A Prayer for Owen Meany Irving’s beloved coming-of-age tale that ranks among the most cherished of American classics. More
Tracy Chevalier I read because I want to know what it’s like to look at the world through someone else’s eyes, and reading is a remarkably efficient and vigorous way of doing that. More Tracy Chevalier
A Woman of Substance With her unforgettable heroine Emma Harte, Bradford popularized the rags-to-riches family saga. More
Emma Donoghue Like many teenagers, I spent more of my summer holidays than I probably should have immersed in the world of The Lord of the Rings. More Emma Donoghue
One Hundred Years of Solitude This landmark of magical realism sparked a wave of interest in Central and South American literature. More
The God of Small Things Winner of the 1997 Man Booker Prize, making Roy the first Indian woman to receive the award. More
The Wapshot Chronicle Winner of the 1958 National Book Award, it established Cheever as a major American novelist. More
Tales of the City First book in Maupin’s acclaimed and groundbreaking series documenting San Francisco’s underground and gay culture. More
Mary Karr I read to save my life, to take communion, to enter a community of fellow sufferers and rejoicers. More Mary Karr
The Shipping News Highly acclaimed international bestseller; winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. More
The Corrections Winner of the National Book Award in 2001 and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 2002. More
The Hours Winner of the 1999 Pulitzer Prize and PEN/Faulkner Award; made into an Oscar-winning film. More
The Devil Wears Prada Sensational behind-the-scenes debut novel about the fashion world and the boss from hell. More
The Bell Jar A haunting classic that chronicles the breakdown of a brilliant, talented, successful young woman. More
The Stone Diaries Winner of the 1993 Governor General’s Award (Canada) and the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. More
Room Winner of the 2011 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize regional prize; made into a major motion picture. More
Barometer Rising The first novel by MacLennan, one of Canada’s most significant novelists of the mid-twentieth century. 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
Our Town Pulitzer Prize–winning drama; hailed by Edward Albee as “The finest play ever written by an American.” More
Hilary Mantel I read out of hope and avid curiosity, and in an attempt to live in other times, and inhabit bodies that are not my own. More Hilary Mantel
Girl with a Pearl Earring Multimillion-copy global bestseller that won critical acclaim for its beautifully wrought depiction of innocence corrupted. More