Out of Print
A Brooklyn clothing shop that makes tees so you can show off your favorite classics. I have my eye on the Catcher in the Rye version…
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- Stieg Larsson
A unique murder mystery that combines the talents of a hacker with a tainted journalist to discover the under belly of a wealthy Swedish family. A slow beginning, once you learn the names of all the characters involved, this story speeds up to a pace that matches your adrenaline level. Although frightening and hard to swallow at times, this books leaves you with a strange feeling of empowerment along with a yearning to start spying on your neighbors.
Shantaram
- Gregory David Roberts
A roman a clef that follows the adventures of an Australian criminal on-the-run in India. He works to overcome his addictions, the chaos that surrounds him and to leave behind his hurtful past. Incredibly descriptive, I now long to visit India, but in a strange way, I feel like I was already there.
Born Standing Up
- Steve Martin
A hilarious portrayal of a comedian’s journey, told first hand by Steve Martin. Martin does a sharp witted job describing how he rose to stardom, and then worked excessively to escape its glittering lights. Equipped with photos that document Martin’s life, ‘Born Standing Up,’ kept me entertained and feeling more appreciative for stars like him who paved the way for the comedians I love today.
Twilight - The Complete Series
- Stephanie Meyer
I started this as a gulity pleasure read and instantly became obsessed. You will crave the passion between Edward and Bella during the first book, and then find yourself growing tired of it near the end of the series. This will not stop you from finding yourself wishing you could be a part of their world, even if only for a moment.
Matilda
- Roald Dahl
This is the story that made me fall in love with books. A must-read for teaching (young and old alike) the importance of standing up for yourself, even if you may face the dangers of ‘The Chokey’.
Anna Karenina
- Leo Tolstoy
Beginning with the infamous line of ‘All happy families are alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way,’ you immediatly fall into a novel that is filled with tones of passion, despair and regret. You relate with all of the characters through Tolstoy’s use of third-person -omniscient perspective, making it impossible not to love all of them for their own unique attributes in attempting to survive in aristocratic Russian society.
White Teeth
- Zadie Smith
A novel that seemlesly combines a Jehova’s Witness Grandmother, a Bengali sexual deviant, a Jamaican gapped-tooth beauty, a family of Oxford-educated intellectuals and an English war hero to produce a story that showcases the struggles and humor behind family life and the blend of cultural differences.
Island of the Blue Dolphins
- Scott O’Dell
A childhood classic that I never seem to outgrow. The story of the true adventures of a Native American girl and how she survivies wild dogs, white trappers and lonliness.
I just got back from a walk around my office on this beautiful spring day and was reminded of how much I love this poem.
Where the Sidewalk Ends
- Shel Silverstein
There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.
Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.
Yes we’ll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we’ll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.
The World According to Garp
John Irving
Another one of my favorites, a novel that begins with Nurse Jenny taking advantage of hospital patient Sergeant Garp, resulting in the arrival of T.S. Garp. Garp is obsessed with death, sex and wrestling - themes that Irving masterfully composes onto pages you will not want to put down.
A Heartbreaking Work of a Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers An incredible memoir of Dave Eggers and how he and his siblings endure the sudden loss of both parents thirty-two days apart. I could feel the authors intense resistance to feel any emotion as he describes his life of taking care of his younger brother Toph, writing for his magazine and attempting to get laid. Eggers hilarious metaphors, controversial statements and honest portrayal of his and Toph’s untamed life left me hoping for more and the immediate urge to look them both up to see how they are doing.
Cannery Row
- John Steinbeck
A seemingly simple plot that covers the themes of camaraderie, happiness and boredom. The nostalgic novel made me yearn to live in Monterey, CA, lead a simpler life and own an adorable puppy named Darling.
2666
- Roberto Bolano
A long, messy, brilliant novel filled with metaphors and imagery that will force you to pause to make sense of it all. It took me forever to get through 2666, but the first and last sections tie the entire novel together, making the lugging of the 5lb book all over town completely worth it.
The Prince of Tides
- Pat Conroy
No…not the movie. Tom Wingo confesses his families deep, dark sometimes fascinating secrets to safe the life of his twin sister all while following in love with the only person he can reveal his stories to.
