First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave: Books She Loved and Loathed

The Latest Release from Laura Dave

Laura Dave, the acclaimed author of the bestselling novel The Last Thing He Told Me, has recently released a highly anticipated prequel titled The First Time I Saw Him. This new book is set to captivate fans of her previous work, which was adapted into a popular Apple TV series starring Jennifer Garner. The sequel hit shelves on January 6, 2024, and has already generated significant excitement among readers.

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Laura Dave’s Reading Habits

In a recent interview with the Daily Mail, Dave offered an insightful glimpse into what inspires her as a writer. She shared some of her favorite books and even revealed the ones she found less appealing. According to Dave, Ian McEwan’s latest work, What Can We Know, is one of her current reads. She praised it as "a love story and a detective story and genre-bending in the best way."

"McEwan is such a wonderful writer. His novel, Atonement, has a special place in my heart," she added. The author also mentioned that she would take Nora Ephron’s Heartburn to a desert island if she could only bring one book. "It’s a funny, touching novel, loosely based on the end of Ephron’s marriage," Dave explained. "For such a heartbreaker of a subject, it’s a real comfort read, and I always have my copy close by. As a bonus, the protagonist is a cookbook writer and there are wonderful recipes throughout. I love this novel and re-read it every year."

If allowed to bring two books, Dave would also choose Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. She described it as a "classic, forever wonderful" novel.

The Book That Sparked Her Love for Reading

Dave shared that the first book she ever fell in love with was Penelope Gets Wheels by Esther Allen Peterson. "Penelope buys roller skates when her birthday money won’t stretch to a car or bicycle, but they turn out to be the ‘best wheels a kid can have,’" a synopsis explains.

"I mentioned how much I love it during a book tour — and a very kind reader found it somehow and sent me a copy, even though it’s now out of print. I cherish it," she said. Dave emphasized that she enjoys all genres, from fiction to memoirs, poetry collections, and non-fiction, and rarely finds herself wanting to abandon a novel.

A Book That Changed Perspective

One book that her 16-year-old self "really didn’t like" but now admits should be revisited is The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. Dave confessed that "if it turns out all the characters are bad or villainous, I tend to feel a bit of a disconnect when I get to the last page."

A Must-Read for Fans

The First Time I Saw Him is now available for purchase wherever books are sold. Whether you’re a long-time fan of Laura Dave or new to her work, this prequel promises to deliver a compelling and emotionally rich story that will keep readers engaged from start to finish.