“One Dough Fifty Cookies: Baking Favorite and Festive Cookies in A Snap” by Leslie Glover Pendleton

I have now been a parent for 21 years. This baffles me some times because the first 11 years felt like a “slow, reluctant march into enemy territory,” as Henry James once said. Days were long, nights were tough and I felt every minute that I would make a big, awful mistake. The second decade of raising my twin daughters, by comparison, has felt much calmer and brighter, and really quite delightful. I am so thankful for Lily and Charlotte. What made the difference? Asking for help. If there is one thing I have learned about parenting multiples, or children with a disability, or really any child at all, is that you must learn to ask for help. There is no glory in going it alone and the benefit about asking for help is that you learn something new. Since 1995, I have worked with at least 20 different classroom aides, tutors, bath helpers, support teachers and general jacks-of-all trade babysitters. And I have to say except for one loose cannon named Lola, each one of them has made me a better parent, certainly much better than I could have been on my own. So to all of those wonderful women, I thank you! (I’m not being sexist but there were no men.) One of those lovely women told me about today’s book: “One Dough Fifty Cookies: Baking Favorite and Festive Cookies in a Snap” by Leslie Glover Pendleton. The concept of this book is brilliant but simple - you make one master dough, and then that dough serves as the launching board to make a variety of different cookies that are completely different. You can even freeze the dough and use it another time. I have a particular passion for jelly filled thumb print cookie, but no matter your passion, there is a cookie recipe in here to please you. I’m don’t typically have the patience for baking, but this book made even my cookies look impressive. Also, it is a small book so might make a nifty stocking stuffer. To purchase this book on Amazon click here.

“The Woman in Cabin 10” by Ruth Ware

I landed my first paying full-time job as a journalist in 1989 for “TravelAge West,” in the magazine’s San Francisco office. It was a travel trade magazine and the reason I got the job was because another Northwestern alumni, named Sandra, saw my resume, and pulled it from the middle of a stack of submissions. I will always be grateful to Sandra because the job was amazing. One of my first and favorite assignments was to fly to Nagasaki, Japan, and visit a cruise ship that was being built in the town’s harbor. A year later, I sailed on the maiden voyage of that cruise ship, The Crystal Harmony, as it left from Puerto Rico, navigated the Panama Canal and visited several Caribbean islands. There was so much caviar and champagne on the ship that I never wanted to leave. So flash forward to this new book “The Woman in Cabin 10,” by Ruth Ware. This is a thriller about a British travel writer named Laura “Lo” Blacklock, who goes on an assignment for a week on a luxury cruise ship. Unfortunately, Lo’s assignment did not turn out as well as mine. One cannot help but compare this book to “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins, which I review earlier this year. Both books start out with a drunken female narrator. It is not the most dependable narrator to have, but provides you with a sense of uncertainty, which is always good for a thriller. I enjoyed this book because it paired the glamour of cruising with Lo’s own anxiety and insecurities about her life. The plot is so well crafter, that I really wasn’t sure where it was going until the very last page.  Bon Voyage! To purchase this book on Amazon click here.

“The Catcher in the Rye” J.D. Salinger

This Sunday, November 13th, would have been my dad’s 82nd birthday. You would know this as, “On November 13, Felix Unger’s was asked to remove himself from his place of residence; that request came from his wife.” My dad wrote that date into the opening credits of “The Odd Couple” so we would never forget his birthday. He loved his birthday. Two years ago, he had a big party to celebrate his 80th birthday in the parking lot of The Falcon Theatre. He played drums as caterers served guests mini grilled cheese, tomato soup and purple cupcakes, all his favorite micro-foods. I remember feeling strange because I had to wait in a long line to take a picture with my dad. When I was little I used to wish that my dad was a tax attorney or a dentist who only saw clients during the work-week. But he had different ideas, of becoming a movie director, which brought even more people into his life (and our lives) than television did. When he told me to read this book I was in junior high school and didn’t talk to him very much because I was a typical, fussy 7th grader. He made me play tennis all the time while I jokingly used to call him “The Great Santini.” But I did read “The Catcher in the Rye” after he recommended it, and I loved it. It felt like a special book that my dad and I could share and relate to because we knew what it felt like to feel different, and to be an outsider observing the world. Subsequently, I have moved many times in my life and always carried with me three copies of “The Catcher in the Rye,” as if two copies was too risky and four seemed over the top. Three copies of this little red paperback book always seemed just right. The story of Holden Caulfield’s three days in December of 1949 might seem like a simple book in the year 2016, but I still think it is special and it will always remind me of my dad, and how it remained one of his favorite books. To recommend “The Catcher in the Rye” to someone is to say, “I understand you. I see you. You are special, too.” To purchase this book on Amazon click here.

“Special Delivery” How We Are Raising America’s Only Sextuplets . . . and Loving It” by Becki and Keith Dilley

In 1995, this book and a limited Vicodin prescription saved my life. About 14 days before I started this book I went into labor on an airplane coming back from a book tour in Chicago. I went to the hospital and was placed on bed rest with medication to stop my contractions. But on the early morning of June 13, my water broke and there was no going back. The doctors took my babies out by c-section, sent them sailing into the newborn intensive care unit, and three days later sent me home alone. It was a strange time. My doctor gave me a bottle of Vicodin, to help ease the pain of my c-section scar, which was so raw it looked like a shark had taken a bit out of my belly. So there I was, the mother of twins with nothing to do. I sat on the denim couch in my living room, popped a Vicodin and started this book. I had been buying books on multiples to do research for my new job as a mother of twins. I had never known anyone who had twins and it scared me. The moment I opened this book I felt comforted. “Special Delivery” described in detail the daily tasks that the Dilleys performed each day trying the best they could to take care of their six children. It didn’t hurt that Becki was a nurse and that they had a whole community of people behind them in Indianapolis bringing them food, diapers and much love and support. Like me, Becki used fertility drugs to get pregnant. Two of her babies were been born at almost the exact weight of my babies – 2 pounds 13 ounces and 2 pounds 11 ounces. After her difficult pregnancy, Becki and her husband did an amazing job at staying organized and on top of their every-mounting to-do list. This book is funny, practical, well-written and just incredibly charming. Each morning, during that June of 1995, I followed the same routine: Vicodin, denim couch and “Special Delivery.” After I finished the book, I tried to renew the prescription for the third time, but my doctor said no, “too addicting,” and made me switch to an anti-inflammatory. Puh-leeze. It was not the same. I cut the Vicodin tablets in half to make them last longer. So eight weeks later, I went to the hospital and was finally able to bring my own babies home. However, I had with me a new confidence from reading this book. If the Dilleys could raise six children, I certainly could muster the courage to raise twins. Like my own husband at the time, Kevin excelled at parenthood and even stayed home with the sextuplets when Becki went back to work as a nurse. Recently I looked up the Dilleys: Becki and Kevin are still married 30 years later, the children are grown and out of college, and there are even two grandchildren now.  I will never forget this book and how it made the parenting of multiples look easy, and gave me the strength to get off my couch, toss the empty Vicodin bottle, and become a mother of beautiful twins. To purchase this book on Amazon click here.

“The Nutshell” by Ian McEwan

Every time my mom gets on an airplane she has with her two or three books. These are not electronic books on her ipad, laptop or kindle. These are heavy, hardback books that she carries in her Pierre Deux tote bag. She always has the book she is currently reading, and one or two spares in case she finishes the current selection. She has been an avid reader every since elementary school when she had scarlet fever and the school made her burn all of her books. Her attachment to hardback books goes deep. So, last week when we got on our plane to Chicago, she handed me one of her spare books: “Nutshell” by Ian McEwan. She said, “Here, read this.” I already had my own books, but I put it aside at the chance to read one of my mom’s. I started “Nutshell” on the tarmac at LAX and finished it when we touched down at O’Hare. I did look up once or twice for the snack cart, or to tackle the stewardess for another thimble-size glass of Chadonnay, but pretty much for the entire plane flight this book kept my attention, and that is impressive. This is the 17th novel from McEwan, a British novelist and screenwriter. He writes big books (think “Atonement”) and novellas (think “Chesil Beach.” Nutshell is one of his little books, but its plot packs a big punch when it tackles the story of Hamlet, told from an unborn fetus. Now let’s stop right here: I do not read books that are silly, zany or in the vein of fantasy or science fiction. I like real stories told by real people about real, concrete things. Give me a story set in an apartment in Brooklyn about a boy over a story set behind a fairy door about a woodland nymph, and I will take the Brooklyn boy every time. But “Nutshell” is not a fantasy or science fiction story. It is not zany. It is the real story about an unborn son who overhears his mother and her lover (his uncle) plotting to kill his father. McEwan said in an interview that the idea for this unusual narrator came to him when he was talking with his pregnant daughter-in-law. Then he immediately heard the first line of the book: “So here I am, upside down in a woman.” Plenty of authors have attempted to use the structure of Hamlet to frame their own stories. But I think “Nutshell” is one of the most creative books, unique and well-written books I have read in a long time. I gave my mom back “Nutshell,” and off she went with her Pierre Deux bag full of hardback books. To purchase this book on Amazon click here.

“Crazy Salad” by Nora Ephron

I am attending my 30th college reunion this weekend at Northwestern. I had not planned to attend this year, but knew my father was planning on going to his 60th reunion that same weekend. So after my dad passed away in July, my mother and I decided that we would all attend my 30th, my dad’s 60th and bring my brother along to celebrate his 25th reunion, all marked in 2016. It is very efficient when all of your family members attend the same school because you can save on airfare. And, in fact, my daughter Charlotte is a junior at NU right now. So when thinking about the LLP this week, I wanted to recommend a book that meant something to me in college. I immediately thought about how reading Nora Ephron’s “Crazy Salad” changed my thinking about personal essay writing. In particular her essay called “A Few Words About Breasts” appeared in the 1975 “Crazy Salad” collection and is one of the best pieces of writing I know. When I first read this essay in college it broke my world apart in the best possible way. It made me realized that you could write confessional essays that were also intelligent, funny, whimsical, painful and smart. When I sat down to write this review I sent a text to my daughter and wrote, “Is Nora Ephron at the top of your list of the best writers ever?” Charlotte texted back, “Sort of… Kind of… No, wait, not at all.” This made me come unglued. What?! How is this possible? Just because Ephron died in 2012, way too soon, why are millennials not devoted to her books? So to solve this problem, I am bringing a copy of “Crazy Salad” to Northwestern this weekend and giving it to my daughter. Hopefully she will read it or at the very least use it as a drink coaster or doorstop. But the point is that I want my daughter, who writes beautifully, to be inspired by the work of a woman who gave me the confidence to try to write personal stories all my own. To purchase this book on Amazon click here.

“The Hopefuls” A novel by Jennifer Close

Jeff has a girlfriend and her name is Rachel Maddow. I’m not insane with jealousy yet because she only lives inside the television but still she is in our living room all the time. A devotion to watching political commentary is one thing that my first and second husbands share. Bill was obsessed with politics when we were first married and watched the Chicago City Council on television late until the night. Jeff stares as Rachel Maddow like she is a goddess giving the hands-down best sermon that was ever delivered. He smiles like a Cheshire cat when he is listening to her. I could be doing a poll dance and he would not notice. I have always felt like a fan on the outskirts of politics. I have always voted and hold strong opinions on the important issues, but I have never wanted to be a political insider or live in Washington D.C. “The Hopefuls” by Jennifer Close is a novel about just that: The people who run for public office and rule Washington D.C. This novel is smart, funny, insightful and real. It is the story of a young wife named Beth who follows her politically ambitious husband, Matt, to live in the capitol. While her intention is to sit on the sidelines as an observer, she gets drawn into the sexy political vortex when her husband befriends a rising star named Jimmy and his wife Ashleigh. When Matt decides to run Jimmy’s campaign, the four become inseparable, and even move in together. I have read far too many novels about Hollywood and New York, so a glimpse inside Washington D.C. felt refreshing. “The Hopefuls” offers a look inside another town with bells and whistles all its own. I found this book especially gratifying to read during an election year when the shenanigans of politics are ruling the airways.  To purchase this book on Amazon click here.

“Where The Light Gets In” by Kimberly Williams-Paisley

 We flew to Connecticut last week to celebrate the life of Sue Mackay Morris, Jeff’s mother, who died two weeks ago after a 13-year battle with Alzheimer’s. She was a devoted mother, an avid golfer and the author of a chocolate chip cookie recipe that is revered in her family. I was lucky enough to meet his mom several times, but unfortunately not before she had the disease. When I first met Jeff six years ago he told me his mom had Alzheimer’s, and later wrote his mom a letter saying that “My new girlfriend Lori hikes a lot and eats a lot of vegetables,” which was odd but quite accurate. He told me his mom had Alzheimer’s the first day we met in Mill Valley, and immediately I felt connected to him because my grandmother had had the disease as well. It is a cruel condition for any family to face because your loved one is right there in front of you, even free for you to hug, but their mind is a wooly mess of confusion and frustration. Throughout Sue’s disease, Jeff and his siblings supported, protected and loved their mother at an exemplary level, graciously managed by Jeff’s sister, Jen. “Where The Light Gets in,” by Kimberly Williams-Paisley, is book written by the film and television actress about her mother’s own struggle with a rare form of dementia called, Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA). Diagnosed at the ago of 61, her mother, at first, hid the disease from everyone but her husband and three children. But gradually, as the family learned more about the disease and its downward spiral, they shared the diagnosis with others in order to gain strength and support. Much like Alzheimer’s, PPA slowly and steadily robs the patient of words, skills and memories. The tension levels can run high inside both the patient and the family caring for their beloved. Such routine tasks such as driving a car, dressing one’s self and eating a simple meal can become a nightmare for the patient and their family.  This book, however, demonstrates that even in the face of a devastating disease, a family can bond together to face and share the inevitable conclusion. The outcome cannot be reversed but the commitment to each member of the family can be strengthened. My dad had this book sitting on his desk when he died two months ago. I borrowed it to read on the plane to Jeff’s mother’s funeral, and I’m glad I did. It reminded me how terrible things can happen to any family, and how important it is to rely on each other to help you heal and get through to the other side. To purchase this book on Amazon click here.

“Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person” by Shonda Rhimes

When I was growing up, we had a television on the kitchen table where we ate all of our meals. The TV was not to the side of the table, and it was not attached to the wall above the table. It was right smack dab on top of the kitchen table and it was turned on for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and we loved it.  It was the early 1970s and some educators were starting to tout the evils of television for children, but not us. We celebrated television every day because our dad was a television producer and paid all of the bills that way. So you see when I was growing up television producers, show runners, network executives were rock stars in my eyes and they still are. “The Year of Yes” by Shonda Rhimes is a memoir written by one of the most successful television producers and writers of this decade or any decade. I remember how hard my dad worked when he had three of the top shows on television, and Shonda has that claim to fame as well. Her top-rated and well-respected shows like “Grey’s Anatomy, “ “Scandal,” “How To Get Away With Murder,” and “Private Practice,” catapulted her to the kind of success everyone in Hollywood craves. However, despite her accomplishments, she was plagued by panic attacks, anxiety and a struggle to lose weight. In 2013, her sister presented her with an interesting insight when she said, “You never say yes to anything.” Sondra took this as a personal challenge and for one year she tried to open herself up to life and say yes so everything that scared her. The benefits of her experiment were more plentiful that she ever could have imagined. She spent more time with her three children. She was able to walk away from toxic relationships and people who fatigued her. She lost more than 100 pounds, and was able to keep it off. Part memoir, part self help book, “The Year of Yes” is an inspiring book about how to change your life for the better and make every single day count. Learning how to become a gladiator is not easy, but well worth the trip. To purchase this book on Amazon click here.

“Sweetbitter” by Stephanie Danler

My husband, Jeff, worked as a dishwasher, prep chef, line cook and sous chef before moving to California more than 20 years ago to become a software marketing executive. I often make him tell me stories about his career as a chef. This fascinates me because I am a big foodie. I love restaurants, reviews, menus, recipies and cookbooks of any kind. I keep lists on electronic stickie notes on my laptop that read “Places for Lori and Jeff to eat in Marin,” “Places for Lori and Jeff to eat in San Francisco,” and places for “Lori and Jeff to eat in Oakland.” It doesn’t matter that we never go to dinner in Oakland, what matters is that I have collected the hottest restaurants in each of these cities on my list, because I am a foodie. “Sweetbitter,” the debut novel by Stephanie Danler, is the perfect book for a restaurant-loving reader, or anyone who enjoys reading well-written, coming-of-age stories. Danler once worked at New York City’s Union Square Café, so her novel is based loosely on first-hand, behind the scenes restaurant experience. Her main character Tess is hired to be a “backwaiter” and her role is a metaphor for anyone who has ever felt like the new kid on the block in a neighborhood of bossy veterans. If, while reading this book, you wonder if Danler’s portrayal of restaurant life is realistic, wonder no further. Chef Gabrielle Hamilton (who wrote the fabulous “Prune,” and “Blood, Bones and Butter”) recently reviewed “Sweetbitter” for “The New York Times” and said the author did an “outstanding job” and called the book “brilliantly written.“ This book is just a sexy, smart and satisfying read from beginning to end. I look forward to seeing what Danler comes up with next. When I finished the book I was left with just one question: Who will play Tess in the film version? The author just signed a six-figure movie deal.  To purchase this book on Amazon click here.

“The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” by Jeff Passan

When I was still in elementary school, my dad told me to learn about baseball because it would help me with dating. I thought that was a pretty strange thing to stay to a fourth grader, but it turns out dad was right. Knowing about baseball, understanding the game, who plays it and who is best at it, has been extremely helpful in dating and in life in general. I started as a Los Angeles Dodger fan, and later my allegiance morphed to the Cincinnati Reds bonding together with my Ohio relatives. I then dabbled a little with the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs, and finally settled into my now 27-year-devotion to the San Francisco Giants (which has been inherited by both Charlotte and Lily, who are perhaps the greatest Giants fans ever.) Part of being a baseball fan, is understanding the problems in the sport. Pitchers are baseball’s rock stars, making millions of dollars, and sometimes they get hurt. “The Arm” by Jeff Passan is an investigative piece into the fragile nature of every pitcher’s arm. There’s a tiny ligament in the arm that is prone to injury and when this happens pitchers, from little league to the major leagues, rush to the only possible solution: Tommy John surgery.  It can take nearly a year to recover and rehab from the operation and has been performed on some of my favorite players, such as closers Rod Beck, Robb Nen and Brian Wilson. Passan, the leading baseball columnist for Yahoo Sports, examines the epidemic surrounding the surgery, why it is happening and where it is headed. If you are not a baseball fan already, this book will appear too technical. But if you are a fan of the sport, this book will offer you a fascinating perspective into America’s favorite pastime. To purchase this book on Amazon click here.

“The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss”

If I could wave my magic wand and pick a new friend directly from the air, it would be Anderson Cooper. I have never met him but I know he is fabulous and I would love to have him over to my apartment to eat grilled salmon and drinks lots of wine. He was born into a legendary American family, went to Dalton and then Princeton, struggled with dyslexia and later served as an intern for the CIA before becoming one of the most dashing broadcasting personalities ever. One of the things I like best about Anderson is that I know he is a practical person, and not a zany person. His mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, is, on the other hand, is a little zany and whimsical. The artist, author, actress, socialite and heiress floats from decade to decade on a timeless cloud. She is the fairy queen to his devoted foot soldier and together they have written a lovely book about their intertwined lives. They hoped the book would bring them closer together, and bring in the reader too, and “The Rainbow Comes and Goes” does just that. Together they have suffered some painful tragedy (the loss of a father/husband during heart surgery and then the loss of a brother/son to suicide) but throughout their lives they have supported and protected each other in an effort to stay afloat. In the early days of their shared grief, all they could do was go to the movies and eat popcorn together. That was enough. You can tell from this book that they are very different people: Anderson clearly liked to clean drawers and Gloria clearly likes to fill those drawers with all sorts of crazy odds and ends. But together they make their mother-son relationship work in the way that all families do, through patience, forgiveness and sincere appreciation for one and other. Since it is unlikely that Anderson will ever come to my apartment, I will just have to live vicariously through “The Rainbow Comes and goes,” and the wonderful tale within its pages. To purchase this book on Amazon click here.

“The Man Who Couldn’t Stop: OCD And The True Story Of A Life Lost” in Thought by David Adam

Many people have asked me when I knew I had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and the truth is I can’t remember when it started, but I remember the moment I had to try to make it go away. I was performing the ritual of getting my twin girls ready for school, and they were in Kindergarten then, each six years old.  I would load up their backpacks, and as we started to leave the kitchen, I would say in my cheery voice, “Ok. Let’s all check the stove and make sure the burners are off.” The girls joined in and we would all repeat, “Straight up. Straight up. Straight up,” as we reviewed each burner knob. One morning, my then-husband Bill entered the kitchen and caught us chanting to the burners. He looked right at me and said, “You need to cut that out or you are going to drive the girls crazy.” It felt like a slap. He had never said much truer words than that. So I knew at the moment I had to start addressing my OCD. I compulsively raced to talk therapy, but it took me years to realize that talk therapy does little to help or resolve OCD. This book, “The Man Who Couldn’t Stop,” addresses many of the mysteries, concerns, debates and dilemmas of OCD. The author, who has struggled with OCD most of his life, states the facts clearly: no amount of therapy or prescription medication is going to “cure” OCD, but the right combination of both might help you manage it. Adam’s OCD manifested itself through a fear of contamination, specifically AIDS and HIV. He used to call the National AIDS Helpline so many times each day that the staff began to recognize his voice. After hiding his compulsions for many years, he sought help when his fear of infection began to involve his daughter. He embarked on a successful treatment plan that included an antidepressant, group therapy and cognitive behavior therapy. Those with OCD will enjoy reading this book because it will make you feel like you are not alone. Those without OCD might also find the Adam’s tale interesting   because it includes many quirky stories, such as a man who used 18 linen napkins each night to clean his cutlery. Last year I joined a free support group for people with OCD in San Francisco. Members of the group share their OCD stories once a month as well as their coping strategies. They talk about the stress it brings into the relationships -- with their children, partners and co-workers. People with OCD have good days and bad days, and days that are in between. Sometimes just the fact that you can get up, get dressed, leave your house and go to work without driving back around to check if the garage door is closed, makes it a good day. Sometimes that is all you need to be happy. To purchase this book on Amazon click here.

“Angel Catcher for Kids:" A Journal To Help You Remember The Person Who Died by Amy Eldon

This weekend I’m coordinating a grief camp in the Sonoma Redwoods called Camp Erin. We will have 55 kids between the ages of 6-16 who have lost a loved one, most a mother or father. I have learned a lot about grief since I was hired for this job six months ago. I have learned that children process grief in a different way than adults, and they deserve special support and attention to help them heal. This is one of the books we use at our Camp Erin for the youngest participants. Angel Catcher for Kids is a journal that invites the reader to record memories of the special person who died. I love journaling, and have always kept a diary since elementary school. So while designed for kids, this lovely book appeals to me as well. I was also thinking of getting it for my young nieces and nephews who are dealing with the loss of their grandpa, my dad. If you know a child who is dealing with grief, or are struggling with a recent loss yourself, The Angel Catcher might provide a creative way to express your sadness while enjoying rich memories.  To purchase this book on Amazon click here.

"Bird By Bird Some Instructions on Writing and Life" by Anne Lamott

I’m getting married tomorrow. I buried my dad two weeks ago. I’m coordinating a three-day grief camp for kids ages 6-17 who have lost a parent next weekend in the Sonoma Redwoods. My dad would call this plot “bad writing.” He would order a re-write and say, “lighten it up. Too sad.” What should I do, cry? I did that. Drink lots of Chardonnay? I do that, too. Throw a pity party and invite myself? Done. We can’t re-write our stories. We just have to get through them. When I was going through the darkest days of my divorce my dad gave me a little pewter door that said on it, “If you’re going through hell, keep going,” by Winston Churchill. And I did keep going. I found an apartment, I bought new sheets and I marched right into a bank and opened a new bank account for the first time in nearly 20 years. Anne Lamott’s book “Bird By Bird” looks at first glance to be a book about writing, but it is more than that: It is a book about how life throws you curves all the time. The point is how you manage it without going crazy. In this book she tells the story about how her 10-year-old brother had three months to write a book report on birds, but waited until the night before it was due to start it. Surrounded by bird books at the family kitchen table, the boy was overwhelmed with fear. His dad sat down next to him and said, “Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.” This phrase brings me great comfort now as I face the years ahead without my dad. To celebrate tomorrow and marry the man I hope to spend the next 30 years with brings me nothing but joy and happiness.  I don’t want people to feel sorry for me. I want people to feel like I’m the luckiest girl because I am. A great dad. A meaningful job. And now a wonderful husband.  I’m through the door. To buy this book on Amazon please click here.

"Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls" by David Sedaris

One of Jeff’s favorite movies is “Taken” starring Liam Neeson. If they ever go to make “Taken 4” and Neeson is not available I have no doubt that Jeff could easily jump into the role and have the dialogue down pat. (“Die Hard” movies are like this, too.) I, however, never watch a movie twice or read a book twice. With so many choices in the universe, why re-watch movies or re-read books? I make only one exception: David Sedaris. Recently I re-read his book “Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls.” It has gotten to the point where I can’t listen to the books of Sedaris on CD in my car any more because I laugh so hard I risk being pulled over by a cop for reckless driving. David’s wit shines brightly on every page, especially when he is talking about his family and childhood. One of the funniest sections in this book is about his father’s obsession that David get a colonoscopy. When he finally agrees to get it done, the results are hysterical. Another terrific section describes how one day David lost not only his laptop but also his United Kingdom “indefinite leave to remain card.” His imitation of a Customs official is laugh-out-loud funny. This from a man who once offered priority book signing to smokers, “the reason being they didn’t have long to live, and their time was more valuable.” If you are a Sedaris fan, you might consider re-reading this book. If you have never read any Sedaris, start today and read this book and then march right on to “Me Talk Pretty One Day.” When you are done with those two, read all of his others. His books are just hands-down clever from beginning to end. And in this crazy world, we need humor most of all. To order this book on Amazon click here.

“Wake Me When It’s Funny” and “My Happy Days in Hollywood” by Garry Marshall

Sadly, my dad died earlier this week at the age of 81. Coincidentally when we finished the press release, I looked at the clock and it read 8:15 pm on a Tuesday night. This 8pm hour was his favorite television time slot. It was where “Happy Days” and “Laverne & Shirley” found their home and fame for almost a decade. This was not an accident. It was deliberate endearment and a clear sign, as was everything with my dad. He was obvious and transparent. There was nothing confusing about him. He loved us. We loved him. He held standards which we forever hope to meet and pass to his grandchildren. We will miss him forever. And we will be ok. We, his family, knew that because we “walked” with him. Regularly on these walks he told us about his hopes, dreams, thoughts and prayers. Every day he marked the great days in his calendar with a “W” for “Win.” He made us write his notes down on paper. “Nothing is the end of the world.” “Family is important.” “Learn to use a typewriter, and a cash register, and speak in public.” “Never order any fish on a menu when it says market price.” It was easiest to connect with my dad when you were working on one of his projects. I wrote two autobiographies with him, “Wake Me When It’s Funny” and later “My Happy Days in Hollywood.” The best part of writing books with “Pop” was going on press tours with “Garry.” To watch him do radios broadcasts, morning shows, and late night television was to witness a master of the interview and stand-up comedy routine. He was engaging. He was charming. He was witty and he was at the top of his game when he was in front of a microphone and an audience. His personal motto was “Life Is more important than show business.” However, that phrase has secret meaning: He was saying attack life at full tilt, each and every day, at work and at home, and you will have a show-biz worthy life. He certainly had a great life for all of his 81 years. And we are so grateful to have had him with us for so long. I love you, Daddy, and I’m getting married. We will miss you but never forget you! We’re good! Please enjoy his legacy. To purchase this book on Amazon click here.

"The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah

If I were stuck alone on a desert island with 10 books, you could bet that they would all be biographies or autobiographies, but definitely all non-fiction books. So I am trying to force myself to read more fiction in order to challenge my own reading habits. When I started writing my Library Party at the beginning of this year, two people immediately suggested this book. Although, I took my time, fussing over my beloved biographies. Then, I finally downloaded Kristin Hannah’s “The Nightingale” onto my phone so I could listen to it in my car on the way back and forth to work in San Rafael. I have always liked books and movies about World War II, but this book takes it from an atypical angle. It follows the story of two women living in German-occupied France. Older sister Vianne and younger sister Isabelle take very different paths through the war, but ultimately share the same struggle to survive what some people called “the woman’s war.” TriStar Pictures has already optioned the book and will turn it into a movie. So you will want to bring it to the beach this summer, so you can be all set when the movie comes out next year. To purchase this book on Amazon click here.

“The Last Love Song; a Biography of Joan Didion by Tracy Daugherty

When I was a sophomore in college I became so crazy about a boy that I started stalking him. I’m not proud of it. But it did happen. And it is all Joan Didion’s fault. He was a junior. We were both in Northwestern’s Medill journalism program, and he worked as one of the night editors at the Daily Northwestern.  At night, I would go to the Norris bar, proud a few glasses of cheap Chablis and start calling up to the newspaper from the downstairs phone begging him to come down and play with me. Attractive, right? I know. I know. As an adult I see this is text-book-classic-crazy-girl behavior on how not to get a guy. But I was desperate for him to be the John Gregory Dunner to my Joan Didion. For as long as I can remember, I have loved not only Joan Didion’s books but also wanted her life.  Like her, I wanted to write about politics and other things that really mattered, and have super straight hair that hung about my face in a purposeful yet sexy way.  She had a husband, Joan Gregory, who adored her and they moved in and out of the Hollywood scene at whim, always celebrated and respected for not their acting, but their writing. As a card carrying Didion fan, I leaped at the chance to read this book. However, this book is not for everybody. If you have never read any Joan Didion, don’t start here. This is an in-depth investigation into the life of women who is still around, but who has sadly lost her daughter and her husband in a tragic series of events. Didion has written about her losses beautifully in “The Year of Magical Thinking” and “Blue Nights,” and everyone should read those books first. But this book turns the tables on the author and explores her childhood, her early years as a magazine writer, her marriage, her family and her later years as screenwriter. It laces together all the different public and private strands of her life, and then dives deeper. So for those who are already fans of Didion, this book will be fascinating and very gratifying. Disciples of Didion know who we are and shouldn’t miss this book. As for my John Gregory Dunne? What became of him you might ask? He found international success as a journalist, and we are now facebook friends, which makes me smile. I can talk to him any time I want, and I don’t even have to drink a sip of Chablis to get my courage up. To purchase this book on Amazon click here.

“Brave Enough” by Cheryl Strayed

About 10 year ago, shortly after I separated from my first husband, I dated a man who told me that my purse was not very “sexy.” He said it looked like a “mom” bag and was not cool to carry to nightclubs when we went out to see live music. I took major offence at this comment because it was a mom bag because I was a mom. The other truth was that I always carry a large purse because I don’t go anywhere without a book in my bag. I am horrified that I might get stuck some place, like a doctor’s office, supermarket line or airport, waiting with nothing to read. So this book, “Brave Enough” by Cheryl Strayed, is the perfect little book that will fit inside any purse. The author is best known for her book “Wild,” a chronicle of her life changing solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail, which was made into a movie starring Reese Witherspoon. “Brave Enough” is collection of all of Strayed’s favorite quotes. The quotes are defiant, original, quirky and insightful. Examples include: “You are obliged to tell the person you’re sleeping with whether or not you are sleeping with them exclusively. There are no exceptions to this rule.” “Ask yourself: What is the best I can do? And then do that.” “Put yourself in the way of beauty.” “Work hard. Do good. Be incredible.” “Trust your gut. Forgive yourself. Be grateful.” And one of Strayed’s favorite quotes of all “Love many, trust few, and always paddle your own canoe.” If you are looking for a small book to give as a gift, or just looking for a book to lift your spirits and put all your worries in perspective, then this is the book for you. To purchase this book on Amazon click here.