The Bridge of San Luis Rey The Pulitzer Prize–winning novel of fate, tragedy, and the meaning of the human condition. More
Girl with a Pearl Earring Multimillion-copy global bestseller that won critical acclaim for its beautifully wrought depiction of innocence corrupted. More
The Shipping News Highly acclaimed international bestseller; winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. More
The Stone Diaries Winner of the 1993 Governor General’s Award (Canada) and the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. More
Go Set a Watchman This newly discovered novel from beloved author Harper Lee became the bestselling book of 2015. More
Dorothea Benton Frank You’ve asked me to tell you why I write but I think the answer might be longer than the fifty or one hundred words you’ve allotted me. More Dorothea Benton Frank
Jane Eyre Brontë’s masterpiece of Gothic romance; a milestone title in the history of British feminist literature. More
A Prayer for Owen Meany Irving’s beloved coming-of-age tale that ranks among the most cherished of American classics. More
Bel Canto Patchett’s critically acclaimed novel that won the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize for Fiction. More
Shilpi Somaya Gowda At every stage of life, since being a kid with a flashlight under the covers, reading has always been my favorite activity. More Shilpi Somaya Gowda
The Corrections Winner of the National Book Award in 2001 and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 2002. More
The Golden Notebook A feminist landmark and the best-known work by Nobel Prize winner Doris Lessing. More
Namita Gokhale I read to share the world, to treasure words, to learn and intuit and recognise experiences to which I have no direct access. More Namita Gokhale
Heather O’Neill A book that influenced me and why: A Season in the Life of Emmanuel by Marie-Claire Blais More Heather O’Neill
The God of Small Things Winner of the 1997 Man Booker Prize, making Roy the first Indian woman to receive the award. More
Tales of the City First book in Maupin’s acclaimed and groundbreaking series documenting San Francisco’s underground and gay culture. More
Room Winner of the 2011 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize regional prize; made into a major motion picture. More
To Kill a Mockingbird Much-loved Pulitzer Prize–winning classic, voted by librarians across America as the best novel of the twentieth century. More
The Unbearable Lightness of Being Kundera’s postmodern masterwork; named one of the best books of 1984 (New York Times Book Review). More
The Hours Winner of the 1999 Pulitzer Prize and PEN/Faulkner Award; made into an Oscar-winning film. More
Pilgrim A finalist for the Giller Prize and a Canadian bestseller that surpassed the author’s own impressive sales records. More