I've always read a lot. The headmaster of my school was intent on turning even the kids who were hell-bent on becoming mathematicians into poets. We had poetry workshops from first grade all the way through to our 12th-grade graduation. I had great teachers, and I think that environment helped me develop an appreciation of sound and language. I especially love that when you read books written decades or centuries ago, you catch a glimpse of the way people once lived, thought and felt.

A lot of the books I chose here I am in awe of—they're a bit impenetrable for a casual reader. I don't have the time anymore to sit down with reference books when I pick up something like James Joyce's Ulysses . It's a matter of biology—as a working mother I sometimes can't do what I set out to do. I find myself drooling over books at 10 at night, having passed out from exhaustion. But even the bit that I've gleaned from these works I've found to be magnificent.

What's on Jennifer Connelly's bookshelf? Read more!