Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher

This book should be required reading for anyone in academia.  Or anyone who has ever had to write letters of recommendation for people who you don't really recommend.  Or really this should be read by everyone because it is so darn funny.  The entire book is a series of letters written by an aging, cranky English professor.  It is so hysterical that I had to stop reading it in public because I was embarrassing myself as I laughed out loud.  The professor has an ex-wife, a girlfriend, and a department head also receive his rambling, witty correspondence.  But the best ones are his letters of recommendation.  (I can hear you laughing from here, BT)  -June

The Old Neighborhood by Avery Corman

This book came out in 1980, and I stumbled across it through Book Bub.  Lately I've found several good books that have popped up there, and the price is certainly right.  Some of the selections are pretty lame, but this one was definitely a winner.  It's all about Steve Robbins, a guy from The Bronx who wants to succeed in advertising.  We follow his career as he climbs the corporate ladder and achieves his dreams.  The author creates some wonderful characters and interjects humor throughout the story.  It's a quick read but I loved every page.  Highly recommend.  -June