We asked our authors from around the world to share their thoughts on why they write, why they read, and the books that have influenced them.
Here’s what they had to say.
Tell us why you read and share your favorite books! Join the discussion @HarperCollins on Twitter using #hc200.
Samantha Loomis Paterson
I read because I want more than one life, and books give me a limitless number of lives—lives that are different from the one I was born into. I have lived in other lands and times, and have experienced how it feels to belong to another race or gender. I have even lived the life of a pig saved by a spider, a mouse in Ben Franklin’s hat, and a poor boy who becomes an Olympic gold-medalist. Reading has immeasurably enriched my one life. Come to think of it, that’s also why I like to write—so that I can live many lives.
