Celeste Ng for The New York Times, she also reads multiple books at a time. At the time of the
interview, September 17, Celeste Ng was reading "Lincoln in the Bardo" by George Saunders,
"The Essex Serpent" by Sarah Perry and "Marlena" by Julie Buntin (a 2018 Michigan Notable
Book). The last great book that Ng read in 2017 was "The Tsar of Love and Techno" by Anthony
Marra: "They're interconnected stories about the Chechen-Russian wars, but really they're
about all the ways we try to reclaim the things and people we love after they're gone....
read it recently and was blown away." (Note: GoodReads gave it 4.28 Stars out of 5)
The last classic novel Ng read was "The Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton, and she declared it
a masterpiece that "still speaks powerfully on the assumptions we make about each other, and
our human failures to communicate our needs and desires." (We have considered this as a
discussion book in the past, perhaps next year? In February we will discuss our classic novel
pick "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier.
Celeste Ng reads "omnivorously, because I never know what's going to spark a new idea."
She prefers reading a physical book as "I like to be able to flip back and look at earlier pages
and chapters as I make connections." (For myself, I find the physical book works best for
preparing for our book discussions; but, it certainly is nice to read online for news, articles,
and free eBooks through the library's Hoopla and Overdrive.)
The book lover in us will identify with Ng as a reader in childhood:
"Voracious and escapist. I read everywhere; my parents often let me read at the
dinner table because it was the only way I'd eat. I left books all over the house,
and sometimes we'd find them in the cushions of the couch months later. I've
kept most of my favorites...a short sampling of those that influenced me most:
the "Little House" series by Laura Ingalls Wilder; "The Great Brain" series by John D.
Fitzgerald; "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil Frankweiler," by E.L.. Konigsburg;
..."Harriet the Spy," by Louise Fitzhugh; the Wizard of Oz series by L. Frank Baum...
"A Little Princess" and "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett; Katherine
Paterson's books -- which were almost traumatizing to me as a kid, but which I
appreciate now for challenging me and my worldview. I've probably read each of the
books I just mentioned at least 20 or 30 times apiece."
My favorite question from the interview: You're organizing a literary dinner party. Which
three writers,dead or alive,do you invite?
"My favorite parties are those where I sit quietly and listen to funny, interesting,
brilliant people banter with each other. So I'd invite three people who would carry
the conversation, and I'd pour the drinks and enjoy. I've been a fan of Mary Roach's
books on science's unusual and curious applications since "Stiff" -- she's ask offbeat
questions and tell hilarious yet informative stories. Shakespeare, because who would
pass up the opportunity to have dinner with Shakespeare? Plus, he'd be funny and also
probably quite bawdy. And to round out the group, Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose brain
I adore and whom I long to meet. We can sing "Les Miserables" together and then become
best friends."
Which 3 writers, living or dead, would you invite to a literary dinner party?