Pulitzer Prize winning author Timothy Egan was the third speaker of the 2024–25 Portland Arts & Lectures season on January 16, 2025. Egan shared his top three book recommendations with the audience:

“Lawrence in Arabia, by Scott Anderson, not to be confused with the movie of roughly the same title. It explains nearly everything in how the century-old design of the modern Middle East was a complete mess by Britain and France, setting the stage for the conflicts we see today.”
“Trust, by Hernan Diaz, a great novel told from multiple points of view. Shows how fiction can still be creatively reimagined.”


“The Searcher, by the Irish novelist Tana French. Since I discovered her (belatedly) I can’t get enough of the sophisticated thrillers of French. This book shows all her talents.”
Shop these titles, along with Egan’s own books, at our bookstore online or in-person at 716 SE Grand Ave., Portland, OR 97214.