A longtime fan of podcasts such as But That's Another Story and Bookmarks, both of which interview authors about their favorite books and/or the books that have shaped them, I was hoping this book would be more of the same. However, two main differences prevented that from being the case. For one, the podcasts ask writers to select a book (or perhaps, isolate their choice to an author/series). In The Writer's Library, chapters are full transcripts of conversations that go all over the place, covering a wide range of writings. At times it was overwhelming, leaving me feeling like I was listening in on a private conversation I wasn't informed enough on the subject to be a part of. Secondly, as the book was composed of interview transcripts, I felt like there was far too much of the interviewers in this book. I found their commentary distracting and, again, made me, the reader, feel like I did not belong there. Combine this with the fact that many of the authors selected here seem to be of the same generation and therefore there was a lot of overlap in books that were discussed, and this book was only okay.

This was an interesting read. I always like to hear about what inspires authors and the writing process. It was interesting to learn what works truly stand the test the of time. I will admit, I am not the target audience for this book. I have not heard of a lot of writers interviewed or the works that the discussed. That being said, I can see that these insightful interviews will appeal to fans of these authors and literary fiction. It is a great addition for the adult book lover.

Treasure this foray into the hearts and minds of writers you knew only by their works before Nancy and Jeff invited them to reveal themselves. and show us "how ... the practice of reading inform the life of a writer". All interviews but one were done face to face, so the conversation is lively. Of the 23 authors interviewed at least some of them have to be your favorites, and Nancy asks the best questions. The foreword by Susan Orlean sets the tone for the literary adventure this book provides.

This is a delightful book about the love of books and reading told through a series of interviews with some of our best living writers. It's one of those books you can dip in and out of at your leisure, but it was so compelling that I could not put it down! My favorite part of reading this book was the list of new books I added to my TBR list.

My TBR pile has at least doubled and I intend to re-read several books on my own shelves. Thank you to the authors at this time. Will look forward to the print edition as a wonderful reference book.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50172956-the-writer-s-library" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Writer's Library" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1588040747l/50172956._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50172956-the-writer-s-library">The Writer's Library</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/67412.Nancy_Pearl">Nancy Pearl</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3159609403">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Turns out this was exactly what I needed in my current COVID-19 lockdown reading slump: some time eavesdropping on Nancy Pearl, Jeff Schwager, and some of the best writers alive as they talk about a topic I never tire of.<br /><br />If you're looking for an objective review, this isn't it - Nancy Pearl was one of my teachers at library school and I'm a total fan. I can hear her voice in the questions and it brings a smile to my face to get the feeling of sitting with her as she asks smart and interesting questions about the impact reading has in the development of supremely creative people.<br /><br />As usual, she also added new titles to my never-ending TBR shelf on Goodreads:<br /><i>The Lonely Doll</i> Dare Wright<br /><i>Jesus' Son</i> Denis Johnson<br /><i>Birds of America</i> Lorrie Moore<br /><i>Samuel Johnson is Indignant</i> Lydia Davis (just got my digital copy from the library!)<br />Several Walter Tevis books<br /><i>Little Big Man</i> Thomas Berger<br /><i>The Voice at 3 a.m.</i> Charles Simic<br /><br />And quite a few more, including a resolution to keep re-reading <i>Watership Down</i> as much as possible for the good of my soul.<br /><br />Received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/13229544-erin-boyington">View all my reviews</a>

The Writer's Library is a beautiful collection of interviews with authors looking at what books influenced them through their lives. Nancy Pearl and Jeff Schwager make it feel like you are sitting on the couch with them listening to these authors have a conversation about books and reading and writing. The Writer's Library is a fascinating book for anyone who loves reading, and it will definitely increase your to be read pile!

This was a lovely series of interviews with both well-known and more obscure authors, Nancy and Jeff are wonderful interviewers and led their subjects through in-depth interviews that never felt like they went on too long. I loved the interviews and added more than a dozen books to by own "to be read" pile based on the recommendations from the authors. I really liked the list at the end of each interview that placed all the recommendations in one easy-to-find place. This is a great book for anyone who's enjoyed Pearl's other books.

Librarian Nancy Pearl and writer Jeff Schwager’s collaboration “The Writer’s Library” compiles interviews they conducted with 23 different authors about their lives as readers and the books that have most influenced them. I loved the idea of this book—it reminded me of the New York Times Book Review’s “By the Book” feature, which is a must read for me—but I have to say that I imagined I would dip in and out of “The Writer’s Library,” cherry-picking the authors I am familiar with and admire and bypassing the others. As it happens, I tore straight through “The Writer’s Library” from cover to cover, enjoying, as expected, the interviews with favorite authors (Jennifer Egan and Viet Thanh Nguyen, for example) but perhaps appreciating even more the new authors I discovered in its pages, such as Maaza Mengiste. If you love talking about books for hours with friends who share your passion, “The Writer’s Library” will be an absolute treat. Just have your “to read” list at hand and ready for a lot of new additions!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Every time I become arrogant enough to consider myself "well read" a book like this comes along. I love Nancy Pearl, and have read (& owned) several of her books (Book Lust, etc). Every time I discover new authors and new books. This is no exception. In this volume, Pearl along with her friend & colleague Jeff Schwager interview 23 authors about their early reading experiences, their influences, their reading habits, and their favorite authors & books. I have only read 7 of these authors and only recognized the names of a few others. Where have I been?!!

This is a book for book lovers, librarians, authors, wannabe authors or anyone interested in good books, the writing process, and anyone just curious about what makes authors become authors. I was absolutely enthralled. I admit to being embarrassed that, after 25 years as a librarian, I was still ignorant of many of these acclaimed authors. But I was completely absorbed in their stories and (most of all) in their lists of influential and favorite books and authors. Had I read this book in print, it would be filled with highlights and underlines and sticky-notes. Since I read the ebook version, and I'm woefully unskilled at highlighting and annotating ebooks, instead I kept a note pad and pen nearby. My "to read" list has never been so long. I expected to see that many "classics" were among the books listed as influential (Fitzgerald, Dickens, Twain, etc), but was pleasantly surprised to see how many authors also listed popular fiction & non-fiction as well. There were a few (almost) snarky comments about the lack of writing quality among popular fiction, but there were also many favorable mentions of best sellers as well. My favorite part was reading about the books these authors read as children and their "go to" titles/authors currently, especially those they have re-read frequently.

Thanks Netgalley, for letting me read this book before it's in print form. Now I have a head start on acquiring the books recommended. And, thanks to Nancy Pearl. This is, yet again, a must read -- must have -- for any bibliophile.

I shouldn’t have been surprised that this would be good, with Nancy Pearl’s name on my. Nonetheless I found this a surprising and highly enjoyable read.

Apart from little moments of darkness which I will touch upon later, I will say that this is one of the best-developed interview books I've ever read. Pearl and Schwager really did a fantastic job of presenting the interviews in such a way that they flow as if you're actually present for the conversation. It was incredibly interesting to see how the same basic set of questions led to such different conversational points. Between that and the variety of authors that they talk to, you're guaranteed to walk away from this book with a better understanding of the varied psyches of authors and an even longer reading list.
Now, as I said, there were a couple of moments while reading this that I was undecided about my thoughts concerning it. On one hand, it's a personal glimpse at some of the best literary voices of the last century and the books that inspired them. On the other, I had issues with the way non-literary books (aka, genre fiction) were continually put down. There were authors who defended genre and who even talked about the influence of such books on their own, but the overall 'taste' I was left with is that most people tend to look down on genre and I majorly dislike that. It just didn't sit well with me as an avid reader of genre and a firm believer that all books have something to contribute. It's a minor blip on what is overall a book lovefest of great magnitude and achievement, but I wish this were something that people could consciously eliminate from the general conversation about books.
Overall, despite the one issue, this is a writer's love letter to books and how they inspire as seen through the looking glass of those that have dedicated their lives to writing them. A phenomenal book about books that's sure to delight any bibliophile.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the early peak.

In THE WRITER'S LIBRARY, Nancy Pearl and Jeff Schwager interview 23 living authors about the books that they read as children and young adults -- the books that brought them joy, altered the course of their lives, and impacted them profoundly. They also talked a lot about if they came from a family of readers or not, which was interesting.

Nancy & Jeff are really great interviewers, and they really know a LOT about books! They were great people to carry out this project.

This is a great book if you are a library junkie, know a lot about books, and are familiar with the writers interviewed. If you are someone that loves nonfiction, really enjoys interviews, and is interested in learning more about authors' lives, this book will be incredibly interesting for you! I found some interviews to be compelling, namely Viet Thanh Nguyen, David Eggers, Laurie Frankel, Madeline Miller, and Amor Towles. However, despite the author's different preferences and stories, it was a bit repetitive at times. I would have enjoyed a shorter version of this book, or maybe had I selected to read only some chapters of the book, but I'm still happy I read it! I found it to be really interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adore Nancy Pearl! This is such a wonderful collection of writers on reading. So many new books to add to my TBR! I love the variety and diversity in the chosen authors.

A treasure trove of a book Nancy Pearl America’s favorite librarian in conversation with today’s eminent authors..Conversations about the importance of books in their lives their favorite authors ,books. Another pleasure books recommendations from the authors ,&Nancy Pearl books they have recently reads authors who deserve more attention.My list grew and grew .A rave review from me a book I will be gifting to my book loving friends.#netgalley#harpercollins

I adore Nancy Pearl, so I was thrilled to see a new addition from her. This is a lovely collection of interviews with authors about what they read, how they read, and why their reading led them to write. Plus, an added bonus in the variety of the reading recommendations!