Mr. Pine’s Purple House by Leonard Kessler (Purple House, $17). Everyone has a list of favorite books. The real question is when they were your favorites. This story of house color among neighbors is a study of individualism and conformity, in easy-to-digest form. From ages 3 to 5, I considered it quite definitive.
My 60 Memorable Games by Bobby Fischer (Batsford, $23). Between the ages of 12 and 14, I adopted all of Fischer’s favorite chess openings, including the Najdorf Sicilian and the King’s Indian Defense. I especially liked that he included some of his losses here. Only later did I learn that much of the writing and analysis was ghostwritten by his friend and sometime second, Larry Evans.
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $18). In this book everything seemed to be at stake. At 17, what could be more exciting than that?
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Last and First Men/Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon (now sold separately by Dover, $10 and $12). New ideas to blow my 19-year-old mind, told on a cosmic scale, with “the universe” in the starring role. Millions of years can pass in a single paragraph and you will struggle in vain to find the name of a character.
Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust (Vintage, 3 vols., $70). It took me two years to read this one; I felt I was aging with the Marcel character. It was so good when I finished it at 24 that I’ve been afraid to go back and reread it.
Bleak House by Charles Dickens (Signet, $8). Of all the truly special books, this is the one that hardly anyone still reads. There are tricks to the core narrative, so read the passages of denouement very carefully. At 43, I’ve given up, though, on the idea of a novel about everything.
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Should Labour break manifesto pledge and raise taxes?Today's Big Question There are ‘powerful’ fiscal arguments for an income tax rise but it could mean ‘game over’ for the government
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Nigerian Modernism: an ‘entrancing, enlightening exhibition’The Week Recommends Tate Modern’s ‘revelatory’ show includes 250 works examining Nigerian art pre- and post independence
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To the point: the gender divide over exclamation marksTalking Point 'Men harbouring urges to be more exclamative' can finally take a breath – this is what using the punctuation really conveys
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Beth Macy’s 6 favorite books about living in a divided nationFeature The journalist recommends works by Nicholas Buccola, Matthew Desmond, and more
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Gilbert King’s 6 favorite books about the search for justiceFeature The journalist recommends works by Bryan Stevenson, David Grann, and more
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Nathan Harris’ 6 favorite books that turn adventures into revelationsFeature The author recommends works by Kazuo Ishiguro, Ian McGuire, and more
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Marisa Silver’s 6 favorite books that capture a lifetimeFeature The author recommends works by John Williams, Ian McEwan, and more
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Lou Berney’s 6 favorite books with powerful storytellingFeature The award-winning author recommends works by Dorothy B. Hughes, James McBride, and more
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Elizabeth Gilbert’s favorite books about women overcoming difficultiesFeature The author recommends works by Tove Jansson, Lauren Groff, and more
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Fannie Flagg’s 6 favorite books that sparked her imaginationFeature The author recommends works by Johanna Spyri, John Steinbeck, and more
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Jessica Francis Kane's 6 favorite books that prove less is moreFeature The author recommends works by Penelope Fitzgerald, Marie-Helene Bertino, and more
