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.
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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
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The Icelandic women’s strike 50 years onIn The Spotlight The nation is ‘still no paradise’ for women, say campaigners
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Mall World: why are people dreaming about a shopping centre?Under The Radar Thousands of strangers are dreaming about the same thing and no one sure why
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Why scientists are attempting nuclear fusionThe Explainer Harnessing the reaction that powers the stars could offer a potentially unlimited source of carbon-free energy, and the race is hotting up
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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
