Claire Kells

Claire Kells was born outside Philadelphia and has lived in Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco since graduating from Princeton University in 2005. An English major, she didn’t start writing fiction until her first year of medical school. Now a second-year resident, she spends her free time writing stories about love, loss, and adventure.

Her debut novel is Girl Underwater.

Recently I asked Kells about what she was reading. Her reply:

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I just recently finished this one and thoroughly enjoyed it. Well-plotted, well-paced, with intriguing characters that kept me guessing until the end. I would definitely recommend this to fans of psychological and/or domestic thrillers.

The Martian by Andy Weir. I started this book about a month ago, and I can’t help but appreciate the depth of research that must have gone into creating such a vivid, realistic portrayal of life on Mars. The protagonist has a very distinctive voice, which really draws me into his world. Overall well-researched, well-written, well done.

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica. Clearly I’m a fan of the domestic thriller! I loved this author’s writing style—spare but sure, which kept the story moving. Oftentimes I’ll read a book written from multiple POV’s and find it hard to differentiate the characters from one another, but that was not the case here. I’m really looking forward to her next one.

On my TBR shelf (not yet released):

None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio. I’ve heard such wonderful things about this book, which is about an intersex teenager struggling with her identity. This author is a urologist and therefore more than qualified to write about this challenging subject.

Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. I don’t often read fantasy, but I always love it when I do. This one sounds a little different than the standard dystopian fare.

Palace of Treason by Jason Matthews. This author’s debut, Red Sparrow, was the best book I read last year. I can’t wait for this one.

Visit Claire Kells's website.

The Page 69 Test: Girl Underwater.

--Marshal Zeringue