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.
Ida Mae Astute/ABC
I used to read to lead a lot of fiction, mostly for the escape—to be transported to other places and times. Now that I’ve become (with the help of HarperCollins!) an unlikely evangelist for meditation, I mostly read about Buddhism. With these books, I’m seeking the opposite of escape. Not to be grandiose, but the material puts me in touch with some basic truths—such as the inevitability of death, the chaos of our minds. I need to be reminded of these truths all the time; they’re so easy to forget in the push and pull of a human life. It’s when I do forget that I tend to revert to my pre–10% Happier self. You don’t want to meet him.
