Books of the Year 2015
WHO READ WHAT
Wall Street Journal: December 11, 2015
We asked 50 of our friends-from Gillian Anderson to Nell Zink-to name their favorite books of 2015.
Gillian Anderson on 'The House of Grief'
Shamefully, the last time I read a book was the last time I wasn't either filming or writing myself, and so we're going back now to April's Easter holiday break. I started with Lila, Marilynne Robinson's haunting tale told from the point of view of a young woman who has lived a life of poverty and transience and who ends up in a small town in Iowa.
Next came another jolly tale: Helen Garner's This House of Grief. It grabbed me by the throat in the same way that the podcast series "Serial" did. Ms. Garner brilliantly and compassionately recounts the harrowing, real-life trial of Robert Farquharson, an Australian who was convicted of murder in 2007 after driving his car into a dam, killing his three young sons (though whether it was intentional remains a mystery).
And my third springtime read? Holy Cow by my very own David Duchovny. I don't know what to say about this book except that the humor is right up my alley—my daughter and I were in fits of giggles. "Holy Cow" is the tale of Elsie the cow, who comes to a realization about her fate on the farm and hits the road to India, where she will be better appreciated. In the end she teaches us a lesson or two about tolerance and getting along with other species-what more could you want in a book?
Ms. Anderson is an actress, activist and writer. Her most recent book is A Dream of Ice: Book 2 of The EarthEnd Saga.
| 
