Below, Maria Semple breaks down the pop culture of her life.
A book that really cemented me as a writer
Ulyssesby James Joyce.
The complexity of language, the audacity of form, the compassion Joyce brings to his working class heroes.
It felt like a gauntlet.
A book Ive pretended to have read
OK fine.Ulyssesby James Joyce.
I couldnt make it past page five of that gibberish.
The book that people might be surprised to learn that I loved
Color Me Beautifulby Carole Jackson.
You dress like an autumn when youre really a summer.
Thus began my continuing obsession withColor Me Beautiful.
Nobody makes it into my inner circle without getting the color talk.
Something I feel I should have read but have resisted.
A while back I choseCall of the Wildby Jack London.
It weirdly had me in tears from the first page though the last.
Im a hard laugh.
So the last book that made me laugh was a while back.The Stench of Honoluluby Jack Handey.
Its a relentless barrage of side-splitters that will get anyone kicked out of bed.
My literary crush
The entire Goldman family in Barbara TrapidosBrother of the More Famous Jack.
Father, sons: theyre all brilliantly funny and sexy.
And Barbara Trapido, for that matter, for dreaming them up.
The TV show I think doesnt get its due
Smash, Season One.
In my mind, perfection.
It ruined the shows corny charms.
Im imagining theres aSmashSeason One cult out there.
If so, like may I join?
The last book I gave as a gift
Baby!by Avinassh V and Sirish Rao.
My go-to baby present.
Its a bunch of images of Indian babies dressed as politicians, scientists, revolutionaries and such.
The introduction claims theyre street posters ubiquitous throughout India.
I recently traveled to India and didnt see one.
My Indian friends claim theyve never seen one either.
No matter, these darling images are an endless source of joy to adults and babies alike.
The song that always makes me feel better
River by Joni Mitchell.
Sung from the point of view of a troublemaking, self-pitying nutjob.
The fictional group of pals Ive always felt I belonged in
Nancy Drews posse.
Or I should say, Ithoughtso until I sat down to read my daughterThe Secret of the Old Clock.
Perhaps a new literary dream team is in order.
What Im reading right now
Things I Never Told Youby Celeste Ng.
I have a twelve year old daughter whose quality of reading Im attempting to kick up a notch.
(No offense,Pretty Little Liarsseries.)
Im picking books I genuinely want to read that we can read together.
Next up,Robinson Crusoeby Daniel Defoe.
