6 Of Usha Vance's Favorite Books

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Usha Vance, Second Lady of the United States, often has a book on hand. She's been frequently photographed carrying reading material, especially on the campaign trail, and her selections paint a portrait of a voracious and curious reader whose is attracted to deep and complex thought. A peek at her Goodreads account reveals that she reads widely, from speculative young adult books such as "Sunrise On the Reaping" to high-profile nonfiction books like "The Anxious Generation." For many public figures, particularly politicians, favorite lists often appear like an exercise in public relations. But Vance's taste suggests a deep and sincere love of reading. Her favorite books indicate an interest in both old and contemporary classics, and an appreciation for thought-provoking, sometimes challenging themes.

On the campaign trail, she was often seen carrying a book, including the doorstopper "The Iliad." The backstory behind that particular pick indicated that Vance is passing her enthusiasm for reading on to her kids. "Our now 7-year-old decided in the spring that he was obsessed with mythology," Vance told NBC News. "He picked up a child's version of 'The Odyssey' and then 'The Iliad' and all these other things and became completely obsessed. So to keep up with him, I decided it was time to pick 'The Iliad' up myself."

Among Usha Vance's favorite books is Zadie Smith's 2000 debut novel, "White Teeth," a masterpiece about the multicultural world of North London. Through one odd couple friendship, Smith examines themes about the immigrant experience, intergenerational relationships, and the contemporary search for identity. The book is widely regarded as a modern classic, with Smith among the current era's most erudite and celebrated authors.

Vance included this title among her favorites, hinting at her preference for books with rich, diverse casts of characters, as well as explorations of social and cultural dynamics. "It's definitely a British Classic in my opinion," wrote one Reddit commenter, "and it's great to read something that acknowledges how central and important immigration and multiculturalism is to British culture and history." It's an ambitious story, and reviewers have compared Smith's sprawling project to the lengthy yet readable works of Charles Dickens — the kind of absorbing story that grabs readers' attention and won't let go.

Three different narratives braid together in "Everything Is Illuminated," Jonathan Safran Foer's bestselling 2002 novel about a young man who goes back to trace his grandfather's experiences in World War II Ukraine. The novel garnered several major awards — including the 2004 PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize — and earned this novel a place in the contemporary literary canon. Its enduring popularity is due, in part, to Foer's signature style, which is both sincere and hyper-self-aware, and for its unusual form. By turns, this book is funny and heartbreaking, which makes it all the more emotionally impactful. It's the kind of contemporary deep-thinking lit book that is perfect if spicy booktok romance isn't your thing.

That this is among Usha Vance's favorites suggests that she doesn't shy away from experimental forms. "While I guess the negative consensus is that this novel is gimmicky, I actually found its experiments in parallel narrative, time displacement, magic realism, and a startling foreign voice for one of its at least two narrators absolutely groundbreaking and innovative," wrote one Goodreads reviewer. But don't make the mistake of thinking this book is all style over substance. It's also beloved for its profound meditation on family heritage, memory, ad the richness of its characters. "The characters, even passing characters seemed more real than I usually find in novels," observed one Reddit commenter.

"Lolita" is among the 20th century's most provocative novels. That's because it details an adult man's love affair with a young girl and is told from his limited and unreliable perspective. The ethics of the narrative have been hotly debated, and its been banned in many places. Still, Nabokov remains a staple of the Western literary canon in part because his prose is undeniably excellent. After all, few could wrench such a heartbreakingly beautiful read from such a dark and disturbing premise.

Usha Vance counts this 1955 novel among her favorites books, suggesting a love of elegant and complex stories that challenge their readers. "Nabokov knew the subject matter would inflame us, if not our desires, then at least our morals, our sense of righteousness," wrote one Goodreads reviewer. "Morality and aesthetics are intertwined within the fabric of the novel." This is a novel for those willing to contemplate the darkness of the human experience.

This strange yet beautiful 1985 novel is a true bookworm's pick. Originally written in German by Patrick Süskind, it's since been translated into more than 45 languages. "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" is set in Paris during the 1700s and follows a master perfumer and serial killer on the hunt for the perfect fragrance. The plot is strange enough, but it's enriched by Süskind's visceral prose, which brings a mesmerizing life to the olfactory senses. "All things considered, the book is a valentine to the beauty, elegance, and power of smell," noted one Goodreads reviewer.

The novel challenges conventional assumptions about literature — in part because it's just so freaky. Usha Vance counts it among her favorites, which suggests that she appreciates vivid sentences and dark themes. "The language is almost relentlessly sublime," wrote one Redditor. "The passages so well written that sometimes they put you in a trance-like state." Beauty, horror, and the absurd all exist together comfortably in this singular story, that also happened to be a favorite of the late-Nirvana frontman, Kurt Cobain.

Another sign that Usha Vance is a serious reader is her selection of Jane Austen's "Persuasion" as one of her favorites, rather than a more obvious pick such as "Pride & Prejudice" or "Emma," which might be more familiar to casual readers. In her final, completed novel, Austen finds a new level of subtlety and sophistication. "While all of Austen's novels are generally comic, 'Persuasion' is the most nuanced," wrote one Goodreads reviewer. "It's been described as 'autumnal' and that word suits it. There's a bittersweetness to it that you just don't get in Austen's other work." It's the sort of classic novel that makes a great pick for your next book club read.

That Vance loves "Persuasion" suggests that she likes her marriage plots to be more subtle and slow burn, and that she prefers quiet yearning to the snarky social banter of Austen's more overtly comedic work. The different tone might because, unlike Austen's other novels, this one is told from the perspective of a spinster. "Personally the idea of feeling stuck, surrounded by people who don't really see you, feeling like you missed out on your best chance at happiness, etc really resonates with me," wrote one Reddit commenter, " and Persuasion captures the melancholy nature of those feelings really well."

Raymond Carver's 1981 story collection "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" is among the most influential modern works in the American literary canon. Carver's spare, realistic style has been widely imitated. "Carver is in my opinion the best short story writer to ever do it," wrote one Redditor. "He's a master of making the mundane profound and he does it with such subtlety." Carver is skilled at creating book couples who are full of red flags.

For Usha Vance to include it among her favorites suggests that she likes stories with emotional complexity and genuine characters. Like many of her other favorites, these stories explore existential themes and grapple with life's apparent contradictions. Carver's strength is teasing meaning from the banal and finding the narrative arc in the lives of seemingly normal people. "The stories are deceptively small, but there's a depth of authenticity to these shrapnel blasts," wrote one Goodreads reviewer.