New York is my second favourite city in the world after Paris, which will always be my true love. New York has something that no other city has, and it’s something that I can’t even begin to describe. Luckily for all of us, there are plenty of writers who have done that job brilliantly.
Here’s a little New York reading list I put together in preparation for my upcoming trip to NYC:
Here is New York – E.B. White
I have to read this on the short plane ride over. It was written in 1948, but its words still ring true:
“The city is like poetry: it compresses all life … into a small island and adds music and the accompaniment of internal engines.”
Bright Lights, Big City and Story of My Life – Jay McInerney
I can’t wait to read both of these. Ideally, I’d like to find a used copy of Bright Lights, Big City while I’m in New York.
The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger
No explanation necessary here. This is essential on any New York reading list. I’ve read it several times, but I’ll take any excuse to read it again.
There are obviously a lot more books that belong on this list including Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Great Gatsby, The Bonfire of the Vanities, American Psycho, and of course Sex and the City. And even though nothing is better than actually being in New York and experiencing the city for yourself, sometimes reading about it can be fun too.