Anna Chlumsky grew up surrounded by books and a family of readers.
“I never met a grown-up who wasn’t reading a book, and so I just always knew I’d be reading, too,” the actress — who’s currently starring on Apple TV+’s “Smoke” — tells Page Six, admitting she used to get “anxious” thinking about not being able to read every book ever written.
“Then I remembered there are books out there about golf stats, and I felt better,” she jokes.
The “Veep” star has come to appreciate and gravitates toward novels that “teach” her new things — and has made the conscious decision to stop feeling guilty when she puts down a book she doesn’t like.
“I appreciate a well-written sentence like I appreciate a well-prepared meal,” she says, adding, “It was a huge weight off my shoulders the day I realized I didn’t have to finish a book I wasn’t enjoying.
“I was like, ‘Maybe I’ll just close this one and move on.’ Changed my world. Life’s too short to slog through prose you don’t dig. Unless you need to ace an exam, or something. Then by all means, muscle through.”
When she has breaks from preparing for her upcoming stage role in “Queens,” which begins Oct. 14 at Manhattan Theatre Club, she says she loves taking herself and her latest read on a lunch date.
“It might be a New York thing,” she quips.
See below for Chlumsky’s six must-read book recommendations.
“It’s an absolute must-read for every human being. Period.”
“One of my all-time favorite novels. I love and respect Téa Obreht so much. Her other novels are also spectacular. This one will forever occupy a most treasured place in my heart.”
“Not easy to read about trauma, and no less vital. This book depicts exactly where I believe our society is in understanding psychology right now. It’s a gift to any who pay it enough attention.”
“I’ve come back to this story time and again since I first encountered it as a teenager. It’s the gold standard of Westerns, as far as I’m concerned, and I’ve yet to meet its equal.”
“Hands down the book I recommend the most because it is the very one that guides, not just my relationship with my children, but ALL my relationships.”
“This book opened up novels for me in a brand-new way — revealing that they could be a marriage of accessibility and extraordinariness. Because isn’t that what living is? Plus, the main character shares my love for food.”