Seth Meyers recommends his top books, authors

In August, late-night talk show host and podcaster Seth Meyers talked to me about the Emmys, “Saturday Night Live” and other topics. Meyers, who is the author of the children’s book, “I’m Not Scared, You’re Scared,” is known to be a reader. He’s not only interviewed authors such as George Saunders, Nicola Yoon and Colson Whitehead on his show, but the program also has a related Late Show Lit podcast segment with Sarah Jenks-Daly.

So as we were wrapping up our talk, Meyers made time to answer questions about his reading life, share some favorites and even write down a book recommendation, too.

Do you have a favorite book or one that you always recommend to people?

“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” by John le Carré is one of my favorites; it’s a great book. And then “Sometimes a Great Notion” by Ken Kesey, I’ve just been rereading this summer. I love that book. “White Teeth” by Zadie Smith. Those are some my faves. “Lincoln in the Bardo” — anything by George Saunders. I know I’ve over-answered your question.

Is there a memorable book experience you would be willing to share?

What a good question. I read the “Game of Thrones” books before the TV show, and the Red Wedding on the page was as gut-wrenching as it was on screen, and I just think it speaks to what a great writer George R.R. Martin is, because my heart literally was pounding through my chest as I realized what was happening.

Who has made the biggest impact on your reading life?

It was 100 percent my mom. My mom reads probably 100 books a year, even today, she’s a huge reader. And I will say, though, there was a great combination. My dad read a lot of spy stuff, a lot of cop stuff — Ed McBain, I don’t know if you ever knew those 87th Precinct books? My dad had those, and so it was this really nice combo of the two of them. My dad was a paperback guy, and I would carve through his stuff — like he loved Sherlock Holmes, which I then started to read.

And then my mom loved literature, and to this day, we just read a lot of the same stuff and talk about what we read. It’s the best.

It sounds like it. Do you know Adrian McKinty’s books?

No, I don’t.

He’s an Irish author with a series of books about Sean Duffy, a Catholic cop who lives and works in Protestant Belfast during The Troubles. They’re great and might hit the sweet spot for what you, your mom and your dad all read.

How do you spell McKinty? All right, great. Sold.