JULIA TAYLOR ROSS

Star of CTV’s Saving Hope shares her thoughts on the books that have influenced her the most.

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

James and the Giant Peach is one of the earliest books I remember being read to me and then reading myself.

I, like many children, adored Roald Dahl and his dark, twisted, whimsical writing. James is the story of a lost, sad young boy who flies aboard a giant magical peach to New York City, away from his evil aunts. On his journey he makes the (greatest) friends of his life. This book is about finding your community, the power of imagination and the hope of a better life. And, of course, fruit!

Light Years by James Salter

James Salter died this year and many people are now realizing what an undercelebrated writer he was during his lifetime. This book is about a marriage that spans several decades. It is romantic, devastating, heart wrenchingly honest, dazzling in its visual descriptions and so sophisticated in its phrasing. The novel is set in upstate New York by the Hudson River — a place that I find very magical and that holds many fond memories for me personally. It probably has the highest number of dog-eared passages of any of the novels I have read, and has the most poetic descriptions of food and drink.

Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

I can imagine this is on many peoples’ favourite books lists. It’s a treasure of collected letters that span five years, sent by the poet to a 19-year-old fan. I return to it over and over again when I need advice about the creative life — how to survive it and grow in it, as well as to read about how to be a quality human. If you’re a friend of mine and haven’t read it, you have probably already received it from me as a gift, because that is what it is. A gift.

Julia stars as Dr. Maggie Lin on CTV’s hit series Saving Hope, which airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on CTV and the CTV GO app.