Roxane Gay on Britney Spears, 'A Little Life,' and the Book That She Read in One Sitting

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Welcome to Shelf Life, ELLE.com’s books column, in which authors share their most memorable reads. Whether you’re on the hunt for a book to console you, move you profoundly, or make you laugh, consider a recommendation from the writers in our series, who, like you (since you’re here), love books. Perhaps one of their favorite titles will become one of yours, too.

“I have a lot of opinions and I come by them honestly,” Roxane Gay writes in the introduction to her new book, Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People's Business (HarperCollins). The collection features some of her most notable nonfiction pieces from the past 10 years, and there’s no shortage of topics. You’ll find everything from a Nicki Minaj profile, to an essay on the state of women’s rights post-Dobbs.

The Nebraska-born writer is most known for her 2014 essay collection Bad Feminist and 2017 memoir Hunger, the latter of which earned her a Lambda Literary Award. She’s written columns for The New York Times, The Guardian, and Medium, and has also dabbled in comic book writing with Black Panther: World of Wakanda. Take a look at her opinions on what to read.

The book that:

…helped me through a breakup:

The Brutal Language of Love by Alicia Erian. The stories are so breathtaking that they make the world fall away.

…made me weep uncontrollably:

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel where the protagonist is subjected to so much suffering.

…I recommend over and over again:

All the Names They Used for God by Anjali Sachdeva—absolutely exquisite stories and writing.

…I swear I’ll finish one day:

The Instructions by Adam Levin. I love a long novel but my goodness, this one has heft.

...I read in one sitting, it was that good:

The Index of Self-Destructive Acts by Christopher Beha. This is not a book I would have ever guessed I would be drawn to, but I simply could not put it down. Utterly absorbing.

…I’d like turned into a TV show:

The Informationist by Taylor Stevens. There’s a lot of narrative potential and really compelling characters.

...I last bought:

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears. How could I not?

...has the best opening line:

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters. The question for Reese: “Were married men just desperately attractive to her?”

…broke my heart:

When We Were Sisters by Fatimah Asghar.

…has a sex scene that will make you blush:

A Sport and a Pastime by James Salter. The eroticism of this novel is simply palpable.

…I’ve re-read the most:

The Lover by Marguerite Duras. This is one of my favorite novels of all times. Perfection from beginning to end and I return to it often.

…features a character I love to hate:

Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee. David Lurie is one of those characters who is so consistently unlikable that he almost turns the corner.

…helped me become a better writer:

Beloved by Toni Morrison. The novel is haunting and audacious and Morrison takes so many risks. I am always learning from it.

…I would have blurbed if asked:

Ordinary Notes by Christina Sharpe—provocative, intelligent, and gave me so much to think about.

...surprised me:

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby. The way this novel approached two fathers trying to redeem themselves after failing their sons really surprised me.

...I’d want signed by the author:

Easy Beauty by Chloe Cooper Jones. The author did such a good job of conveying the embodied experience. We live very different lives but still, I could relate.

Bonus question: If I could live in any library or bookstore in the world, it would be:

Biblioteca Vasconcelos in Mexico City.

The literary organization/charity I support:

We Need Diverse Books.

The Brutal Language of Love

A Little Life

All the Names They Used for God

The Instructions

The Index of Self-Destructive Acts

The Informationist

The Woman in Me

Detransition, Baby

When We Were Sisters

A Sport and a Pastime

The Lover

Disgrace

Beloved

Ordinary Notes

Razorblade Tears

Easy Beauty

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