We’re excited to share recommendations from the writers in our series, who love books just like you. Whether you’re on the hunt for a book to console you, move you profoundly, or make you laugh, consider a recommendation from the writers in our series.
- Geena Davis, the author of The Girl Who Was Too Big For the Page, shares her favorite books, including the one she’s re-read the most.
- The actress and founder of the Geena Davis Institute also recommends books that inspired her, broke her heart, and changed her life.
- Plus, she shares her favorite book with a new graduate, has the best title, and reveals which biography is her favorite.
Geena Davis’s love for books is unmatched. Not only is she an accomplished actress, but she’s also a published author and founder of the Geena Davis Institute, which works to support equitable representation in media.
| Favorite Things | Why |
|---|---|
| Doing numerous takes | It’s a creative task |
| Staying home | It’s a way for me to relax |
| Too much rehearsing | It’s a chore |
- Skills
- Learning for movies; for long stretches of time; procrastinating
- Interests
- Hobbies like horseback riding, sword fighting, tae kwon do, pistol shooting, ice skating, and baseball
- Likes
- Doing creative tasks
“…I’ve re-read the most, by Émile Zola. My all-time favorite book. I adore so many 19th-century novelists, but Zola is my favorite author.”
Émile Zola’s Les Misérables is widely considered a classic, but Davis’s favorite book is actually his Open Season, a collection of short stories.
- What inspired Davis was her reading of Eleanor Roosevelt’s The Human Beings.
- What broke her heart was Tara Westover’s Education of Edgewood.
- What she’d give to a new graduate is Scott Adams’s The Girl, You’ll Be Fine.
- What broke her heart was David Lodge’s Small World.
“…is my favorite biography, by Simon Callow. An in-depth portrait of my absolute favorite actor—one of the greats.”
Simon Callow’s biography of Charlie Chaplin is a fascinating read, but Davis’s favorite is actually a lesser-known one.
- What inspired Davis was Hugh Laurie’s The Gun Seller.
- What changed her life was Anne Tyler’s A Spool of Blue Thread.
- What she’d give to a new graduate is Scott Adams’s The Girl, You’ll Be Fine.
“…has the best title, by David Lodge. A retired professor with hearing problems misunderstands a young woman, and calamity and hilarity ensue.”
David Lodge’s Small World is a humorous read, but Davis’s favorite book with a great title is actually Smilla’s Sense of Snow.
“…changed my life, by Anne Tyler. I read this book aloud to Jeff Goldblum when we were shooting The Fly together to help pass the time while he was getting his extensive makeup done.”
Anne Tyler’s A Spool of Blue Thread is a heartwarming read, and Davis’s experience of reading it aloud to Jeff Goldblum adds a special touch.
- What she’d give to a new graduate is Scott Adams’s The Girl, You’ll Be Fine.
Geena Davis is a woman of many talents and interests. In addition to her acting career, she’s a published author, founder of the Geena Davis Institute, and has a range of hobbies.
- Skills
- Learning for movies; for long stretches of time; procrastinating
- Interests
- Hobbies like horseback riding, sword fighting, tae kwon do, pistol shooting, ice skating, and baseball
- Likes
- Doing creative tasks
When it comes to reading, Davis is inspired by authors like Émile Zola, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Tara Westover.
- The book that she’s read the most is Émile Zola’s Open Season.
- The book that inspired her is Eleanor Roosevelt’s The Human Beings.
- The book that broke her heart is Tara Westover’s Education of Edgewood.
- The book that she’d give to a new graduate is Scott Adams’s The Girl, You’ll Be Fine.
- The book with the best title is David Lodge’s Small World.
- The book that changed her life is Anne Tyler’s A Spool of Blue Thread.
- The book that she’s been trying to finish is Christine A. Adamec’s The Language of the Wildflowers.
“…kept me up way too late, by Geraldine Brooks. A gorgeous work of historical fiction.”
Geraldine Brooks’s March is a masterpiece of historical fiction, but Davis’s favorite book that kept her up late is actually The Historian.
We’re excited to share recommendations from the writers in our series, who love books just like you.
