Partly Cloudy Patriot

You may know Sarah Vowell as the voice of Violet in The Incredibles or as a contributor to This American Life. Her collection of essays, Partly Cloudy Patriot, is a wonderful collection with pieces ranging from historical tourism to Pop-a-Shot basketball. She was even on to the weirdness of Tom Cruise before his couch jumping on Oprah:

"When the cute little kid in Jerry Maguire gave Cruise a hug, my first reaction was parental. I wanted to grab the child away, scolding, 'We don't touch burning stoves, strangers' candy, and we do not touch Tom Cruise'"

My favorite essays in the collection are probably the more political ones, as Vowell realizes her patriotism even through her tears at Bush's inauguration and reflects upon her participation in an Al Gore internet group. There isn't a clunker in the bunch, though, and it's one of my favorite books. Check out the audio version, too, with voices from Stephen King, Stephen Colbert, and Conan O'Brien. And don't forget to check out her many contributions to This American Life.