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.
Ellen Augarten
As the younger sister of an adored (sometimes overly perfect) sister, discovering Ramona and Beezus and the gang on Klikitat Street was a life-changer for me. Rereading Beverly Cleary’s stories as an adult was a revelation. Though I surely didn’t realize as a child, her hilarious tales of a younger sister grabbing as much of her sister’s spotlight as she possibly can all have a dark urgency for the grown-ups in the background, struggling with job failures and money woes. A beautiful comedy-tragedy juxtaposition that I now look for in everything I read and try to achieve in everything I write.
