Judith Kelman

Judith Kelman's many books include The First Stone, Backward in High Heels, The Session, Every Step You Take, and Summer of Storms, 2001 winner of the 2002 Mary Higgins Clark Award for Best Suspense.

Earlier this week I asked her what she was reading. Her reply:

I'm an omnivorous reader (and eater). When asked what I like to read, my honest answer is: good writing. I welcome recommendations from like-minded bibliophiles, who often point me to gems I wouldn't otherwise unearth. With upwards of 195 thousand books published in this country every year, it takes a book-loving village.

My latest finds: Suite Française by Irene Némirovsky, What is the What by Dave Eggers, Zen Putting by Dr. Joseph Parent (to feed my newly acquired golf addiction), and Lee Child's Die Trying (to keep an eye on the competition).

I recently finished To My Dearest Friends by Patty Volk, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen and The Oxford History of the Greeks (to prepare for a trip to the Greek Islands.)

I prefer to read five or six books at a time, switching from one to the other as the mood move me. As my mother was wont to say: If you have a good book to read, you'll never be lonely or bored.

Kelman's The First Stone (2007) is featured on three CftAR sites:

• The Page 69 Test
• The Page 99 Test
• My Book, The Movie

Clive Cussler raved, "The First Stone is a remarkable story by a remarkable writer. Filled with intrigue, beautifully blended with friendships and love of family. Judith Kelman's characters are warm and wonderful."

Visit Judith Kelman's website.

--Marshal Zeringue