non-fiction

… Laverne DeFazio from TV’s Laverne & Shirley? In the new biography, My Mother Was Nuts by Penny Marshall, you get a quirky look at Penny Marshall as she struggled to grow up in what she considered a very crazy, yet normal family. As in a lot of celebrity biographies, you hear about the dysfunctional family life, the drugs and the famous people.

… the mastermind behind one of the greatest rock bands of the 1970s? Light & Shade: Conversations with Jimmy Page by Brad Tolinski is a detailed view into the extraordinary life of guitar icon Jimmy Page. Mr.

… comedian Tim Allen, a cute little guy named Oscar and the “rumble in the jungle”? Tim Allen, best known as “Tim the Tool Man” from TV’s Tool Time, is the narrator of Chimpanzee from Disneynature.

…the scenic southwest parks of the USA? The non-fiction travelogue Adventures in America’s Western Parks: The Great Southwest has lots of ideas for seeing nature up close and personal. Whether you like to rock climb, hike, bike or take a car ride, the southwestern part of the US is the place to do it.

… the very readable book on running? I just finished reading Eat & Run by Scott Jurek who is an ultramarathoner. Why would I read a book about someone who makes a habit of running races of 100 to 150 miles…and winning them? Especially since it takes me three hours to run a simple 5K? It was a fascinating read. That’s why.

… the new cookbook from mystery author Joanne Fluke? The Lake Eden Cookbook is a wonderful addition to the books in the Hannah Swensen mystery series*.

… Maverick or The Rockford Files? Actor James Garner, with Jon Winokur, wrote The Garner Files, the long awaited biography on everyone’s favorite actor.

… The Breakfast Club? Or Sixteen Candles? Ever heard of Ferris Bueller? Anyone? Anyone?

… all of the different kinds of penguins and where they live, or the baby sea otter who lost his mother? The first part of the DVD Nature: Waddlers & Paddlers, “The World of Penguins” – the Waddlers – explores the different types of penguins and where they live. Most people know about the emperor penguins who live in the very cold freezing temperatures, but did know there are also penguins who live in the desert? Some even live in caves.

… the military history of the United States? A tremendous amount of research went into Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power as Rachel Maddow historically follows the escalation of our country’s military might since the Vietnam War.