The Writer’s Library: The Authors You Love on the Books that Changed Their Lives

Seeking the ingredients that make a successful writer, librarian Nancy Pearl and playwright Jeff Schwager scripted interview questions for about twenty prize-winning novelists. Familiar names such as Amor Towles, Michael Chabon, Viet Thanh Nguyen, and many more speak about the influences that have directed them in their chosen field. Several recount parents who read to them as children, others found deliverance in their local libraries, while some had both inspiring and encouraging teachers.

These successful writers come from diverse backgrounds; Asian and African immigrants, indigenous Americans, from the affluent to the impoverished. All of them had a love of words, a hunger for literature, and subsequently, found stories they wanted to tell. From being youngsters teething on the Nancy Drew series, science fiction, and fantasy to feed their imagination, all had a love of reading that emerged and matured at various ages and in different stages.

The writers share the motives and objectives for their novels, and they very generously reveal the readings that have sustained and enriched them over the years. Their lists and comments about influential books that have impacted their thoughts will likely elicit reflective and provocative comments from readers. If you love books, then this is an appealing confection that you’ll devour with relish.