Buy Kiss Me Like a Stranger at Amazon
Dear Theo: The Autobiography of Vincent Van Gogh edited by Irving Stone (Plume, $16). The letters of my favorite painter to his younger brother Theo. Van Gogh gives an insight into his creative process, which I found fascinating. I carried this book with me for many years and it always gave me courage when I was depressed.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Scribner, $13). Primarily a psychological tangle, this story is about a doctor who helps a seriously neurotic young woman, and they fall in love and marry. He ends up a wreck and she ends up quite sane and normal. It’s very moving.
For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway (Scribner, $14). This love story set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War is on my list of all-time greats. Hemingway’s definition of courage was grace under pressure, and that’s what this book exemplifies.
The Notebooks of Captain Georges by Jean Renoir (out of print). My favorite book of all, and it’s written by a film director. Renoir’s novel is a romantic story about a rich Frenchman who, as a young man, fell in love with a prostitute. He kept his love secret, but wrote about it in his private notebooks. When he is old and ill the notebooks are unearthed and published.
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez (Vintage, $14). An epic love story about a man who loves the same woman for 50 years. She marries another, but when she’s old and a widow they meet again and find they’re still in love. A sad, romantic, and beautifully written story.
Timebends
-
The struggles of Aston MartinIn the Spotlight The car manufacturer, famous for its association with the James Bond franchise, is ‘running out of road’
-
The end of ‘golden ticket’ asylum rightsThe Explainer Refugees lose automatic right to bring family over and must ‘earn’ indefinite right to remain
-
Grecotel Luxme Dama Dama: Greek luxury with a breezy beach vibeThe Week Recommends Rhodes is reimagined in this refined and relaxed resort
-
Marisa Silver’s 6 favorite books that capture a lifetimeFeature The author recommends works by John Williams, Ian McEwan, and more
-
Lou Berney’s 6 favorite books with powerful storytellingFeature The award-winning author recommends works by Dorothy B. Hughes, James McBride, and more
-
Elizabeth Gilbert’s favorite books about women overcoming difficultiesFeature The author recommends works by Tove Jansson, Lauren Groff, and more
-
Fannie Flagg’s 6 favorite books that sparked her imaginationFeature The author recommends works by Johanna Spyri, John Steinbeck, and more
-
Jessica Francis Kane's 6 favorite books that prove less is moreFeature The author recommends works by Penelope Fitzgerald, Marie-Helene Bertino, and more
-
Keith McNally's 6 favorite books that have ambitious charactersFeature The London-born restaurateur recommends works by Leo Tolstoy, John le Carré, and more
-
Garrett Graff's 6 favorite books that shine new light on World War IIFeature The author recommends works by James D. Hornfischer, Craig L. Symonds, and more
-
Helen Schulman's 6 favorite collections of short storiesFeature The award-winning author recommends works by Raymond Carver, James Baldwin, and more
