Before I get to the fun of recommending some good books to read for May, here’s a quick bit of book-self-promotion: Father’s Day is coming up on June 21. If you’re looking for a good gift for a father in your life, may I suggest…you guessed it…Better Than Before.
Most of us have habits that we want to make or break, and Better Than Before explains how to do that. Really!
If you’d like a signed bookplate to make the book more special, request it here (U.S. and Canada only, sorry, mailing costs). But request that soon, because I can be a little slow.
Also, over the years I’ve noticed that many people give my biography Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill as a Father’s Day gift. Turns out I’m not the only one fascinated by Churchill.
Now enough about me and my books (!) — on to the fun part. Three terrific books for June.
Because nothing boosts happiness more than a great book, each month, I suggest:
· one outstanding book about happiness or habits
· one outstanding work of children’s or young-adult literature–I have a crazy passion for kidlit
· one eccentric pick–a widely admired and excellent book that I love, yes, but one that may not appeal to everyone
Shop at the wonderful Brooklyn indie WORD, BN.com, Amazon (I’m an affiliate of all three), or your favorite local bookstore. Or visit the library! Drumroll…
An outstanding book about happiness or habits:
How Proust Can Change Your Life by Alain de Botton
Buy from WORD; BN.com; Amazon.
An outstanding children’s book:
The Good Master and The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy (yes, I cheated by listing two, but I couldn’t pick between the first book and the sequel)
Buy from WORD; BN.com; Amazon.
An eccentric pick:
Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar
Buy from WORD; BN.com; Amazon.
Some readers have said that they wished that I’d describe and make the case for my book choices, instead of just providing links. I’ve noticed that many times, when someone describes a book to me, I want to read it less. And often, weirdly, the better a book is, the worse it sounds.
Nevertheless, because so many readers have requested it, I’ve decided to give a bit more context for these choices in the book-club newsletter. So if you’d like to know more about why I made these selections, check there. To get that free monthly book-club newsletter, and to make sure you don’t miss any recommendations, sign up here.
In any event, I assure you that, for all the books I choose, I love them; I’ve read them at least twice if not many times; and they’re widely admired.
If you read last month’s recommendations…what did you think?
Lately, I’ve been doing some good reading on airplanes and in hotel rooms, while I’m on tour for Better Than Before. I always over-pack both physical books and e-books when I travel, because I’m so afraid of having good reading time with nothing to read.
Happy June, and happy reading! So many good books…What’s on your summer reading list? Send me your recommendations! Though my library list already has 207 books listed.
