"I don’t remember the first time I read Goodbye to All That, but I do know that a little part of me thinks of it whenever I turn on the air conditioner. Didion is a big picture writer and a vital writer (On Self-Respect is required reading for any woman, Sentimental Journeys for any person). She’s a national treasure, but for me it’s the image of her taking a messy bite of a peach on the sidewalk that feels like the Didion I know."

The book tells the story of a young girl who takes on the challenge of saving her family. I think it’s important for girls everywhere to learn how women are treated in some societies. But even though Parvana is treated as lesser than boys and men, she never feels that way. She believes in herself and is stronger to fight against hunger, fear and war. Girls like her are an inspiration. The Breadwinner reminds us how courageous and strong women are around the world.

"This book led me to all of her others and for that I am forever grateful. Her stories are cruel and sad and funny and very hard to put down. Highsmith has a very original perspective on the world—and it's not pretty. Her work is filled with fascinating sociopaths and lonely eccentrics, regular people like us revealing themselves to be sick or tortured in a variety of ways. She kind of feels like a sociologist; one who draws deeply dark and creepy conclusions."

"The Kid saved my sanity while I waited for my kid. I’m 32, I’ve had a home visit, I’ve filled out the paperwork, and now I’m waiting and waiting to be picked by a birth mother to adopt her baby. Through it all, I keep on my person a tattered copy of this Dan Savage book. How the story of a white gay couple adopting a baby boy feels like exactly the same journey as a single black woman adopting a baby girl is its magic."