In a delightful glimpse into the mind of a literary star, New York Times bestselling author Laura Dave has opened up about the books that shape her world, from eternal comfort reads to the childhood story that first sparked her passion.
Desert Island Companions & Literary Loves
When asked what single book she would take to a desert island, Dave's choice was immediate and heartfelt: Nora Ephron's "Heartburn." She describes the novel, loosely based on the end of Ephron's own marriage, as a funny and touching "comfort read" that she keeps close by and re-reads annually.
"For such a heartbreaker of a subject, it’s a real comfort read," Dave explained, also praising the wonderful recipes scattered throughout, given the protagonist is a cookbook writer. Should an extra volume be permitted, her classic, forever-wonderful pick would be Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice."
Her current reading is the genre-bending "What Can We Know" by Ian McEwan, which she calls both a love story and a detective story, applauding McEwan as a wonderful writer. She holds a special place in her heart for his celebrated novel, "Atonement."
The Book That Started It All & The Rare Disconnect
The first book to truly captivate Dave was a children's title called "Penelope Gets Wheels," published in 1982. She cherishes a copy sent by a kind reader after she mentioned her love for the now out-of-print book during a tour.
While Dave professes to love fiction, memoirs, poetry, and non-fiction alike, rarely abandoning a book, she confesses to a specific disconnect. "If it turns out all the characters are bad or villainous, I tend to feel a bit of a disconnect when I get to the last page," she revealed.
She also admitted that her sixteen-year-old self "really didn't like" Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead," though she muses that perhaps it deserves another read.
A New Chapter from the Bestselling Author
Fans of Laura Dave won't have to wait long for new material from the author herself. Her latest novel, "The First Time I Saw Him," is set for release on January 15, published by Penguin and priced at £18.99.
This candid look into her personal library underscores a simple truth for writers and readers alike: the books we choose to keep close tell the story of who we are.
