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What's J.K. Rowling is reading?
Rowling answered questions about everyone's favorite wizard, the magic of reading and her own most-loved books. At the top of her list is The Woman Who Walked Into Doors by acclaimed Irish writer Roddy Doyle. This unflinching novel chronicles a woman's relationship with a violent man in a way that brings fresh insight to the subject—and, far from being a punishing read, it is surprisingly engaging and uplifting.
- The Woman Who Walked into Doors by Roddy Doyle
(literature and fiction)
O, The Oprah Magazine: Why do you love The Woman Who Walked Into Doors?
J. K. Rowling: It is the most remarkable book. Roddy Doyle gets inside the head of his character so utterly, so completely. I don't think I've ever encountered such a believable, fully rounded female character from any other heterosexual male writer in any age. I should emphasize that I would feel the same way about the book if it had been written by a woman; I would still think it was the most remarkable achievement. But when I sit back and think, 'A man wrote this?'—phenomenal. He has created a woman who, you imagine, will go to the bathroom and defecate. He also leaves her with her dignity, even though what she's going through is a horrific thing. And he does it all in such a subtle way. I do think he's a genius. His dialogue is irreproachable. And your heart…you're totally drawn into his books. I'm very passionate about Roddy Doyle, and I've never met him, which is a frustration to me" - Emma by Jane Austen
(happiness, literature and fiction, classics, girl fiction)
"Virginia Woolf said of Austen, 'For a great writer, she was the most difficult to catch in the act of greatness,' which is a fantastic line. You're drawn into the story, and you come out the other end, and you know you've seen something great in action. But you can't see the pyrotechnics; there's nothing flashy. " - The Snapper by Roddy Doyle
(literature and fiction)
"I love all his (Roddy Doyle) books. I often talk about him and Jane Austen in the same breath. I think people are slightly mystified by that because superficially they're such different writers. But they both have a very unsentimental approach to human nature. They can be profoundly moving without ever becoming mawkish. " - Chéri by Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette
(literature and fiction, classics)
"I could never write the way Colette did. I've never found anything to match her descriptive passages, ever. She was a very sensual writer, and way beyond her time. Chéri is a love story between a very spoiled young man and his mistress who has "been there, done that." He's self-centered and vicious, and she ultimately turns out to be very noble. The final scene is incredibly moving; it makes me cry. I absolutely bow to Colette, but I think if she could hear me, she would probably tell me where to get lost, because she was that kind of woman. " - The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
(children books (Ages 9-12), children books)
"Favorite book as a child.. Goudge was the only one whose influence I was conscious of. She always described exactly what the children were eating, and I really liked knowing what they had in their sandwiches. " - Cautionary Tales for Children by Hilaire Belloc
(children books (Ages 9-12), children books, literature and fiction, teens)
"J. K. Rowling: 'I've loved Hilaire Belloc ever since I read Cautionary Tales for Children when I was about 10. Verse 22 of his Dedicatory Ode has been pinned on my study wall for several years." - Dancing Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
(children books (Ages 4-8), children books, children books (Ages 9-12))
"Q: 'What were your favourite childhood books?' J. K. Rowling: 'Noel Streatfield's Ballet Shoes, Elizabeth Goudge's The Little White Horse and Manx Mouse by Paul Gallico." - The Story of the Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit
(children books (Ages 9-12), children books, adventure, teens)
"She's the children's writer with whom I most identify. She said, 'By some lucky chance, I remember exactly how I felt and thought at 11.' That struck a chord with me. The Story of the Treasure Seekers was a breakthrough children's book. Oswald is such a very real narrator, at a time when most people were writing morality plays for children." - Skellig by David Almond
(children books (Ages 9-12), children books, teens)
"It's the best children's book I have read recently. " - Manxmouse by Paul, Gallico
(business books, children books, IT books, food and cooking, happiness, history, literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers, nonfiction, parenting, religion and spirituality, romance, science, teens)
"Manxmouse by Paul Gallico, which is not Gallico's most famous book, but I think it's wonderful" - Grimble
(business books, children books, IT books, food and cooking, happiness, history, literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers, nonfiction, parenting, religion and spirituality, romance, science, teens)
"Grimble is one of funniest books I've ever read, and Grimble himself, who is a small boy, is a fabulous character." - The Deportees: and Other Stories by Roddy Doyle
(literature and fiction)
"My favorite living writer is Roddy Doyle, who I think is a genius" - 7 Books in 1: The Railway Children, Five Children and It, The Phoenix and the Carpet, The Story of the Amulet, The Story of the Treasure-Seekers, The Would-Be-Goods, and The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit
(children books (Ages 9-12), children books, teens)
"I love E Nesbit -- I think she is great and I identify with the way that she writes. Her children are very real children and she was quite a groundbreaker in her day." - I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
(classics, literature and fiction)
"My favourite books for younger people would be I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, which I really love, The Little White Horse, all the classic children's books... I love E Nesbit." - The Chronicles of Narnia Boxed Set by C. S. Lewis
(children books (Ages 4-8), children books, children books (Ages 9-12), adventure, sci-fi, religion and spirituality)
"J. K. Rowling: 'My favourite writers were E. Nesbit, C.S. Lewis, adult writers as well. I would read absolutely anything - even the back of cereal packets.'" - The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, Book 1) by Philip Pullman
(children books, adventure, sci-fi, children books series, teens)
"J. K. Rowling: 'Read E. Nesbit, Philip Pullman, Henrietta Branford, Paul Gallico. Just read!'" - The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials, Book 2) by Philip Pullman
(children books, sci-fi, children books series, teens)
"J. K. Rowling: 'Read E. Nesbit, Philip Pullman, Henrietta Branford, Paul Gallico. Just read!'" - The Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials, Book 3) by Philip Pullman
(children books, sci-fi, children books series, teens)
"J. K. Rowling: 'Read E. Nesbit, Philip Pullman, Henrietta Branford, Paul Gallico. Just read!'" - Fire, Bed and Bone by Henrietta Branford
(children books (Ages 9-12), children books, literature and fiction) - The Adrian Mole Diaries : The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4 : The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole by Sue Townsend
(children books, literature and fiction, teens) - 8 Books in 1: Jane Austen's Complete Novels (Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, Lady Susan, and Love and Friendship) by Jane Austen
(literature and fiction, classics)
"My favorite writer is Jane Austen and I've read all her books so many times I've lost count" - Meanwhile Adventures by Roddy Doyle
(children books (Ages 9-12), children books, adventure, sci-fi, literature and fiction) - The Giggler Treatment by Roddy Doyle
(children books (Ages 9-12), children books, literature and fiction)
Source:
http://www.oprah.com
J.K. Rowling's interview with Amazon.co.uk
Why should you listen to her?
Joanne Rowling, better known and indeed, EXTREMELY well known around the world as JK Rowling was born in the town of Yate, South Gloucestershire in 1965. She is the most successful literary author of all time and her world-famous Harry Potter series has so far sold a staggering 400,000,000 copies worldwide and has been translated into over sixty five different languages.
JK Rowling went to the University of Exeter where she studied French and the Classics. After leaving university she worked for Amnesty International in London as a researcher and bilingual secretary.
JK Rowling has written fiction since a child, and always wanted to be an author. Her parents loved reading, and their house in Chepstow was full of books. In fact, JK Rowling wrote her first 'book' at the age of six - a story about a rabbit called Rabbit.
The idea for Harry Potter occured to JK Rowling on the train from Manchester to London, where she says Harry Potter "just strolled into my head fully formed", and by the time she had arrived at King's Cross, many of the characters had taken shape. During the next five years she outlined the plots for each book and began writing the first in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which was first published by Bloomsbury in 1997.
Rowling is a great donator to charity and in the future she intends to publish a Harry Potter encyclopedia with all profits going to charity. Coca-Cola were forced to give $18m to the American charity Reading is Fundamental in return for being allowed to rights to the movie tie-ins.
JK Rowling has also written two other companion books, Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, in aid of Comic Relief.
JK Rowling awards
- Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
(children books (Ages 9-12), children books, sci-fi, children books series)
"Nestle Smarties Book Prize (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)
Children’s Book of the Year - British Book Awards (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)
Children’s Book Award (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)" - Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (book 3) by J.K. Rowling
(children books (Ages 9-12), children books, sci-fi, children books series)
"Hugo Best Novel nominee (2000) : Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" - Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (book 4) by Mary GrandPré
(children books (Ages 9-12), children books, sci-fi, children books series)
"Hugo Best Novel winner (2001) : Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" - Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix (book 5) by Mary GrandPré
(children books (Ages 9-12), children books, sci-fi, children books series)
"Prometheus Award Best Novel nominee (2004) : Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"
JK Rowling records
- Last 3 volumes of the Harry Potter series have been the fastest selling books in history.
- Book 6 (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the fastest selling book ever.
- JK Rowling is the first person to win the Smarties Prize for literature 3 years in a row.
- In the USA, each Harry Potter book reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.
JK Rowling influences
- Jane Austen - Rowling's all time favourite writer
- Paul Gallico - writer of Manxmouse
- C.S. Lewis - the Narnia Chronicles
- Noel Streatfield
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