Robert Coover: By the Book The postmodern fiction writer Robert Coover (who once had ambitions to be a graphic novelist) saves his real reading and writing for after midnight.
Simon Sebag Montefiore: By the Book In childhood, the historian and novelist was a “voracious, excitable, starry-eyed” reader. He still is.
Niall Ferguson: By the Book The historian, biographer and author talks about the books he reads and re-reads, and the ones he is very happy not to read.
Daniel Mendelsohn: By the Book Daniel Mendelsohn on his fondness of literary criticism, the classics and books about home decor and haute couture.
James Rollins: By the Book At the beginning of his career, James Rollins, author of ‘The Demon Crown,’ stole Samuel Clemens’s pen name.
Francis Ford Coppola: By the Book The filmmaker shares the novels that most influenced his movie career and why he no longer looks to books for material for his films.
Jason Segel: By the Book The actor and co-author of, most recently, “Otherworld” has been reading a lot of plays. “There is such an admirable fearlessness in that world.”
Richard Lloyd Parry: By the Book The journalist and author of “People Who Eat Darkness” and, most recently, “Ghosts of the Tsunami” avoids “lad lit” even more assiduously than he avoids “chick lit.”
John Hodgman: By the Book The author of, most recently, “Vacationland,” doesn’t like to talk about writing with other writers. “We mostly talk about TV.”
Anthony Bourdain: By the Book The author of “Kitchen Confidential” says one of the benchmarks of great food writing is to be very knowledgeable, but never a snob.
Andy Weir: By the Book The author of “The Martian” and, most recently, “Artemis” has never read Frank Herbert’s “Dune”: “Yes, I know. I’m the worst sci-fi fan in the universe.”
Krysten Ritter: By the Book The actress and author of a thriller, “Bonfire,” can’t read on the set of “Jessica Jones”: “It is crazy exciting! But it’s not a reading environment.”
Walter Isaacson: By the Book The author of “Einstein,” “Steve Jobs,” and, most recently, “Leonardo da Vinci,” has a weakness for cyberpunk dating to the 1980s: William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, Neal Stephenson.
Ron Chernow: By the Book The author of “Hamilton,” “Titan” and most recently “Grant,” is a slow reader: “It’s a shameful thing to admit for someone who writes such long books.”
Simon Schama: By the Book The author of the two-volume “Belonging: The Story of the Jews 1492-1900” didn’t finish reading Elena Ferrante’s “Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay”: “I left.”
Tom Hanks: By the Book Tom Hanks, the actor, producer, director and author of a new story collection, “Uncommon Type,” has no desire to read novels of murder and conspiracy.
Roz Chast: By the Book The author of, most recently, “Going Into Town,” enjoys listening to audiobooks while working on a craft project like embroidering: “My idea of a really good time.”
Jennifer Egan: By the Book The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “A Visit From the Goon Squad” and the forthcoming “Manhattan Beach” reads only what she craves: “If I try to read a book I’m not hungry for, I won’t enjoy it.”
Celeste Ng: By the Book The author of, most recently, “Little Fires Everywhere,” often returns to “The Count of Monte Cristo”: “Right now, I see it as an exploration of the complexities of good and evil and how easily one shifts into the other.”
Sally Quinn: By the Book The author of, most recently, “Finding Magic: A Spiritual Memoir,” doesn’t like to read short story collections, “especially if they’re good, because they always leave me wanting more.”
Robert Coover: By the Book The postmodern fiction writer Robert Coover (who once had ambitions to be a graphic novelist) saves his real reading and writing for after midnight.
Simon Sebag Montefiore: By the Book In childhood, the historian and novelist was a “voracious, excitable, starry-eyed” reader. He still is.
Niall Ferguson: By the Book The historian, biographer and author talks about the books he reads and re-reads, and the ones he is very happy not to read.
Daniel Mendelsohn: By the Book Daniel Mendelsohn on his fondness of literary criticism, the classics and books about home decor and haute couture.
James Rollins: By the Book At the beginning of his career, James Rollins, author of ‘The Demon Crown,’ stole Samuel Clemens’s pen name.
Francis Ford Coppola: By the Book The filmmaker shares the novels that most influenced his movie career and why he no longer looks to books for material for his films.
Jason Segel: By the Book The actor and co-author of, most recently, “Otherworld” has been reading a lot of plays. “There is such an admirable fearlessness in that world.”
Richard Lloyd Parry: By the Book The journalist and author of “People Who Eat Darkness” and, most recently, “Ghosts of the Tsunami” avoids “lad lit” even more assiduously than he avoids “chick lit.”
John Hodgman: By the Book The author of, most recently, “Vacationland,” doesn’t like to talk about writing with other writers. “We mostly talk about TV.”
Anthony Bourdain: By the Book The author of “Kitchen Confidential” says one of the benchmarks of great food writing is to be very knowledgeable, but never a snob.
Andy Weir: By the Book The author of “The Martian” and, most recently, “Artemis” has never read Frank Herbert’s “Dune”: “Yes, I know. I’m the worst sci-fi fan in the universe.”
Krysten Ritter: By the Book The actress and author of a thriller, “Bonfire,” can’t read on the set of “Jessica Jones”: “It is crazy exciting! But it’s not a reading environment.”
Walter Isaacson: By the Book The author of “Einstein,” “Steve Jobs,” and, most recently, “Leonardo da Vinci,” has a weakness for cyberpunk dating to the 1980s: William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, Neal Stephenson.
Ron Chernow: By the Book The author of “Hamilton,” “Titan” and most recently “Grant,” is a slow reader: “It’s a shameful thing to admit for someone who writes such long books.”
Simon Schama: By the Book The author of the two-volume “Belonging: The Story of the Jews 1492-1900” didn’t finish reading Elena Ferrante’s “Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay”: “I left.”
Tom Hanks: By the Book Tom Hanks, the actor, producer, director and author of a new story collection, “Uncommon Type,” has no desire to read novels of murder and conspiracy.
Roz Chast: By the Book The author of, most recently, “Going Into Town,” enjoys listening to audiobooks while working on a craft project like embroidering: “My idea of a really good time.”
Jennifer Egan: By the Book The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “A Visit From the Goon Squad” and the forthcoming “Manhattan Beach” reads only what she craves: “If I try to read a book I’m not hungry for, I won’t enjoy it.”
Celeste Ng: By the Book The author of, most recently, “Little Fires Everywhere,” often returns to “The Count of Monte Cristo”: “Right now, I see it as an exploration of the complexities of good and evil and how easily one shifts into the other.”
Sally Quinn: By the Book The author of, most recently, “Finding Magic: A Spiritual Memoir,” doesn’t like to read short story collections, “especially if they’re good, because they always leave me wanting more.”