BEST AUTHOR BEST : EMILY HENRY

 

'' I don't want other people to miss out on the wisdom and joy this genre has to offer, the way I did so for so long,'' says the best-selling novelist.

'' Funny Story,'' about a heartsore librarian and the new man in her life, is out next week.

.-  What books are on your night stand?

Currently, Elise Bryant's '' It's Elementary.'' Calahan Skogman's '' Blue Graffiti '' and Yangsze Choo's '' The Fox Wife.''

.-  What's the last great book you read?

I absolutely loved Tia Williams's '' A Love Song for Ricki Wilde.''

.-  What books are you embarrassed not to have read yet?

I've never read ''One Day,'' by David Nicholls, and probably three times a year someone makes me promise that I'd get to it eventually. I will ! I'm just afraid for it to wreck emotional havoc on me.

.-  Why is it important for you to identify as a romance writer?

When I was growing up [and beyond!], romance, as a genre, was treated as a butt of a joke. That message was instilled in me so deeply that I'd never ever read a romance novel until I was about 25.

When I started, I was blown away by how frequently the prose, character development and tension were exceptionally written.

Beyond that, they're often filled with a sense of hope, an appreciation for beauty, and the pervading belief that love of all kinds is a worthy pursuit, no matter how dark or scary the world may be. 

While technically my books straddle the line between romance and general fiction, it's always been important to me to claim that romance title, because if non-romance readers like my work, there's a very strong chance they'd love a lot of romance novels.

I don't want other people to miss out on the wisdom and joy this genre has to offer, the way I did for so long.

.-  What makes a funny story?

A while back, two of my close friends realized, on their first night in a new house, that raccoons were living in the walls.

They asked the landlord to send someone out to rehome the raccoons, and he said he'd get '' [his] guy over there first.''

His guy showed up with his pregnant wife, son, dog, a saw and a BB gun, and proceeded to cut a bunch of holes in the ceiling and walls. He fired BBs into them at random, to try to scare the raccoons out.

Then he left. The raccoons were still there, and there were holes everywhere.

A lot of times, bad things happening, in surprising ways, is what makes a story funny.

.-  You're organizing a literary dinner party. Which three writers, dead or alive, do you invite?

Realistically, I would just invite three of my closest writer friends, but since dead writers are on the table, I should take the opportunity to meet Nora Ephron, because she made me love romantic comedies.

And Madeleine L'Engle, because she made me love reading. For my last invitation, I'd cheat and invite a writing duo. Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, who are making some of the most surprising, bravest and softest television right now.

.-  What do you plan to read next ?

Aside from the three on ny night stand, I 'm excited to finally read Liu Cixin's '' The Three-Body Problem '' before I watch [ two ] new adaptations.

The World Students Society : wssciw.blogspot.com, thanks, The New York Times.