Buddhism Plain and Simple

Buddhism Plain and Simple By Steve Hagen

This book was recommended to me when I first started exploring Buddhism. Hagen explores the subject free of religious ritual and attempts to explain the "simple" concepts. Full of memorable lines, this book will have you thinking.
 
"So you don't have to do the long search, the frantic chase, the painful quest. You're already right where you need to be.”-Hagen

The Dexter Novels

What came first? The chicken or the egg or in this case, the novel or the show? Jeff Lindsay's rule oriented serial killer first appeared in novel form. If you've watched all of the Showtime series and are afraid you'll just be re-reading what you've already seen; don't. Although the first book and the first season are very similar, the endings are quite different and the two depart and go their own way. The novel version of Dexter is more sinister and the voice of the Dark Passenger constantly reminds the reader, Dexter is not compassionate, he's not a good guy- he's a serial killer.  If you're having Dexter withdrawal or just hate the way the tv series ended, pick these thrilling novels up. Dexter is now appearing in graphic novels too!

Tweak By Nic Sheff

Nic Sheff, who has gone on to write many other books (and his dad has also penned some books about being on the other side of this disease,) is at his best in Tweak. The memoir is raw, emotional, honest and dark. At times his life reads like fiction and at other times his pain is so real, it hurts. When Sheff talks about hating the way he looks, feeling lonely, and not enough is when he speaks to the real heart of addiction. Getting high, wandering the streets, all those other things are really nothing more than a dark filler to propel the reader through the agony of what it means to be an addict.

Daring Greatly By Brene Brown

Daring Greatly is quite simply one of the best books I have read not just about vulnerability but about authentic, genuine living (Having said that, I can't discount her previous book, The Gifts of Imperfection all about wholehearted living but that's a different book review). As a manager of multiple employees, Daring Greatly reminds me that I must be the catalyst for open, honest discussion, capable of admitting my mistakes but also allowing room for others to honest and vulnerable themselves. This is the kind of book that can transform who you are. The book reads in a way that you can just plow through and ingest morsels of great thinking and pieces of the call to action but after having taken that approach, I personally want to revisit the text as a long term study, breaking the chapters down into practice.

The Batman Files By Matthew Manning

This book is truly a work of art, with a high quality cover, magnetic closure and black gilded edges. Starting with the drawings of a young Bruce Wayne, following him through some of his most significant life events, The Batman Files is a complete must-have for fans. Matthew Manning painstakingly highlights The Batman’s most compelling moments in the battle between good and evil, complete with bios on his most villainous enemies along with beautiful illustrations of Batman’s gadgets, uniforms, blueprints and maps to Gotham City and more.

Be Ready When the Sh*t Goes Down: A Survival Guide to the Apocalypse By Forrest Griffin

As Forrest Griffin’s mother will tell you on the back of his recent book; she did not allow him to eat paint chips as a child. After looking at his outfit for the cover, you may disagree. No matter where your opinion falls on the paint chip spectrum, one thing is for sure: this guy is hilarious. Full of apocalyptic tips like digging up your wife’s rose garden to build a fall out shelter, hot wiring a car and even starting your own religion, you will feel enlightened, entertained and perhaps a bit nauseous from laughing. 

Forrest Griffin is a UFC (mixed martial artist) fighter, former light heavyweight champion and former police officer. This is his second book.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns By Frank Miller

I used to watch the old Batman reruns with Adam West when I was a kid. I thought Batman was funny and a bit cheesy but the love for him remained. There was something in those blue tights and cool Batmobile that left me fascinated. But when I read Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, I saw Batman as not just a superhero but as a man, troubled by his past and his future, a real human being. Take the trip into the legend and the darkness that stirs inside.

Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers By Mary Roach- Essays

The life of the human cadaver is anything but beautiful, yet somewhere in this look at death Mary Roach seems to find it. Her sharp wit, eye for humor and honesty weave a tapestry of history formed from the lifeless bodies she explored. As we search for the answers of 'what happens when I die,' Roach skips the spiritual aspect and gets down to the hard science. From vivid accounts of burial, embalming, cremation and the less obvious choices such as crash test dummy donor or crime scene victim, we find what death really means. Sure to help you make a decision about your own remains!

Fun Home:A Family Tragicomic- gay/lesbian

Alison Bechdel, author of the comic 'Dykes to Watch Out For,' strikes a cord with a look back on her family life. This memoir told in graphic novel form (comic book form) is easy to devour in one sitting. The drawings and short dialogue actually slow you down in a good way and help you focus on the simple story of a girl, her father and the secret they both keep. The narrative is both hilarious and heartbreaking all with the back drop of the family business- a funeral home- or as the family and title describe, a 'fun home.' Eventually, as Alison is away at college, her and her father form a bond over books but the attention is both overwhelming and repulsive- not really understanding why he finally offers the relationship she had longed for. This is great for just about any reader teen and up (due to one slightly explicit sex scene) but would be a great fit for those just coming out or dealing with family issues and sexuality.

Lesbian Pulp Fiction- Lesbian Anthology

Gay and lesbian literature has come a long way from its early years as trashy little paperback novels but this collection of pulp fiction will remind you how far that really is. This hefty anthology pays homage to the past and you will find yourself lingering over the pages, laughing at the over sexed descriptions and wanting to head online to find these out of print supermarket treats. This collection is good for the old school lesbians as a sort of blast to the past but also a great fit for us youngsters that need a little lesson on our history. Either way the book is a brilliant collection put together by Katherine V. Forrest with a little historical context in the foreword. Skip lesbian literature 101 and pick up this volume today and if you're not sure the cover gives a good idea of what you're in for!

Lesbian Couples- Gender (Gay/Lesbian)

"Written by two experienced lesbian therapists, "Lesbian Couples" covers a range of topics--from marriage to money to conflict resolution--and presents a variety of helpful examples and problem-solving techniques, drawing from research done on lesbian couples over the past decade." http://www.ipage.com/

My partner and I are currently using this book as a weekly book club of sorts and are enjoying it. As we move through the book I'll update this review.

Jesus' Son- Fiction

This gritty and sharply written short story collection remains not only my favorite book but what I believe to be Denis Johnson's greatest piece of work. I first read this linked collection as a recommendation from my professor and started it sometime during the night and found I could not put it down. I was mesmerized by the prose, the flow of sentence and emotion invoked. I finished the book, flipped back to the front and started again. I will be surprised if a book ever pulls at me the way this one does.