Pepper Schwartz
Pepper Schwartz is the author of Everything You Know About Love and Sex Is Wrong: Twenty-Five Relationship Myths Redefined to Achieve Happiness and Fulfillment in Your Intimate Life (Penguin USA, $24). Here she chooses her six favorite books.
The Black Stallion by Walter Farley (Random House, $17). The most romantic story a 12-year-old can read—and the source of my lifelong love affair with horses. This is one of the few books that was actually made into the movie it deserved.
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (Scribner, $26). The fact that Rhett told Scarlett he didn’t “give a damn” anymore shocked me more than anything I had ever read before. Time, I thought, to clean up my act.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
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.
Sexual Conduct: The Social Sources of Human Sexuality by John Gagnon with William Simon (Aldine De Gruyter, $38). The book that made me want to study sexuality. This collection of sociological essays showed me that sexuality is cultural and shaped by fantasy, social norms, and during social interaction with others. A career turning point.
Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy (Bantam Books, $8). A beautiful novel that teaches you a lot about masculinity, families, love, and resurrection.
Portrait of a Marriage by Nigel Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West (University of Chicago Press, $18). A most fascinating and revelatory look into an unconventional but adoring upper-class marriage between a gay man and his bisexual wife. The compiled letters between husband and wife are presented by their son, who is well aware of their literary and social value.
Endless Love by Scott Spencer (out of print). A gorgeously written book (never, ever see the movie made from it) that showed me how close madness and passionate love might actually be.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Wall Street tumbles on poor tech results
Speed Read US markets had their worst day since 2022 as Tesla and AI stocks dropped
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Salt Lake City named host of 2034 Winter Olympics
Speed Read The Winter Games are returning to the US for the first time in 32 years
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Netanyahu makes controversial address
Speed Reads Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress denounced Gaza war protestors
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Peng Shepherd's 6 favorite works with themes of magical realism
Feature The author recommends works by Susanna Clarke, George Saunders, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Laura van den Berg's 6 favorite books with hidden secrets
Feature The author recommends works by Patricia Lockwood, Gillian Flynn, and more
By The Week US Published
-
26 of America's most unexpectedly banned books
In Depth From 'Harriet the Spy' to 'Little Red Riding Hood,' these books have all fallen afoul of censors
By The Week Staff Published
-
Conn Iggulden recommends 6 unforgettable books with historical themes
Feature The British author recommends works by Patrick O'Brian, Richard Dawkins, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Five books chosen by Nina Stibbe
Feature The author recommends works by David Sedaris, Alba de Céspedes and more
By The Week UK Published
-
Julia Phillips' 6 favorite books that explore the beauty and brutality of life
Feature The Novelist recommends works by Alice Walker, Colson Whitehead, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Joseph Earl Thomas's 6 favorite books that tackle social issues
Feature The author recommends works by Fernanda Melchor, Adania Shibli, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Ivy Pochoda's 6 favorite books that explore the dark side of human nature
Feature The thriller writer recommends works by Cormac McCarthy, Rachel Kushner, and more
By The Week Staff Published