Writers from A to Z (Amor to Zora)
Writers read a lot and are often asked who they read. Below is a tiny sampling of some of my favorite very famous authors who bring me joy through the written word.
Amor Towles One of my favorites. A Gentleman in Moscow of course. I am intrigued by how he maintains his voice in The Lincoln Highway though the setting is a completely different.
Barbara Kingsolver I once heard her speak at a Unitarian Church near Harvard. It was a religious experience. I love all of her books, both new and old. Demon Copperhead is a masterpiece, The Poisonwood Bible an old friend.
Chris Whitaker All the Colors of the Dark gave me permission to stay up into the small hours of the night devouring this book. After experiencing the effect of micro chapters on my reading, I went back and revised my entire debut novel to mimic them.
Eric-Emanuel Schmitt Writer of books, short stories, plays and more. One of my favorite French contemporary writers. Oscar et La Dame Rose with the reminder of what is really important.
Historical Fiction Sisters All the works I’ve read by the women who write strong female characters could fill volumes. Here are a few that have kept me up turning pages: Amy Tan, Kristin Hannah, Kate Quinn, Meg Waite Clayton, Alka Joshi, Georgia Hunter, Octavia Butler, Kristin Harmel, Alice Walker, Anita Diamant, Bonnie Garmus, Anita Shreve.
Jhumpa Lahiri The Interpreter of Maladies. I loved these stories. They were so lyrical and gave me an insight into another culture, which is just one of the many reasons I like to read.
John Grisham I don’t read a lot of thrillers, but John Grisham is my guilty pleasure. When I hear interviews he's done you can understand why he is the quintessential storyteller.
Ken Follett Ever since I was a teenager, I have made sure to pack a Ken Follett book for road trips and vacations.
Madeline Miller takes a familiar myth and transforms it into something fiercely intimate, wrenching, and utterly human. I closed this book changed, captivated, and quietly in awe of the power of storytelling.
Sally Rooney Normal People was the first book I read by Sally Rooney. I picked it up in an airport and by the time we landed many hours later, I didn’t want to do anything but keep reading her book.
Toni Morrison I don’t know about her writing process—-whether the words flowed or she struggled to find the right ones--but every one was perfect.
Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God and Mules and Men—when you laugh out loud and weep silently—that is the power of a well-written story. While I am thrilled that her work has experienced a resurgence, it haunts me that the most prolific Black woman writer of her time died penniless and in obscurity.