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You Must Read This "You Must Read This" presents conversations with writers about the books they love to read and recommend.
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You Must Read This

Writers recommend their all-time favorite books

Monday

Dusting Off A Gritty, Glamorous California Classic
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Review

Dusting Off A Gritty, Glamorous California Classic

As it turns out, Raymond Chandler isn't the only writer who can channel the dark charisma of deceptively sunny California. Author Hector Tobar recommends John Fante's Ask the Dust, a novel that captures the grit and glamor of Los Angeles' past.

Dusting Off A Gritty, Glamorous California Classic

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Monday

Trapped In A Nightmare: A Sweet, Funny, Brutal Read

Review

Trapped In A Nightmare: A Sweet, Funny, Brutal Read

The best books don't just get inside a character's psyche, they get in the reader's head, as well. Author Ismet Prcic recommends Irvine Welsh's Marabou Stork Nightmares, a funny, provocative, cerebral novel that explores the meaning of violence.

Trapped In A Nightmare: A Sweet, Funny, Brutal Read

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Thursday

Victorian Humor At Its Silliest, Cheesiest Best

Review

Victorian Humor At Its Silliest, Cheesiest Best

Can the mishaps of three seriously misguided Victorian gentlemen still provoke laughter? More than 120 years after its first edition, author Julia Stuart says Jerome K. Jerome's classic caper, Three Men in a Boat, is still a delightful read.

Victorian Humor At Its Silliest, Cheesiest Best

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Monday

Bound Together: Breaking Those Toxic Family Ties

Review

Bound Together: Breaking Those Toxic Family Ties

In the bucolic setting of The Twin by Gerbrand Bakker, the joys and pitfalls of sibling rivalry are given new life. Author Amy Waldman says the book's sparse prose and stark setting provide the backdrop for a moving story of familial resentment.

Bound Together: Breaking Those Toxic Family Ties

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Monday

Wednesday

Review

Drunk On Words: A Literary Escape From Adolescence

The romantic power of words has the uncanny ability to lead us through the aches and pains of growing up. Author Leah Hager Cohen recommends Brian Hall's The Saskiad, a coming-of-age tale with a bookish twist.

Drunk On Words: A Literary Escape From Adolescence

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Monday

A Life-Changing Book With A Fierce, Feisty Heroine

Critics originally described it as a "housewife's choice" when it won the Booker Prize in 1987, but the feisty female protagonist in Penelope Lively's Moon Tiger is a "little wife" to no one. Author Moni Mohsin explains why the unexpected verve of this novel is worth its weight in pages.

A Life-Changing Book With A Fierce, Feisty Heroine

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Thursday

In A Girls-Only World, A Land Of Brainy Beauty

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Opinion

In A Girls-Only World, A Land Of Brainy Beauty

Set amid an imaginary world of harmony, beauty and intellectual thought, Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain's story Sultana's Dream only had one catch — no men. Author Tahmima Anam explains why it remains one of her favorite feminist pieces.

In A Girls-Only World, A Land Of Brainy Beauty

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Thursday

Our Basest Desires: The Cruel Chaos Of Revolution

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Review

Our Basest Desires: The Cruel Chaos Of Revolution

Robert Stone's characters fall all over the moral spectrum, but between a revolutionary nun, a treacherous spy and an alienated anthropologist, they certainly make for good reading. Author Roland Merullo recommends Stone's A Flag for Sunrise, a rich depiction of Central America in the turbulent '70s.

Our Basest Desires: The Cruel Chaos Of Revolution

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Tuesday

In Wordless Imagery, An Immigrant's Timeless Tale

In Wordless Imagery, An Immigrant's Timeless Tale

In his beautifully illustrated book, The Arrival, Shaun Tan depicts the struggle of immigration — without a language barrier. Author Ruta Sepetys explains how a wordless story can say so much.

In Wordless Imagery, An Immigrant's Timeless Tale

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Sunday

This Miniature Masterpiece Is Quietly Transcendent

The rolling green hills and charming villages of the English countryside have inspired many a contemplative novel. Author Jesse Browner describes why none are quite so lovely as J.L. Carr's A Month in the Country.

This Miniature Masterpiece Is Quietly Transcendent

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Monday

Opinion

In A High, Snowy World, A Quest For Self-Discovery

Author Marc Kaufman recommends this tale of an explorer on the hunt for a rare animal — and something more. The Snow Leopard shows that while we can't always find what we're looking for, we still get what we need.

In A High, Snowy World, A Quest For Self-Discovery

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Thursday

Bold, Beautiful Violence In A Strange, Savage Town

Review

Bold, Beautiful Violence In A Strange, Savage Town

For a writer, each novel is a labor of love. But what about the reader's toil? Author Jesmyn Ward explains why the beautiful and brutal Death in Spring, by Catalan author Merce Rodoreda, is worth its weight in trials and tribulations.

Bold, Beautiful Violence In A Strange, Savage Town

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Monday

Opinion

Tiny Gems: Irish Stories That Sparkle And Charm

The sound of the sea, the smell of rain — what makes Ireland such a magical place? Maybe its writers like Claire Keegan who tease the nuance and grace out of everyday interactions. Author Keith Donohue says each of Keegan's stories is a morsel worth savoring.

Tiny Gems: Irish Stories That Sparkle And Charm

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Tuesday

One Ordinary Day In One Extraordinary Life

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One Ordinary Day In One Extraordinary Life

It's easy to become resentful when life is too mundane or throws an unsavory curveball. Author Monica Ali knows that sometimes we need to get a fresh perspective. For this she insists you read One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

One Ordinary Day In One Extraordinary Life

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