With over 70 million books in print worldwide, Harlan Coben is the #1 New York Times author of thirty one novels including the recently released Run Away.From his responses to prompts set at the Guardian:
The book that changed my life--Marshal Zeringue
Marathon Man by William Goldman, who died recently. My father gave it to me when I was maybe 15 or 16. It was the first time I read an adult thriller where I said to myself: “I can’t put this down – someone could put a gun to my head and I wouldn’t put this down! How lucky is this Goldman guy to do this for a living?” Subconsciously, I think, that started me on this career path. Bill Goldman later became a valued friend and mentor. I miss him greatly.
The book I wish I’d written
This is bad karma. As you get older, you hopefully stop feeling this way. There are books I love that I think are pure genius – but I was not meant to write them. That’s a good thing. If I had written them, I wouldn’t have experienced the joy of reading them.
The book that changed my mind
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates helped open my eyes to the reality of racism in the US. Everyone should read it. I’m not yet “woke” – I think that is an...[read on]