Non-Fiction
Bad Days in History: A Gleefully Grim Chronicle of Misfortune, Mayhem, and Misery for Every Day of the Year by Michael Farquhar. “Tons of fun, very much in the Michael Farquhar style, which I love. It's the kind of book you can have on a coffee table and people will pick it up, look for their birthday, then keep thumbing through it, laughing. Great gift for people who love history and trivia.”
Being Catholic Now edited by Kerry Kennedy “A just-published collection of short interviews with prominent Catholic Americans, including Peggy Noonan, Cardinal McCarrick, E.J. Dionne, Dan Ackroyd, Bill O’Reilly, Andrew Sullivan and Anna Quindlen on where they see the Catholic Church in the wake of the abuse scandal, what their Catholic upbringing was like and what they’d do if they were Pope for a year. Kerry Kennedy, who is Robert Kennedy’s daughter, tells her own story as well. Fascinating.”
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande. “Thought provoking and, at times, difficult to listen to book - but one that I would highly recommend to everyone. It especially hit home now that I'm in those sandwich years between the kids/grandkids and the aging parent. Almost every story and aspect of this book was recognizable in my own life and made me think about how I need to deal with other people's health and mortality as well as my own. Sounds pretty heavy but Gawande makes it all very accessible. Highly recommend!”
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. “He's a beautiful writer. Extremely thought provoking. I would highly recommend to anyone interested in language, social issues, history. The list goes on and on.”
The Big House: A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home by George Howe Cult. "I thoroughly enjoyed this book from last year’s list, the history of a summer house on Cape Cod. It helped that I read it while I was staying in a house that had been in a family (not mine) for generations and had to be sold, mirroring exactly what was in the book."
Black Boy by Richard Wright. “If you haven't read this classic coming of age autobiography in school or in college, you should make sure you read it now. It is a beautifully written memoir of life in the deep South in the early 20th century for a black boy who is struggling to figure out how to come to terms with his family and the way society deals with racial issues. Eventually he finds his way north to Chicago and as a young adult tries to forge his identity as he becomes involved in political movements. The story is compelling and forceful and difficult to put down.”
The Blessing Of A Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children
The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis (NB: I think this one might be more for the men in your life -- it was recommended by Drew, the one male contributor to this list.) "Football version of Lewis’ “Moneyball” (baseball). The quarterback is the highest played player on all NFL teams. What position usually garners the second highest paycheck? Read The Blind Side to find out.
Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West by Hampton Sides. “In the summer of 1846, the Army of the West marched through Santa Fe, en route to invade and occupy the Western territories claimed by Mexico. Fueled by the new ideology of “Manifest Destiny,” this land grab would lead to a decades-long battle between the United States and the Navajos, the fiercely resistant rulers of a huge swath of mountainous desert wilderness. In Blood and Thunder, Hampton Sides gives us a magnificent history of the American conquest of the West. At the center of this sweeping tale is Kit Carson, the trapper, scout, and soldier whose adventures made him a legend. Sides shows us how this illiterate mountain man understood and respected the Western tribes better than any other American, yet willingly followed orders that would ultimately devastate the Navajo nation. Rich in detail and spanning more than three decades, this is an essential addition to our understanding of how the West was really won.”
Blood Will Out by Walter Kirn. A recommendation from a friend who knows the players (cue spooky music!). From Amazon: "When Kirn first met Clark Rockefeller, he was smitten by the man’s wealth and eccentricities. Coming off a failed marriage (to the daughter of Thomas McGuane and Margot Kidder), Kirn was a bit of a wreck, as was Rockefeller. The two men were drawn to each other. As the friendship progressed--into some uneasy terrain--Kirn ignored the clues 'spread out for [him] to read,' and plowed ahead to become a confidant and enabler. Except, it turns out, Clark wasn’t a Rockefeller at all. Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter was, as Kirn puts it, 'the most prodigious serial imposter in recent history.'"
Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef 
Blue Nights by Joan Didion. From Amazon: “From one of our most powerful writers, a work of stunning frankness about losing a daughter.” Another reviewer says: “Although I loved her description of the blue nights, the book is about the death of her daughter and yet she never explains why her daughter died. Didion struck me as a name dropping, self-centered person. It was not nearly as moving as The Year of Magical Thinking - about her husband's sudden death.”
Bobby Wonderful by Bob Morris. Another title released just prior to our 2015 list publication, this is a recommendation from our mole in the publishing world. “His mother's last word was his name. His father's was ‘Wonderful.’ Together they inspired the title for this true story of love and redemption.Bob Morris was always the entertainer in his family, but not always a perfect son. When he finds his parents approaching the end of their lives, he begins to see his relationship to them in a whole new light and it changes his way of thinking. How does an adult child with flaws and limitations figure out how to do his best for his ailing parents while still carrying on and enjoying his own life? And when their final days on earth come, how can he give them the best possible end? In the tradition of bestselling memoirs by Christopher Buckley, Joan Didion, and with a dash of David Sedaris, BOBBY WONDERFUL recounts two poignant deaths and one family's struggle to find the silver lining in them. As accessible as he is insightful, Bob Morris infuses each moment of his profound emotional journey with dark comedy, spiritual inquiry and brutally honest self-examination. This is a little book. But it captures a big and universal experience.”
by Suzanne Sommers. “Loved ‘Bombshell.’ Suzanne has gone from a complete TV ditz to an alternative health guru. Her book is informative and on the cutting edge of all things natural medicine.”Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas. From Amazon: "After discovering the fire of true faith in a Harlem church, Bonhoeffer returned to Germany and became one of the first to speak out against Hitler. As a double agent, he joined the plot to assassinate the Fuhrer and was hanged in Flossenberg concentration camp at age 39. ince his death, Bonhoeffer has grown to be one of the most fascinating, complex figures of the 20th century."
Bossypants
Boundaries with Kids: How Healthy Choices Grow Healthy Children
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba. “Inspiring true story, well told. Great read to jointly read with a teen/pre-teen. Push through the first few chapters and it is a quick 'can't put it down' read.”
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown "I knew nothing about rowing before reading this, but now get I why people get hooked on the sport. Great history of Germany before WW 2 and the 1936 Olympics. Wonderful read." "Getting raving reviews from my in laws ... it has popped up in other must read lists."
Boys in the Trees: A Memoir by Carly Simon. From Amazon: “Carly Simon's New York Times bestselling memoir, Boys in the Trees, reveals her remarkable life, beginning with her storied childhood as the third daughter of Richard L. Simon, the co-founder of publishing giant Simon & Schuster, her musical debut as half of The Simon Sisters performing folk songs with her sister Lucy in Greenwich Village, to a meteoric solo career that would result in 13 top 40 hits, including the #1 song You're So Vain… The memoir recalls a childhood enriched by music and culture, but also one shrouded in secrets that would eventually tear her family apart. Simon brilliantly captures moments of creative inspiration, the sparks of songs, and the stories behind writing "Anticipation" and "We Have No Secrets" among many others. Romantic entanglements with some of the most famous men of the day fueled her confessional lyrics, as well as the unraveling of her storybook marriage to James Taylor."