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:
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
An outstanding children’s book:
Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen
An eccentric pick:
The Official Preppy Handbook edited by Lisa Birnbach
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.
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.
One last note: if you’re buying books as holiday gifts, let me self-promotingly suggest…
The Happiness Project: #1 New York Times bestseller, on the list for more than two years. Read an excerpt.
Happier at Home: New York Times bestseller; my sister says this is my best book. Read an excerpt.
End of commercial. Happy December, and happy reading.