Sunday, February 23, 2014

Alice Hoffman: By the Book


Alice Hoffman Illustration by Jillian Tamaki

The author of “The Museum of Extraordinary Things” found a copy of “The Catcher in the Rye” on her mother’s bookshelf. “I hadn’t known that a book could speak so directly to a reader.”
What books are currently on your night stand? 
“Time and Again,” by Jack Finney, which I missed in the ’70s and just discovered — I am a huge fan of all time travel. “Inside the Dream Palace,” by Sherill Tippins, the history of the Chelsea Hotel, since I’m a Chelsea girl. “The Death of Bees,” by Lisa O’Donnell, a dark, fierce first novel that is a page-turner and a fairy tale turned inside out. I can’t wait to read what she writes next.

Who is your favorite novelist of all time? And your favorite novelist writing today? 
Sell us on your favorite overlooked or underappreciated writer. 


Penelope Lively, the wonderful English writer born in Egypt. I love everything she writes: novels, children’s books, nonfiction. She has such grace, and her characters have true depth. “Moon Tiger,” the first of her novels I read, is a favorite, along with some of her recent books, “How It All Began” and “The Photograph,” luminous, intelligent fictional worlds, often centering on a character who is searching back through her own history to find out why her life played out as it did. Emotional mysteries, the best kind.

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1 comment:

Renee said...

Loved reading the short piece on Alice Hoffman - and was particularly delighted to read that several of her favourite books are also mine. Thanks, Graham.