"You should read Dawn Powell’s novels and then read her diaries, or vice versa, it doesn’t really matter. But when you read her diaries you see what it really means to be a writer. She struggled her whole life for money. She’s constantly worrying about money, because she doesn’t have any. This is the condition of most writers."

"I was in a unique position to be influenced by this book because my parents published it when I was in my twenties (long before Marielle Heller made it into a great movie). It is the most graphic of all the graphic novels I own — and all from the point of view of a teenage girl."

"So many Batman stories and graphic novels to choose from, but I think this ranks number one — with Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns” a close second. To civilians (non-comics fans), I describe this work as a great urban crime drama that just happens to have Batman in it. With a little Dostoyevsky mixed in — really."

"There are five books in this series and I love every one of them, but if you’re starting out, then begin with ""Mapp and Lucia,"" because it’s a vivid introduction to the characters who carry on in the other novels. A dear friend in London turned me on to Benson’s frolicking work and I’m forever grateful to her."

"The late Baroness Rendell wasn’t only the author of numerous superb crime novels, she was one of the greatest writers, period, of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. This is her last book, and in typical Rendell fashion, it weaves in and out of dark alleys and takes you to some astonishing places. Well worth the time spent."