Hillary Rodham Clinton: By the Book

The former secretary of state and author of “Hard Choices” keeps copies of Republican memoirs like “Faith of My Fathers” and “Decision Points” on her shelves.

What books are you reading right now?

I’ve got a pile of books stacked on my night stand that I’m reading — or hoping to get to soon. I’m usually working on more than one at a time. So right now it’s “The Goldfinch,” by Donna Tartt; “Mom & Me & Mom,” by Maya Angelou; and “Missing You,” by Harlan Coben.

What was the last truly great book you read?

I can’t stop thinking about “The Hare With Amber Eyes,” by Edmund de Waal; “The Signature of All Things,” by Elizabeth Gilbert; “Citizens of London,” by Lynne Olson; and “A Suitable Boy,” by Vikram Seth.

Who are your favorite contemporary writers? Are there any writers whose books you automatically read when they come out?

I will read anything by Laura Hillenbrand, Walter Isaacson, Barbara Kingsolver, John le Carré, John Grisham, Hilary Mantel, Toni Morrison, Anna Quindlen and Alice Walker. And I love series that follow particular characters over time and through their experiences, so I automatically read the latest installments from Alex Berenson, Linda Fairstein, Sue Grafton, Donna Leon, Katherine Hall Page, Louise Penny, Daniel Silva, Alexander McCall Smith, Charles Todd and Jacqueline Winspear.

What are your favorite novels? Your favorite short stories? Poems you hold especially dear?

“The Brothers Karamazov” made a lasting impression on me when I read it as a young woman; I intend to reread it this summer to see what I now think about it. My favorite short stories are by Alice Munro, especially her collections “Carried Away” and “Runaway.” That’s an easy choice for me compared with the many poets I’ve appreciated over time. Included in that list are E. E. Cummings, T. S. Eliot, Seamus Heaney, Pablo Neruda, Mary Oliver and W. B. Yeats.