Recommendations based on The Trouble With Poetry - And Other Poemsby Billy Collins

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  1. Sailing Alone Around the Room: New and Selected Poems

    by Billy Collins
    Collection of poems exploring the beauty of everyday life.

    Sailing Alone Around the Room , by America’s Poet Laureate, Billy Collins, contains both new poems and a generous gathering from his earlier collections The Apple That Astonished Paris , Questions ... (Goodreads)

  2. Sonnets from the Portuguese

    by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
    A collection of love sonnets written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning to her husband, Robert Browning.

    "I love your verses with all my heart, dear Miss Barrett . . . I love you too", Robert Browning wrote in January 1845, thus initiating the most celebrated literary correspondence of the 19th century. ... (Goodreads)

  3. How Doctors Think

    by Jerome Groopman
    A look into the decision-making process of doctors, exploring how biases and assumptions can lead to misdiagnosis and medical errors.

    On average, a physician will interrupt a patient describing her symptoms within eighteen seconds. In that short time, many doctors decide on the likely diagnosis and best treatment. Often, decisions ... (Goodreads)

  4. Tao Te Ching

    by Lao Tzu
    A collection of wise sayings and reflections on the nature of existence.

    A lucid translation of the well-known Taoist classic by a leading scholar-now in a Shambhala Pocket Library edition. Written more than two thousand years ago, the Tao Teh Ching , or -The Classic of ... (Goodreads)

  5. Yes, Chef

    by Marcus Samuelsson
    Autobiographical account of a chef's success, from childhood in Ethiopia to the pinnacle of the culinary world.

    It begins with a simple ritual: Every Saturday afternoon, a boy who loves to cook walks to his grandmother’s house and helps her prepare a roast chicken for dinner. The grandmother is Swedish, a ... (Goodreads)

  6. Selected Poems

    by Emily Dickinson
    Collection of poems exploring various themes of life, death, and the nature of reality.

    Although Emily Dickinson wrote nearly 2,000 poems, only a handful were ever published in her lifetime, and those anonymously. Today, she is recognized as one of the most important American poets of ... (Barnes & Noble)

  7. When You Are Engulfed in Flames

    by David Sedaris
    Humorous reflections on everyday life, navigating the absurdities of the human condition.

    It's early autumn 1964. Two straight-A students head off to school, and when only one of them returns home Chesney Yelverton is coaxed from retirement and assigned to what proves to be the most ... (Goodreads)

  8. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong

    by James W. Loewen
    Exposing the inaccuracies in American history textbooks and exploring the forces that shaped them.

    “Every teacher, every student of history, every citizen should read this book. It is both a refreshing antidote to what has passed for history in our educational system and a one-volume education in ... (Barnes & Noble)

  9. New and Selected Poems, Volume One

    by Mary Oliver
    A collection of nature-inspired poetry exploring life, death, and love.

    Features previously published and new poems that explore the natural world and how it is connected to human beings and spirituality. ... (Goodreads)

  10. Just Kids

    by Patti Smith
    Chronicles of two young artists in New York City, finding friendship and inspiration in each other.

    In Just Kids , Patti Smith's first book of prose, the legendary American artist offers a never-before-seen glimpse of her remarkable relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in the epochal ... (Goodreads)

  11. Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain

    by Oliver Sacks
    Exploration of the power of music and its effects on the human brain.

    With the same trademark compassion and erudition he brought to The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Oliver Sacks explores the place music occupies in the brain and how it affects the human ... (Goodreads)

  12. The Shadow of the Sun

    by Ryszard Kapuściński
    An epic account of a journey through Africa, navigating the continent's diverse cultures and politics.

    In 1957, Ryszard Kapuscinski arrived in Africa to witness the beginning of the end of colonial rule as the first African correspondent of Poland's state newspaper. From the early days of independence ... (Goodreads)

  13. Travels with Charley: In Search of America

    by John Steinbeck
    A road trip across America, exploring the culture and landscape of the country.

    A quest across America, from the northernmost tip of Maine to California’s Monterey Peninsula To hear the speech of the real America, to smell the grass and the trees, to see the colors and the ... (Goodreads)

  14. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

    by Stephen King
    A series of personal reflections on the art of writing, and the power of story-telling.

    "Long live the King" hailed Entertainment Weekly upon the publication of Stephen King's On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is ... (Goodreads)

  15. The Tenth Island: Finding Joy, Beauty, and Unexpected Love in the Azores

    by Diana Marcum
    A journalist's journey to the Azores, discovering a new home and a sense of belonging in the remote islands.

    From a Pulitzer Prize–winning writer comes an exuberant memoir of personal loss and longing, and finding connection on the remote Azorean Islands of the Atlantic Ocean., Reporter Diana Marcum is in ... (Barnes & Noble)

  16. Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania

    by Erik Larson
    Exploration of Lusitania's fateful voyage and its lasting impact on World War I.

    #1 New York Times Bestseller,From the bestselling author and master of narrative nonfiction comes the enthralling story of the sinking of the, Lusitania, On May 1, 1915, with WWI entering its tenth ... (Barnes & Noble)

  17. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic

    by Alison Bechdel
    An autobiographical story of a daughter's complex relationship with her father and her own journey of self-discovery.

    The narrative of Fun Home is non-linear and recursive. , Incidents are told and re-told in the light of new information or themes. , Bechdel describes the structure of Fun Home as a labyrinth , ... (Wikipedia)

  18. History of Art

    by H.W. Janson
    Comprehensive overview of art history, from prehistoric times to modern day. Includes analysis of major works and movements.

    For 1000s of art lovers both amateur & professional, esthetic life began with Janson, as his History of Art is often called. In the 1st edition, published in 1962, he spoke to that perennial reader ... (Goodreads)

  19. A Moveable Feast

    by Ernest Hemingway
    A memoir of Hemingway's life in 1920s Paris, exploring its rich bohemian culture.

    Hemingway's memories of his life as an unknown writer living in Paris in the twenties are deeply personal, warmly affectionate, and full of wit. Looking back not only at his own much younger self, ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession

    by Allison Hoover Bartlett
    A non-fiction account of a notorious book thief and the bibliophile detective who pursued him. A fascinating exploration of the world of rare book collecting.

    Set within the world of rare-book collecting: the true story of an infamous book thief, his victims, and the man determined to catch him. Rare-book theft is even more widespread than fine-art theft. ... (Goodreads)

  21. The Pacific

    by Hugh Ambrose
    A historical account of the Pacific Theater during World War II, told through the personal stories of soldiers and civilians.

    Penguin delivers you to the front lines of The Pacific Theater with the real-life stories behind the HBO miniseries. Between America's retreat from China in late November 1941 and the moment General ... (Goodreads)

  22. Spinning

    by Tillie Walden
    A graphic memoir about a young figure skater's coming-of-age journey, navigating her sexuality and identity while pursuing her passion.

    Poignant and captivating, Ignatz Award winner Tillie Walden's powerful graphic memoir, Spinning , captures what it's like to come of age, come out, and come to terms with leaving behind everything ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

    by Michael Pollan
    Exploration of the modern food chain, examining the impact of food choices on our health and the environment.

    What should we have for dinner? The question has confronted us since man discovered fire, but according to Michael Pollan, the bestselling author of The Botany of Desire , how we answer it today, at ... (Goodreads)

  24. Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom

    by Rick Hanson
    Exploring the science behind Buddhist teachings and practices, unlocking the power of the mind.

    If you change your brain, you can change your life. Great teachers like the Buddha, Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, and Gandhi were all born with brains built essentially like anyone else’s—and then they ... (Barnes & Noble)

  25. I Wear the Black Hat: Grappling With Villains

    by Chuck Klosterman
    A collection of essays exploring the concept of villainy in popular culture and real life, challenging our perceptions of good and evil.

    From, New York Times, bestselling author, “one of America’s top cultural critics” (,Entertainment Weekly,), and “The Ethicist” for, The New York Times Magazine,, comes,, a new book of all original ... (Goodreads)

  26. Enrique's Journey

    by Sonia Nazario
    A young man's perilous search for his mother in the US, crossing the Mexican border.

    A true story from award-winning journalist Sonia Nazario recounting the odyssey of a Honduran boy who braves hardship and peril to reach his mother in the United States. In this astonishing true ... (Goodreads)

  27. A Short History of Nearly Everything

    by Bill Bryson
    A captivating overview of the natural sciences, spanning the history of the universe.

    In Bryson's biggest book, he confronts his greatest challenge: to understand—and, if possible, answer—the oldest, biggest questions we have posed about the universe and ourselves. Taking as territory ... (Goodreads)

  28. A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

    by Bill Bryson
    A humorous account of a man's attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail, reflecting on the beauty and history of the American wilderness.

    The book starts with Bryson explaining his curiosity about the Appalachian Trail near his house. He and his old friend Stephen Katz start hiking the trail from Georgia in the South , and stumble in ... (Wikipedia)

  29. The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl

    by Ree Drummond
    Collection of home-style recipes from a modern-day homesteader and mother of four.

    #1 New York Times Bestseller Paula Deen meets Erma Bombeck in, The Pioneer Woman Cooks,, Ree Drummond’s spirited, homespun cookbook. Drummond colorfully traces her transition from city life to ranch ... (Barnes & Noble)

  30. How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7

    by Joanna Faber
    Step-by-step guide on how to communicate effectively with young children.

    Over 200,000 copies in print! A must-have guide for anyone who lives or works with young kids, with an introduction by Adele Faber, coauthor of How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will ... (Barnes & Noble)