facing novice teachers and provide insight into what gets them up and over that steep first year learning curve.

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Robert Rodi's Favorite Memoirs

2009-06-15T11:07:47-04:00

I’m principally a novelist, so for my first nonfiction outing—a memoir of a comically chaotic year on the canine agility circuit—I turned for inspiration to the following volumes. They range across centuries and modes of human experience, but they’re united by wisdom, wit, and an unquenchable, questing intelligence.

Click here to see the 9 books on the list

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African American Experiences

2009-06-07T13:00:03-04:00

What distinguishes African American culture is also what unites it with the other ethnicities that comprise American culture: being at once distinctly American and decidedly different. The books on this list — all nonfiction and authored by African Americans — spotlight these two divergent aspects of African American life, via photos and/or prose.

Click here to see the 6 books on the list

In The Garden

2009-06-07T12:40:08-04:00

There’s something about the splendor and tranquility of a garden that beckon to me. And I never fail to answer the call. I love elegant peonies that seem to bow to silent applause and smart-aleck tulips moving of their own accord and cheerful red geraniums that just scream “welcome.” Chosen solely for their beautiful photographs (often on the covers and always between them), the books on this list allow the reader to sit in the garden — if only in your mind — and imbibe the beauty, inhale the fragrances and pick the flowers.

Click here to see the 8 books on the list

Picture Books for Developing Social/Emotional Growth

2009-06-02T16:53:43-04:00

Years ago, as a young mother, I realized that I did not properly prepare my toddler for his baby brother’s hospitalization and came to learn that he mistakenly believed that I had punished his brother for being “bad.” This was the result of my explanation, “your brother has to be in the hospital until he is better.” To my toddler, “better” was the opposite of “bad” and I had sent the baby away for crying too much! My once-happy toddler became fearful and angry. I realized then that I should have used picture books to help him understand what was about to happen to his brother, prior to the hospitalization of his brother. I have since made bibliotherapy, using books for working through difficult situations, my professional focus in order to assist parents and teachers with addressing challenging situations through literature. (For more information, see http://www.anniemousebooks.com.)

All children will experience adversity of one kind or another at some point in their lives. If they have been presented with literature that addresses a variety of difficulties prior to having a crisis, they will be better equipped to cope when the need arises. Social and emotional development of young children can be enhanced if we carefully choose the books we share with them and allow ample opportunity for them to ask questions and relate the situations to their own feelings. Following is a brief list of some of my personal favorites.

Click here to see the 6 books on the list

Books That Will Make You Hug Your Kids... Tightly

2009-05-31T20:58:15-04:00

I've been a mother for 9 years now and I've always been a voracious reader. I don't read nearly the volume I once did due to time constraints, and i find i have little patience if a book doesn't grab me from the first few pages. I also notice that books about children, and their relationships (and/or lack thereof) with their mothers, have a huge impact on me now, mostly because they serve as a reminder that it's a complicated thing, this motherhood. The books in this list sent me running to hug my kids at various points during my reading of them... mostly for my comfort rather than theirs.

Click here to see the 11 books on the list

Undertaker and Funeral Home Mysteries

2009-05-31T20:34:37-04:00

Of course! Who better to get involved in solving mysteries, than those that make their living dealing with death?

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Arturo Perez-Reverte: Everything in Translation

2009-05-30T18:02:07-04:00

Arturo Perez-Reverte is a retired journalist in Madrid and spends his time writing fiction—all of it is spectacular, but not all in English, yet. I discovered Reverte by chance and became a junkie. He has a very distinctive writing style that’s clear and precise, almost like Hemingway except with more detail and lush prose, as the occasion calls. This author is for the thinker, the person who enjoys puzzles and intelligent writing.

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Best Books for Parents About Learning Disabilities (LD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

2009-05-28T19:43:51-04:00

Learning disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are syndromes that often baffle those supporting children or adults who possess non-traditional ways of processing or expressing information. The books on this list are among the most popular in the fields of LD/ADHD as they are well researched, and in some cases, written by people who themselves have LD and/or ADHD. Parents and educators will find the knowledge they seek among the pages of these books.

Click here to see the 11 books on the list

Children's Books to Read Aloud... with Suggested Musical Accompaniment!

2009-05-21T21:43:59-04:00

This list is comprised of books that I had a great time reading, and that my kids had a great time listening to. When reading out loud to kids, I encourage you to really ham it up. Do all the voices! Have sound effects! Play suitable music! These are stories that really lend themselves to letting your inner ham out!

Click here to see the 5 books on the list

Can't-Put-Down Teen Books

2009-05-21T21:26:32-04:00

These are some of the best teen books I have read — actually, some of the best books I have read, period. Enjoy!

Click here to see the 10 books on the list

Expatina's Secret Pleasures

2009-05-21T21:12:07-04:00

These wonderful books aren't well known, or in many cases, as well-known as the author's other books, but they're some of my favorites. Each one is deliciously quirky.

Click here to see the 8 books on the list

You Don't Have to Be Jewish to Love the Food

2009-05-21T15:56:05-04:00

The books I've selected include what I look for in an ethnic cookbook: a reminder of home and family and a connection to my roots. Each book contains a food memory that I treasure.

Click here to see the 6 books on the list

Books for Those with an Adventurous Spirit

2009-05-19T19:56:51-04:00

I appreciate adventure, and good writing. And, I like to wind down with books that allow me to escape into something real. I like to choose titles about things that, however far-fetched, I can imagine myself doing — climbing Everest, visiting the South Pole, riding the California Zephyr.

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Blanket Books: Fiction for Under the Covers

2009-05-19T17:20:52-04:00

Some books, even though they may be rough to the touch, always feel like blankets. It's a comfort to snuggle up between their pages and fall asleep as the words drift off the page. But more importantly, they keep you warm. These books do exactly that.

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Got Brain? Books To Improve Your Brain

2009-05-14T10:00:02-04:00

Brain research is in its infancy. MRI technology has allowed scientists to study the brain in ways we could not perceive just ten years ago. These five books are fascinating in their insights, theories and even prescriptions for a better brain. There selection ranges from practical to woo-woo, but all are worth a read.

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Fan Fiction for Adults: The Best in Parallel Literature

2009-05-13T16:54:58-04:00

Great literature leaves its impression upon us, and some characters have haunted authors enough to be reincarnated in new works. These reinterpretations show just how little control an artist has over his or her work once it has been released, and they give some hope to writers of fan fiction.

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Raymond Chandler's L.A. Noir

2009-05-13T16:42:41-04:00

Between 1939 and 1953, Raymond Chandler wrote seven slim novels featuring L.A.-based private investigator Philip Marlowe, a guy who is all heart and honor wrapped in a fat stubborn streak. Chandler’s use of language is as sharp and bright as a stainless steel ice pick; it's so original, it is both imitated and parodied. He has influenced virtually every major author of detective stories in the past 60 years, and he is recognized as one of the 20th century’s greatest American writers. I've read every one of Chandler's books at least twice, and several many more times than that. Start at the beginning.

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Great Memoirs for New Moms

2009-05-13T02:31:14-04:00

These are the books I’d give a woman at her first child’s baby shower. They’re the ones I passed on to my sister and best friend when they got pregnant. These are the books that most helped me transition from fabulous single gal to Mommy.

Click here to see the 8 books on the list

The Benni Harper Mysteries

2009-05-07T18:16:26-04:00

You read one book in a mystery series and you're hooked. You end up reading them all and desperately look forward to the publication of the next book in the series. The award-winning Benni Harper series by Earlene Fowler is such a series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but do yourself a favor — read the whole series. You'll fall in love with Benni, her gorgeous husband Gabe, and all the rest of regulars. And for all of you quilters and quilt lovers, every title is the name of a traditional quilt pattern.

Click here to see the 13 books on the list

Australian Fiction That Has Shaped Me

2009-05-03T11:40:26-04:00

I may not have yet gotten to all the classics and award-winning authors of Australian literature, but I have read some books which have moved me, inspired me, and given me authors to look up to. These books, while all possessing a portion of ‘Australianness’ (through setting or theme), would be equally resonant to literary fans in other countries. They are all works of fiction — some novels, some collections of short stories.

Click here to see the 9 books on the list