War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (Penguin, $14). The one book I’d take with me to that desert island. Often called the Iliad and Odyssey of Russian literature, this sweeping tale with its abundance of characters and locations quickly becomes a page-turner. Plus, the rise and fall of a short man always makes good fiction.
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A History of the Plantagenets by Thomas B. Costain (out of print). This scholarly and super-accurate four-volume history of England’s Plantagenet dynasty seems to have been written by an educated Jacqueline Susann. It has bloodshed, feuding, rebellion, adultery, and homosexuality, all within the castle walls. Who wants to read about a family that gets along?
Being and Nothingness by Jean-Paul Sartre (Washington Square, $17). Every time I pick up this remarkably cogent existentialist manifesto, I ask myself why am I reading it? And I answer because if life has no meaning this is a big, fat waste of thousands of pages and two trees. I do have fond memories of the summer I spent with Sartre when I was an exchange student at the Sorbonne. Jean-Paul, genius that he was, took me under his wing, teaching me to discard all bourgeois pretensions as well as to tell a knockoff designer beret from the real thing. What a thinker! What a man! What a book!
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton (Signet, $5). Anything by Edie W. is okay by me, and poor Lily Bart’s heartbreaking descent to the bottom of the social ladder is told with such polish, economy, and grace that it could have been my story…or Anna Wintour’s.
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (Warner, $8). One of the most deliciously, readable epic novels ever. I reread it every five years and find new layers. Frankly, I still give a damn.
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‘The worry is far from fanciful’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
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How are Americans bracing for the end of SNAP?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Millions depend on supplemental federal food funds that are set to expire this month, as the government shutdown begins to be acutely felt
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Book review: ‘Joyride: A Memoir’Feature A journalist’s story of how she chased and accomplished her dreams
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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
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Keith McNally's 6 favorite books that have ambitious charactersFeature The London-born restaurateur recommends works by Leo Tolstoy, John le Carré, and more
