Last Night's Reading

An irresistible illustrated collection of charming, wise, and hilarious quotations from your favorite authors

Why do we go to book readings? For a chance to see the authors we love come to life off the page, answering our questions and proving to be the brilliant, witty people we catch glimpses of through their work. Illustrator Kate Gavino (author of Sanpaku) captures the wonder of this experience firsthand. At every reading she attends, Kate hand-letters the event’s most memorable quote alongside a charming portrait of the author. In Last Night’s Reading, Kate takes us on her journey through the literary world, sharing illustrated insight from more than one hundred of today’s greatest writers—including Zadie Smith, Junot Diaz, Lev Grossman, Elizabeth Gilbert, and many more—on topics ranging from friendship and humor to creativity and identity. A celebration of authors, reading, and bookstores, this delightful collection is an advice book like no other and a love letter to the joy of seeing your favorite author up close and personal.

“Instead of putting together a lengthy play-by-play of the event she witnessed, Gavino records the best quote, and accompanies it with a colorful sketch of the author. It sounds simple, but the results are striking and unforgettable.” –Flavorwire

"A witty love letter to the literary world." –The Boston Globe