James Brady regularly writes for Parade magazine, profiling celebrities. He has authored a dozen books, including The Coldest War, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (Penguin, $14). Maybe the greatest novel ever. Pierre, Natasha, Prince Andre, even Bonaparte, “the Monster.” Who but a genius like Count Leo Tolstoy could have created a hero like fat, bespectacled, awkward, illegitimate—and lovable—Pierre Bezukhov?
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Simon & Schuster, $13). Surely our “great American novel.” Nick Carraway as the coolly detached but caring narrator very nearly steals the yarn. As for Daisy Buchanan, she isn’t good enough for Jay and never was.
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.
Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger (LB books, $6). The longest, funniest, the most wonderful bathtub scene in American lit. The best of several Salinger books about the Glass family. Why, oh why, did this glorious writer quit and go into seclusion?
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh (Little, Brown, $14). The great English novelist’s masterwork. I love this book—snobbish, moving, fun—from the very first chapter and its thrilling opening line by Charles Ryder: “‘I have been here before,’ I said; I had been there before; first with Sebastian more than 20 years ago on a cloudless day in June…”
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway (Simon & Schuster, $12). Why generations of American boys grew up wanting to become foreign correspondents and live in Paris; why too many of them made fools of themselves running with the bulls at Pamplona.
The Killer Angels
-
Helen Schulman's 6 favorite collections of short storiesFeature The award-winning author recommends works by Raymond Carver, James Baldwin, and more
-
Beatriz Williams' 6 timeless books about history and human relationshipsFeature The best-selling author recommends works by Jane Austen, Zora Neale Hurston, and more
-
Aysegul Savas' 6 favorite books for readers who love immersive settingsFeature The Paris-based Turkish author recommends works by Hiromi Kawakami, Virginia Woolf, and more
-
Geoff Dyer's 6 favorite books about the realities of warFeature The award-winning author recommends works by Ernie Pyle, Michael Herr, and more
-
Laura Lippman's 6 favorite books for those who crave a high-stakes adventureFeature The Grand Master recommends works by E.L. Konigsburg, Charles Portis, and more
-
Thomas Mallon's 6 favorite books from the 80's and early 90'sFeature The author recommends works by James Merrill, Calvin Trillin, and more
-
Anne Hillerman's 6 favorite books with Native charactersFeature The author recommends works by Ramona Emerson, Craig Johnson, and more
-
John Kenney's 6 favorite books that will break your heart softlyFeature The novelist recommends works by John le Carré, John Kennedy Toole, and more
