Flashlight Worthy

10 Out-of-Print Childrens Books Worth Overpaying For

2009-10-29T21:36:20-04:00

I started collecting vintage children’s books after I paid $18 for a brand new hardcover of Where the Wild Things Are for my son’s first birthday and thought, hell, there’s got to be a cheaper way. I bought my first one (Helen Palmer’s 1964 classic Why I Built the Boogle House) for $1.25 at a used book shop and haven’t looked back since. Thought I still troll junk shops and Goodwills looking for those 25 cent holy grails, there are some books I would chop off my right arm for (and have… stops to wave with stump). These guys are the endangered species of the children’s book world, dwindling down, sale by sale… until…. Get them now before they are gone forever my friends.

Click here to see the 10 books on the list

Favorite Reissues of Neglected Books

2009-10-29T21:16:00-04:00

My web site, The Neglected Books Page, is devoted to the subject of forgotten, underappreciated, and (in some cases) never-discovered books. I usually focus on books that are out of print, but we are fortunate to have a number of publishing houses willing to take a gamble on reissues of books that have fallen by the wayside of popular and critical taste, and I wanted to take a moment to pay tribute to a dozen examples from some of these fine publishers.

Click here to see the 12 books on the list

Halloween Mysteries: 6 Great Mystery Books Set on All Hallows Eve

2009-10-28T08:17:13-04:00

What better holiday to center a mystery around than Halloween? Ghosts and goblins, witches and monsters, other frightening things that go bump in the night. While you're stockpiling candy, preparing your costume and watching It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, sit back with one of these Halloween mysteries and enjoy.

Click here to see the 6 books on the list

9 Childrens Novels Both Boys and Girls Will Love to Hear

2009-10-26T18:09:28-04:00

I have four kids – one girl and three boys – ranging in age from 12 to 7. Finding a book that keeps them all involved and engaged in the story is a delightful occurrence. These nine books are our favorite read-alouds of all time. All four kids loved them, and I did, too.

Click here to see the 9 books on the list

Business Books: First the Business, Then the Book

2009-10-23T21:38:22-04:00

Business books usually fall into two categories: how-to or biographical. In how-to books, the author may or may not be an entrepreneur. Biographical books most frequently are written by someone (and, perhaps, their ghostwriter) who's built a successful business and tells the story of the inception and growth of that undertaking.

Biographical books also may share advice, but often have the added advantage of being inspirational. After all, hardly anyone writes this kind of book to tell a story about how they got an idea for a business and found themselves rolling in success the next day. Personal narratives may not always involve overcoming enormous obstacles, but they have the added advantage of being told from personal perspective and offer the author/entrepreneur’s insights into those events that shaped the business.

Click here to see the 10 books on the list

The Don Quixote Point of View: Realizing Impossible Dreams

2009-10-23T21:27:51-04:00

Don Quixote has become known for his crazy passion for promoting chivalry during the inquisition era. He had impossible dreams for a better world just as many of us do today. Personally, I think “the impossible dream” isn’t as impossible as it once was, and I’d like to recognize authors who are helping the world realize that.

Click here to see the 6 books on the list

The 10 Best Books of 2009 for Book Clubs

2009-10-23T14:52:21-04:00

What makes a good book club selection?

You'd think a book with great writing alone would do the trick. If it's a novel, some memorable characters and a kicky plot are nice; if it's non-fiction, something that tells a story that draws you in or that explains a concept remarkably well.

These are the things great books are made of. But are they what great book club selections are made of? I say, no.

The best selections for book clubs are ones that get people thinking. And when people get thinking, it's only a matter of time before the inevitable occurs — they start arguing.

If no one ever argues passionately over your book club reads, don't blame the members for going mute — the books probably don't contain much worth arguing over. Plenty of books are worth reading, but only a fraction of those inspire a heated discussion.

So, harness your urge to engage in a fracas, book clubbers, and pick some books that will really get the fur flying at your next meeting. Here are the 10 best books of 2009 to get you started.

Click here to see the 10 books on the list

Books That Helped Me Discover and Love My Italian Heritage

2009-10-23T00:25:59-04:00

These days we spend so much time worrying about the everyday stuff, like work, school, bills, social events... just trying to connect with what goes on around us, and so we forget to connect with ourselves.

Putting this list together was me re-connecting with me. I picked these books because they are classics which I still own, and because they did influence me then, and still do now.

Click here to see the 5 books on the list

6 Great Environmental Mysteries

2009-10-20T16:02:40-04:00

There's so much talk about when it comes to the state of the environment — as well there should be. Global warming, endangered species, pollution, toxic dumps... are all terribly important topics. That’s probably why so many mystery authors have chosen this subject as a plot foundation. Here are a few of my favorite environmental mysteries.

Click here to see the 6 books on the list

The Best Novels About WASPs

2009-10-17T15:16:14-04:00

The dyed-in-the-wool Wasp tends not to write much of anything: both Isabella Stewart Gardner and J.P. Morgan displayed the maxim "Think much, speak little, write less" in their homes. And certainly that Wasp wouldn't write a revealing book. James Gould Cozzens, a Wasp novelist of a half-century ago, remarked that his father didn't "think writing was man's work. I still think he was right, if the truth were told. If I could have been a really efficient athlete, I never would have written another line." So the best books about Wasps are written by those ambivalent about the legacy, or striving to be accepted within its cozy confines, or fed up with the whole thing.

Click here to see the 7 books on the list

The Best Children's Fantasy for Adults

2009-10-16T17:26:45-04:00

A few years ago, after writing several plays and stories for children, my thoughts turned to a series of novels based on the type of fantasy adventures I loved when I was younger. It gave me the great excuse to revisit many old favourites, as well as the chance to discover more recent authors. The following list is a short selection of things that continue to inspire and influence me. They all grab the imagination, and stick in the memory of readers young and old...

Click here to see the 5 books on the list

Keystone Mysteries: The Best Mystery Books Set in Pennsylvania

2009-10-12T15:06:43-04:00

A mystery with a well-developed sense of place makes the story that much more enjoyable for me. I love when I read a mystery and the setting is some place I haven’t visited — I learn so much about the people, architecture, food and the landscape. I also like to read mysteries set in places with which I am very familiar, like Pennsylvania, my home state. Here are a few of the best mystery books set in the Keystone State.

Click here to see the 6 books on the list

Children's Books That Grownups Will Love

2009-10-09T14:06:06-04:00

I think the books that we read and love become a part of us. I've been quietly putting these children's books on my new husband's nightstand as a way of giving him a little window into my literary roots (I was a prolific reader as a child — often caught with a flashlight under the covers).

Since he's one of the two guys who runs Flashlight Worthy, he's more than willing to oblige me. But then again, that's not so much of a surprise, because he loves books almost as much as he loves me.

Click here to see the 6 books on the list

What New Yorkers Read on the Subway

2009-10-05T20:52:10-04:00

The New York Times — known as "The Newspaper of Record" — strives to be international in its coverage. But it also loves being a hometown paper. Case in point? In the Fall of 2009 they did an informal survey of what people were reading on the subway.

As a New Yorker, I'm happy to say that the 21 most popular books — listed below, from most to least popular — show my fellow subway riders to be quite the literate lot. (Well, with one notable exception; scan the list below and see if you can find it.)

Click here to see the 21 books on the list

The Best Books of 2009

2009-10-05T20:52:10-04:00

The best books of 2009? Forget what the various experts say — I think you know what the best of 2009 are. That's why I compiled this from books that you, the Flashlight Worthy Reader, nominate for the book list.

Click here to see the 9 books on the list

I Want to Live Forever: An Immortality Reading List

2009-09-25T17:47:18-04:00

Human beings have been searching for the secret to everlasting life probably since we first grasped the concept of death, and speculative fiction writers have been writing about immortality nearly as long.

While writers have come up with many creative ways that we might achieve immortality, what’s even more compelling is the effect that becoming immortal would have on our essential human nature, which is defined by our consciousness of our own mortality. Here's a list of books that have tackled the theme of everlasting life and its ramifications.

Click here to see the 9 books on the list

Pets and Wildlife in Books

2009-09-11T02:28:03-04:00

I've always been passionate about animals. It started when I was young. At 12, I took zoology courses at the Bronx Zoo. It was a thrill handling chimpanzees, tiger cubs, and boa constrictors. I still get excited seeing animals — I'm the type to say hello to dogs on the street.

I also enjoy reading about animals. Here are a few of my favorite books; some are about animals and others feature animals as the main characters. I’m sure you will be wild about them too.

Click here to see the 6 books on the list

Inspiration for the Long Run: Books on Running

2009-09-11T02:05:59-04:00

Two years ago, before I’d even run a step, I picked up Dean Karnazes’ Ultramarathon Man. I was hooked from the first chapter and find that when my motivation is waning, these authors have a way of picking me up and making me want to lace up my runners again.

Click here to see the 5 books on the list

Testing the Waters of Sci-Fi

2009-09-11T01:21:56-04:00

The realm of science fiction (sci-fi) is intense, universal, and incredibly... geeky. Or, at least, that's what they say. It's also why a lot of people would most probably not even consider reading a sci-fi novel, thinking it would be too complicated or too weird for their taste. Sadly, they may be missing out on some of the greatest stories (and best sci-fi books) ever written. The list below will provide a little something to whet the appetite of the sci-fi newbie.

Click here to see the 6 books on the list

Baseball By the Numbers: The Best Books on Baseball Stats

2009-09-11T00:40:32-04:00

I thought it was time to share my favorite (and some of the best) baseball books focused on statistics. Some of these are oldies but goodies. I have tried to find books that should appeal to each type of statistics-minded fan, from the fans that attend the SABR conference to the casual baseball fan. For those like Jeff Francoeur, there’s even one book that doesn’t focus on statistics at all!

These types of books are useful in deciding who to pick for one’s fantasy baseball team, for definitively deciding whose hometown team manager is the worst (or the best) and for just learning about the mathematics behind baseball. If you like these books I recommend checking out fangraphs.com, hardballtimes.com, Rob Neyer’s Sweetspot blog on ESPN and Tom Tango’s blog.

Click here to see the 5 books on the list

Books That Journey into Darkness

2009-09-06T17:46:45-04:00

I believe reading to be an escape from all that which is around us; I also believe reading to be a brief hiatus from society’s norms and our knowledge of what constitutes right and wrong. As an avid reader, I tend to gravitate toward books that challenge my own beliefs system and moral ambiguity, and then test my own acceptance or understanding of what is and is not possible. Therefore, I've assembled a list of some of my favorite books that not only take the reader to a darker side of their mind and soul, but also dare the reader to think beyond what we see around us and what we know and have been taught.

These books have taunted and mocked me psychologically, emotionally and spiritually and have altered my thoughts, taking me to the edge of a darker existence in my mind. Of course, once the book is closed, life resumes normally, but having pushed myself to a limit with such bizarre material has broadened my intellect and understanding of that which, in reality, isn’t always understood.

Click here to see the 9 books on the list

Best Books for Understanding Alzheimer's Disease

2009-09-06T17:46:45-04:00

Alzheimer's disease (named for German physician Alois Alzheimer, who first discovered it in 1906) is a progressive neurologic disease of the brain leading to the irreversible loss of neurons and the loss of intellectual abilities, including memory and reasoning, which become severe enough to impede social or occupational functioning. As many as 5.3 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's gets worse over time, and it is fatal; today it's the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States. Below are some suggestions for learning about and coping with Alzheimer's, including Alzheimer's-related depression.

Click here to see the 5 books on the list

Nine Booze-Soaked Books

2009-09-06T16:39:02-04:00

Putting aside obvious selections like Charles R. Jackson’s The Lost Weekend, Malcolm Lowry’s harrowing Under the Volcano or essentially anything written by Charles Bukowski, we present here a list of nine indispensible rye-saturated ruminations on the life of the rummy. Do not show up at your next AA meeting with any of these titles in your hip pocket because the vapors wafting from the pages will send everyone in the room falling off the wagon... hard.

Click here to see the 9 books on the list

The Art of Being an Entrepreneur

2009-09-05T10:41:03-04:00

Whether you’re just considering self-employment or are already running your own World Headquarters, these books belong in your library. Every one is both useful and inspiring. Best of all, they were written by successful entrepreneurs who simply wanted to share what they’ve learned.

Click here to see the 10 books on the list

Books That'll Make You Cry Like a Baby

2009-09-03T10:46:14-04:00

I think the title of this list says it all. What books did I miss? Leave me a comment at the bottom of the list.

Also, I could use descriptions for some of the books below. If there's not a description, and you've read the book, consider clicking in the box where it says "Read this book? Click here and tell us what you thought."

Click here to see the 15 books on the list

Flashlight Worthy

10 Out-of-Print Childrens Books Worth Overpaying For

Favorite Reissues of Neglected Books

Halloween Mysteries: 6 Great Mystery Books Set on All Hallows Eve

9 Childrens Novels Both Boys and Girls Will Love to Hear

Business Books: First the Business, Then the Book

The Don Quixote Point of View: Realizing Impossible Dreams

The 10 Best Books of 2009 for Book Clubs

Books That Helped Me Discover and Love My Italian Heritage

6 Great Environmental Mysteries

The Best Novels About WASPs

The Best Children's Fantasy for Adults

Keystone Mysteries: The Best Mystery Books Set in Pennsylvania

Children's Books That Grownups Will Love

What New Yorkers Read on the Subway

The Best Books of 2009

I Want to Live Forever: An Immortality Reading List

Pets and Wildlife in Books

Inspiration for the Long Run: Books on Running

Testing the Waters of Sci-Fi

Baseball By the Numbers: The Best Books on Baseball Stats

Books That Journey into Darkness

Best Books for Understanding Alzheimer's Disease

Nine Booze-Soaked Books

The Art of Being an Entrepreneur

Books That'll Make You Cry Like a Baby

10 Out-of-Print Childrens Books Worth Overpaying For

Halloween Mysteries: 6 Great Mystery Books Set on All Hallows Eve

9 Childrens Novels Both Boys and Girls Will Love to Hear