NICHOLAS SPARKS

A Christmas wish is at the heart of this new novel from the US author who has sold 105 millions copies of his books to date

What are you reading now?

Billy Summers, by Stephen King. I’ve always been a fan of Stephen King, and I appreciate the “slow burn” intensity of the story.

Is there a book that made you love writing?

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls (a 1961 children’s novel about an old man who rescues a hound under attack by other dogs) is the book that most inspired my love of stories. I read it while I was in the third grade, and I remember marvelling at the way I simply lost myself in the story. After finishing, and even though I was still a young child, I found myself wondering whether I could ever write a novel.

A book that had a pivotal impact on your life?

Without question, that would be my first novel The Notebook, for what I assume are obvious reasons. (Sparks’ first book, a 1996 romantic novel, was a huge bestseller).

A book you couldn’t finish?

Ulysses by James Joyce. Some people love it, many consider it a masterpiece. However, it didn’t speak to me.

The book you are most proud to have written?

That’s impossible to answer. I’m proud of them all.

A book that you wish you’d read but haven’t gotten to?

While I’ve read many of the novels by Marcel Proust, I would like to finish them all.

What book do you re-read?

I’ve re-read many books; to me, rereading is akin to visiting an old friend. I have, for instance, read Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield (a retelling of the epic story of the 480BC Battle of Thermopylae in Ancient Greece) at least three times, but really, I could probably name a couple dozen other novels I’ve also re-read.

What books are waiting on your bedside table?

Right now, I’m reading a nonfiction book entitled Bloody Okinawa: The Last Great Battle of World War II by Joseph Wheelan. I had family who fought in that battle (which began on April 1, 1945 when US troops began landing on the only Japanese home soil invaded during the Pacific War).

What are you writing now?

I’m currently working on my next novel – untitled as of yet – with the idea that it will be published in 2022.

The Wish by Nicholas Sparks, Hachette, $33