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.

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
-
Today's political cartoons - March 30, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - strawberry fields forever, secret files, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilariously sparse cartoons about further DOGE cuts
Cartoons Artists take on free audits, report cards, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Following the Tea Horse Road in China
The Week Recommends This network of roads and trails served as vital trading routes
By The Week UK Published
-
John McWhorter’s 6 favorite books that are rooted in history
Feature The Columbia University professor recommends works by Lyla Sage, Sally Thorne, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Abdulrazak Gurnah's 6 favorite books about war and colonialism
Feature The Nobel Prize winner recommends works by Michael Ondaatje, Toni Morrison, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Elliot Ackerman’s 6 favorite books on war and duty
Feature The Marine veteran recommends works by Robert A. Heinlein, John le Carré, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Xochitl Gonzalez’s 6 favorite books that shaped her storytelling
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Stephen King, Julian Barnes, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Jason Isaacs's 6 favorite books that changed his perception on life
Feature The British actor recommends works by George Orwell, C.S. Lewis, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Tessa Bailey's 6 favorite books for hopeless romantics
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Lyla Sage, Sally Thorne, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Pagan Kennedy's 6 favorite books that inspire resistance
Feature The author recommends works by Patrick Radden Keefe, Margaret Atwood, and more
By The Week US Published
-
John Sayles' 6 favorite works that left a lasting impression
Feature The Oscar-nominated screenwriter recommends works by William Faulkner, Carson McCullers, and more
By The Week US Published