So You’re Stranded on a Desert Island...

with Lauren Nossett

You are what you read?

In college, one of my favorite professors warned us to be careful about the books we read before bed, because—were we to die in our sleep—we might be judged according to the books on our nightstands. Something about this warning clearly stuck with me, because the books next to my mattress are primarily collections of short stories and poetry—respectable tomes that in reality do not reflect the salacious thrillers I’m usually reading! There’s so much pressure to choose a favorite book, because that choice seems to reveal something indicative about our personalities—not just who we are as readers, but who we are in our deepest, darkest selves. That’s why I like the desert island prompt. What you bring is informed by scarcity and necessity, and therefore may not necessarily define you as a reader (or a person). So hold your judgement!

Today our Thriller Thursday authors answer the question: What book would you bring if you were stranded on a desert island?

Wendy Walker: “Something I haven’t read yet! I never read a book twice. Hopefully it’s a good book, but it won’t matter because I won’t read it more than once so I guess I’ll have to learn to fish and build a boat to escape like Tom Hanks :) But two books I couldn’t put down were My Dark Vanessa and Girl A.”

Carter Wilson: “I would be hard-pressed not to bring James Clavell's Shogun. It's long, the writing is exceptional, and, without really being a love story, it's the greatest love story I've ever read.”

Lauren Nossett: “ I would likely choose The Likeness by Tana French. It’s a book with prose I could read over and over again despite knowing how it ends, a cast of characters I’d find comfort with if alone on an island, and an Irish countryside setting whose lush gardens and crumbling Victorian house would be a welcome reprieve from the island sand and heat.”

Danielle Girard: “A dictionary. I’d read it and make my own stories from words I’d never known. Endless entertainment until I’m hopefully, promptly, rescued.”

Tessa Wegert: “Definitely John Fowles’ The Magus. It’s a classic psychological thriller set on a small Greek island that’s crammed with mind games and killer twists. Even after countless rereads, I still discover something new every time I pick it up.”

Greg Wands: “Sheesh. A nearly impossible question, but if forced to pick one, I’ll go with Don Quixote. Romance, adventure, mortality, humor, wonderfully drawn characters and playful, inventive language. It’ll hold up to a few re-reads.”

Lynne Constantine: “The Bible. For inspiration, hope, and because there are amazing stories in it.”

Katy Hays: “I might bring Calla Henkle’s Other People’s Clothes. My initial response to a question like this is always a Daphne du Maurier (usually Rebecca or My Cousin Rachel or The Scapegoat), but I find Henkle’s writing so fun and so wild that it might be the thing to help me forget about the island situation.”

QotW: What book would you bring if you were stranded on a desert island?