James Franco's 10 Favorite Books Include . . .

As this New York Times article reveals, James Franco has been reading a little Tony Hoagland. "Hoagland’s poems gather and distribute so much energy it’s like he’s a boxer," he writes. Franco describes nine more of his favorite reads at the NYT. Among them, some we can agree with:

“The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,” Junot Díaz

Everyone knows Junot Díaz is the man. This book is hilarious and heartbreaking in equal measure; pop cultural and political. Just a great read.

“Paulina & Fran,” Rachel B. Glaser

Art school, lovers, comedy. I recently read this book and fell in love with its characters and prose. It’s quirky and right on about trying to be creative today.

“What We Talk About When We Talk About Love,” Raymond Carver

The master of short minimalist fiction, Carver destroys the heart with economic prose like no other.

“In the Western Night: Collected Poems,” Frank Bidart

A student of Robert Lowell, his poems breathe fire. He is both nakedly vulnerable and violently terrifying. My hero.

Read more at NYT.