Monday, April 06, 2015

Charlie Stella's Shelves



Charlie StellaBorrowing an idea from the NTYBR, I asked Charlie Stella, one of my favorite writers and people, a few questions concerning his reading habits.


Charlie Stella is a former window cleaner/word processor/knockaround guy. He left his knockaround life after meeting his wife (for whom he wrote his first published novel in an attempt to impress her). He’s since written eight critically acclaimed crime novels about the New York City underworld that feature recurring characters on both sides of the law.
Johnny Porno was his first venture into the past as it takes place in 1973 when the New York mob was at the height of its power, disco was king and the business of pornography was about to explode across America after a New York City criminal court banned the most famous of all porn flicks, DEEP THROAT.





 What books are currently on your nightstand?

I’m reading Breathing Lessons, by Anne Tyler right now, but the non-fiction book about Alan Turing (Unlocking the Enigma) is in the on-deck circle. I just finished reading 3 by Tyler and 1 by Laura Lippman (reviewed last week on my blog). I’ve been reading a lot of female authors this year, but it all goes back to one of my favorites, someone Patti originally recommended to me, Bonnie Jo Campbell. I’m enjoying and observing the contrasts between them all.

Who is your all-time favorite novelist?

Richard Yates.

What book might we be surprised to find on your shelves?

Thank You For Smoking, Christopher Buckley (had to search hard through my bookshelves for this one)

Who is your favorite fictional hero?

Tom Joad

What book do you most often return to?

Used to be The Friends of Eddie Coyle, but now it’s Revolutionary Road.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I always enjoy learning from what other people have on their shelves :-).

George said...

I love those NYTBR interviews! You should do more of these on your blog! I would have never guessed Charlie Stella's favorite writer was Richard Yates.

Sergio (Tipping My Fedora) said...

Thanks Patti, really interesting. I've only read one of his books so far but reallyliked it - cheers!

pattinase (abbott) said...

Hoping to do one a week. Send me your answers at aa2579@wayne.edu

Chris said...

Hard to see the books on Charlie's shelves for all the Buffalo Bills bubbleheads, though.

Charles Gramlich said...

Interesting. Very different tastes/experiences from mine.

Deb said...

I love these type of questionnaires. You really get an insight into the writer. I even like the Proust Questionnaire that runs in Vanity Fair--although sometimes those answers get a little too cute.