Hollis Hampton-Jones
Hollis Hampton-Jones has been a model, an actress, and is now an author. Her debut novel is Vicious Spring (Riverhead, $22).
Money: A Suicide Note by Martin Amis (Viking Press, $14). This book made me laugh out loud at the obliviousness and arrogance of the alcoholic narrator, John Self. Amis’ characters are so profoundly human in their rottenness that they are absolutely compelling. We’re all jerks in one way or another.
Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger (Lb Books, $6). I love all of Salinger’s writings, his authenticity and simplicity of voice, but this one had the biggest impact on me, particularly in its take on the divine. I’m fascinated by the way Salinger is able to convey everything through dialogue, gesture, and objects.
Subscribe to 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.
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (Vintage Books, $13). Lolita powerfully allows the reader to relate to and have an understanding of the completely unacceptable maneuverings of Humbert Humbert. Nabokov’s mastery of English is almost inconceivable, and he exquisitely reveals the tortured nature of his protagonist in a very humorous way. I’m a sucker for the collision of the bleak and the funny.
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (Viking Press, $14). It’s a definite time commitment to take on the reading of this book, but it is not overrated as one of the greatest novels of all time. It goes both deeply personal and grand scale, bringing the counterbalances of love and war so vibrantly to life. I love the way Tolstoy depicts war as chaos and unpredictability, full of chance happenings that are later claimed as military genius.
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (W.W. Norton & Co., $13). This book awes the linguist in me. I would be hard-pressed to think of a book with more brilliantly inventive language. When I started the book, I was always having to flip to the glossary to translate, but midway through I was fluent in Alexspeak. The culture of violence that Burgess portrays sadly remains ever relevant.
The Sorrows of Young Werther
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
How Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral run will change the Democratic Party
Talking Points The candidate poses a challenge to the party's 'dinosaur wing'
-
Book reviews: '1861: The Lost Peace' and 'Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers'
Feature How America tried to avoid the Civil War and the link between lead pollution and serial killers
-
Brian Wilson: the troubled genius who powered the Beach Boys
Feature The musical giant passed away at 82
-
John Kenney's 6 favorite books that will break your heart softly
Feature The novelist recommends works by John le Carré, John Kennedy Toole, and more
-
Andrea Long Chu's 6 favorite books for people who crave new ideas
Feature The book critic recommends works by Rachel Cusk, Sigmund Freud, and more
-
Bryan Burrough's 6 favorite books about Old West gunfighters
Feature The Texas-raised author recommends works by T.J. Stiles, John Boessenecker, and more
-
Tash Aw's 6 favorite books about forbidden love
Feature The Malaysian novelist recommends works by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and more
-
Richard Bausch's 6 favorite books that are worth rereading
Feature The award-winning author recommends works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and more
-
Marya E. Gates' 6 favorite books about women filmmakers
Feature The film writer recommends works by Julie Dash, Sofia Coppola, and more
-
Laurence Leamer's 6 favorite books that took courage to write
Feature The author recommends works by George Orwell, Truman Capote and more
-
Amor Towles' 6 favorite books from the 1950s
Feature The author recommends works by Vladimir Nabokov, Jack Kerouac, and more