Books
Every book one reads deposits in the mind seeds of thought which grow and develop day by day until they finally help to mold the character of the reader. Through their magical power books become the mute masters of civilization. -- Leonard S. Davidow
Recent Favourites
There's Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say -- Paula Poundstone
Although I had been familiar with Paula Poundstone's comedy on NPR's weekly news quiz Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, I first saw her do standup only very recently, at UC Berkeley's CalPerformances. And I was blown away. With a razor-sharp wit and liberatingly clean humour, her stories were honest, poignant, and so funny our sides ached. She finds laughter in her adversity, a trait I admire. I rushed to by this book and wasn't disappointed... It's also available as a 5-CD audio set, which I unfortunately found tame compared to the live performance.
Pounamu Pounamu -- Witi Ihimaera
Inspired by the Writers' Walk in Dunedin, New Zealand, and having learned a lot about Maori culture on the trip, I went looking for Maori literature. I picked this book, an excellent collection of short stories by a local writer, one who also has a plaque in his name on the Walk. The stories are all set in a Maori environment, and delve into love, relationships, obligations, reconciling the old with the new, and moving on. I discovered later that Witi Ihimaera was also the author of Whale Rider, now an award winning movie.
Flatland: A romance of many dimensions -- Edwin A. Abbott
The most ingenious book I've ever read, and a brilliant satire on social classes. You can read it online here.
Field Guide to Wildflowers (Western Region) - National Audobon Society
I was introduced to wildflowers on a docent-led hike at Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve. A mild curiosity was soon replaced by a deeper interest, and determination to identify as many wildflowers as I could. Coming across hundreds soon after in Point Reyes, this book was a natural next step, and has been a hiking companion ever since. It has flowers organized by shape and colour, making it very easy to identify your find, and then leads you to a more detailed description of the family and species. It turns out New Zealand has wildflowers very similar to those in North America, and it was with great delight that we found ourselves identifying these accurately half a planet away.
Leave it to Psmith -- P. G. Wodehouse
P. G. Wodehouse is best known for his characters Jeeves and Bertie Wooster, but has a horde of equally peculiar, eccentric and captivating characters in his repertoire. This book in the Psmith series is one of my Wodehouse favourites; how do you not fall for a book that starts like this:
"At the open window of the great library of Blandings Castle, drooping like a wet sock, as was his habit when he had nothing to prop his spine against, the Earl of Emsworth, that amiable and boneheaded peer, stood gazing out over his domain."
Freakonomics -- S. D. Levitt and S. J. Dubner
This review says it all: "Steven Levitt has the most interesting mind in America, and reading Freakonomics is like going for a leisurely walk with him on a sunny summer day, as he waves his fingers in the air and turns everything you once thought to be true inside out. Prepare to be dazzled."- Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point and Blink
Audio Books
When eye problems made reading difficult, Aaron and I discovered public radio, and from there, audio books. Since then there's been no looking back. While radio has a good but limited supply of audio fiction, public libraries have a seemingly unending collection. They're usually very well narrated, and once you get used to focusing on sound rather than on bright moving pictures, you are quickly transformed into another world...
Recommendations
The Odd Couple -- Neil Simon
Publisher: LA Theater Works
Animal Farm -- George Orwell
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
Couplehood -- Paul Reiser
Publisher: Random House Audio
Babyhood -- Paul Reiser
Publisher: Random House Audio
Lord of the Rings Trilogy -- J.R.R. Tolkien
Publisher: Recorded Books
Little Women -- Louisa May Alcott
Publisher: Recorded Books
A Murder, a Mystery and a Marriage -- Mark Twain
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Related Links
DailyLit
Too busy to pick up a book? They will break it up into small chunks and send it to you in daily emails. Now who can resist email... ingenious!
BookMooch
An online community to exchange used books.
Dwalin
A simple list and plain text format, but a good collection nevertheless.
Project Gutenberg
A collection of nearly 20,000 electronic books online, spanning multiple genres and languages. And it's free.
audible.com
Audio books online (paid)