The Uncommon Reader

Alan Bennett

Alan Bennett is one of my favorite authors and playwrights. David Sedaris, who gave our Distinguished Writer Lecture at Chapman last October, turned me on to Bennett. His recent novella The Uncommon Reader is a very funny, thought-provoking and imaginative story of what might happen if Queen Elizabeth suddenly developed a love of reading.

Unbroken

Laura Hillenbrand

This story of the life of Louis Zamperini is so absolutely incredible, it’s hard to believe it’s true, but it is. If you enjoy a good adventure story, you’ll love this book. I guarantee it.

The Lady and the Monk

Pico Iyer

Since Japan has been on everyone’s mind lately, I thought I might recommend my all-time favorite book about Japan, one that uses that nation as more than just a backdrop. The ancient city of Kyoto in Japan becomes more like a character. Another reason to buy this book is that you can get it signed by Pico Iyer when he returns to campus next spring for the second year in a row as our Distinguished Writer in Residence.

The Pool

Chris Smith

I loved this beautiful little film set in the Goa region of India. It tells the story of an impoverished young man who becomes obsessed with a swimming pool that no one seems to use. This sad, sweet and ultimately uplifting movie shows so well that the real power of film is not based on explosions, sex and comic book characters but by real people yearning to find beauty in life.

Zeitoun

Dave Eggers

A nonfiction work that explores the impact of the Katrina hurricane through the real-life experiences of one man. I found this to be a very sad book about man’s inhumanity to man.

On Chesil Beach

Ian McEwan

I highly recommend the audio version of this book…McEwan’s narration is terrific, and a revealing interview with him is included as an extra. What Ifound particularly provocative is how well the plot conveys the idea that our lives are determined to a great extent by the small, sometimes emotionally charged, decisions we make early in life’s journey.

City of Thieves

David Benioff

My favorite book of the year. If you read only one of my recommendations, I hope it’s this one. I loved this warm, funny and gripping coming-of-age story.

Every Little Step

James D. Stern, Adam Del Deo

A documentary that follows budding performers auditioning for a revival of A Chorus Line. You don’t need to be a performer to enjoy this movie. All of us who have high aspirations can identify and be emotionally moved by this film.

Why Evolution Is True

Jerry Coyner

I found the wonderfully accessible “Why Evolution Is True” by the evolutionary geneticist at the University of Chicago, Jerry Coyne, an informative and fascinating read. It’s also timely given the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species.

The Band’s Visit

Sasson Gabai, Ronit Elkabetz, Saleh Bakri, and Khalifa Natour

One of two foreign films on my list this year that definitely warrant a larger audience. “The Band’s Visit,” is about a police band from Egypt that takes the wrong bus and gets left off in a small backwater town in Israel. While I found both films on the list this year very funny, they are also moving and perceptive portrayals of our common humanity.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames

David Sedaris

While David Sedaris may not be for everyone, one of the funniest books I read this year is his “When You Are Engulfed in Flames.” The essays are even better when you listen to Sedaris narrate them.

12:08 East of Bucharest

Sasson Gabai, Ronit Elkabetz, Saleh Bakri, and Khalifa Natour

“12:08 East of Bucharest” is about how various hapless residents of a small town recall the Romanian Revolution and the overthrow of Nicolae Ceauþescu. While I found both films on the list this year very funny, they are also moving and perceptive portrayals of our common humanity.

What Is the What

Dave Eggers

A woman I met on a flight to Sacramento described “What Is the What” by Dave Eggers as one of the most moving books she ever read, and I have to agree. It’s a heartbreaking yet uplifting story of the civil war in Sudan as seen through the eyes of an American immigrant.

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective

Kate Summerscale

I particularly enjoy the way she explains how this incredible yet true crime mystery served as the inspiration for some of the great literary works by the likes of Wilke Collins and Charles Dickens.