Non-Fiction

The Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln -- "I'm about to read this NYT bestseller about Abraham Lincoln."

The Teeth May Smile but the Heart Does Not Forget: Murder and Memory in Uganda by Andrew Rice. “One of those great non-fiction books that reads like fiction.  The unraveling of the mysterious disappearance of a man in the midst of the Amin purges in the early 70's.  The jacket says it best:  "A detective story, a tale of fathers and sons, and a political history, this is above all an illumination of the wounded societies of modern Africa and an exploration of how - and whether - the past can ever be laid to rest."  Full disclosure: I was born in Kampala in 1970, so I found this book incredibly fascinating/ chilling imagining all these horrific events unfolding in the city where my parents were living during that awful time of Idi Amin.”

Tender Bar – Memoir of NY Times/LA Tribune reporter who grew up fatherless on Long Island raised by his uncle bartenders. Graduated from Yale in 1986. Sort of an American Angela’s Ashes.

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan "A wonderful, heart-warming memoir about Corrigan’s breast cancer treatment and her relationship with her incredible family." "It's a beautiful book, made me cry so hard."

This is Not the Story you Think It is: A Season of Unlikely Happiness by Laura Munson.  “I picked up this memoir after reading the author’s piece in the Modern Love column in the New York Times.  After her husband tells her he doesn't love her anymore, rather than flying into a rage and throwing him out, she calmly says, ‘I don't buy it’ and patiently waits for him to work through his demons. I admire her patience and her commitment to her marriage and kids. That said, there are plenty of places in the book where she does not behave like a saint. She is neither plastic nor perfect - but she serves up little bits of wisdom.”

This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett.  "The author of Bel Canto and State of Wonder has a great new collection of 22 essays on her life of writing, friendship, marriage and loss.  It has gotten rave reviews, and I love her style of writing."

This Life Is in Your Hands: One Dream, Sixty Acres, and a Family's Heartbreak by Melissa Coleman.  "Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight meets Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.  The story of a young family who become homesteaders in Maine during the 1970s.  It is fascinating to read about the roots of the organic, eat local movement; yet this book is more about the brutal consequences the lifestyle choices took on this family. The author and protagonist never addresses how she was able to recoup from her very hard childhood, but the story is compelling in the context of where we are today with respect to the understanding of industrial farming."

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Revin. "It’s a wonderful book about a guy who builds schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. For those who don’t love travelogues (like me), let me give you permission to skim some of that in the beginning. (The mountains are really super craggy. That about sums it up). The writing is not always elegant, but it’s about such a wonderful character – a force of nature himself – and you will find it incredibly inspiring."

Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way by Dan Buettner is an uplifting, easy to read book published by National Geographic. Borrowing from Amazon’s summary, “Buettner's findings result in a credible, cross-cultural formula and a practical plan to help us stack the deck for happiness and get more satisfaction out of life.” My favorite part was his examination of the four happiest regions in the world: Denmark, Singapore, the Monterrey area of Mexico, and San Luis Obispo (CA). I wouldn’t be surprised if you and Drew were members of his research team.

Through the Children's Gate by Adam Gopnik. A collection recent essays by the humorous New Yorker writer.