AHH, FEBRUARY, THE MONTH OF LOVE!
What better way to commemorate Valentine’s Day than by spreading the love of reading? We asked seven Algonquin authors to choose their favorite Algonquin title ever—a book they have an undeniable, passionate crush on. Their answers, ranging from early classics to more recent works, are sure to make you fall in love, too. From February 13 to February 19, you can purchase any of their selections as e-books for only $1.99 each. Now that’s a sweetheart of a deal!

Robert Olmstead (Far Bright Star) on Michael Parker‘s If You Want Me to Stay: 

Michael Parker’s novel makes me think of Dickens, Twain, and Salinger, the unforgettable voices of boys’ lives. I think there used to be a time when we read for meaning—here’s your chance to do it again.

Amy Stewart (Wicked Bugs) on Richard Goodman‘s French Dirt:

Richard Goodman is smart, funny, and sophisticated, but hopelessly naïve when it comes to planting a garden. This is armchair horticulture—and armchair travel—at its best.

Hillary Jordan (When She Woke) on Jill McCorkle‘s Going Away Shoes:

I love Jill McCorkle for her wise and delicious wit, her ability to find humor in the tedium and sorrows of everyday life, and for sentences like, “Bob could dive into a pile of shit and come out riding a silver pony.”

Jonathan Evison (West of Here) on Larry Brown’s Dirty Work:

Larry Brown is gritty, inventive, and musical. Read him. Love him. Gift him. His debut novel, Dirty Work, is a great place to start.

Caroline Leavitt (Pictures of You) on Brock Clarke’s An Arsonist’s Guide to Writers’ Homes in New England:

An accidental arsonist turned husband and father has to grapple with his past when fires start igniting once again. Deliciously dark and funny—I would marry this novel if I could.

Tayari Jones (Silver Sparrow) on Jim Grimsley‘s Winter Birds:

Grimsley is a virtuoso with a mastery of language that makes you forgive him for completely breaking your heart with this gorgeous and unforgettable novel.

Heidi Durrow (The Girl Who Fell from the Sky) on Joseph Skibell‘s A Blessing on the Moon:

A lyrical, unflinching look at one of our darkest hours as a civilization, but Skibell’s writing sings despite the horror and grief it describes. It’s one of my all-time favorites!