BEST AUTHOR BEST : ED HELMS

 

'' BECAUSE comedy is rooted in pain ....... I've spend my whole life instinctively turning in to moments when things go wrong.'' The actor's  new book is '' Snafu : The Definitive Guide in History to History's Greatest Screwups.''

.-  What books are on your nightstand?

'' The History of Sound '' by Ben Shattuck : '' The Library Book,'' by Susan Orlean.

.-  Describe your ideal reading experience.

This might sound strange, but one of my favorite reading experiences was standing on the New York City subway, clinging to a pole with one hand and reading '' Moby-Dick '' on my phone with the other.

Sometimes I was so engrossed I'd get off the train and just plop down on a bench to finish a chapter. But honestly, nothing beats reading aloud to my kids in our little reading nook at home.

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

I've read a lot of good books, but the last truly great book I read was '' The Overstory,'' by Richard Powers.

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

'' Anna Karenina,'' by Tolstoy. In my defense, someone gave me a Russian-language edition and I literally can't read it.

.-  What's the last book you recommended to a member of your family?

A.D.H.D. has touched my life in a lot of ways, so I've recommended '' Scattered Minds,'' by Gabor Mate, to friends and family who've been curious about it. It's a moving window into what living with A.D.H.D. actually feels like.

.-  Disappointing, overrated, just not good:  What book did you feel as if you were supposed to like, and didn't?

'' A Walk in the Woods,'' by Bill Bryson. I signed up for soulful reflections on a grueling 2,000 mile trak along the Appalachian Trail.

What I got were some chipper musings about a leisurely stroll to a diner. Bryson is hilarious, but I still felt betrayed.

.-  Were you a '' Captain Underpants '' fan before playing the title role in the movie?

I was only dimly aware of the series before I signed on, but I immediately fell in love with its anarchic spirit. There's a wonderful undercurrent of pure childhood mischief in those books.

.-  In '' Snafu,'' you ask readers to think of you as an '' unofficial history teacher,'' is there one who made a difference to you?

My brother is a middle school history teacher, and one of the smartest, funniest people I know. He's my go-to for fact-checking and / or spirited debates.

The Publishing continues to Part [ 2 ]. The World Students Society thanks The New York Times.