'I'm a New York Times best selling author and these are my 5 favourite books of all time'

A best selling New York Times author whose latest mystery novel is a 'quick and fun read' has shared her top five favourite books of all time - and her list features all genres.

Writer Patricia Crisafulli's most recent novel, The Secrets of Still Waters Chasm, has received wonderful GoodReads reviews with one saying it blends 'Da Vinci Code and Murder She Wrote'.

Now a renowned novelist, Patricia went 'back to school' at the age of 52 and turned her distinguished thesis into her mystery novel series, which was a childhood dream of hers.

The New York author, from Oswego, has launched a trilogy series of novels - and when she's not writing, Patricia reads 'eclectically across all genres'.

The best selling author has shared her five favourite books of all time, why she loves those reads and how these favourite books inspired her.

Now aged 65, Patricia has heaps more amazing novels planned for the future. The inspirational writer, who got into her novelist career later in life, is now gripping readers with her stories - and her top five reads were a huge motivation to her.

Patricia's five favourite books are across all genres, she said this makes 'picking favorite books difficult', but here are some of the best novels she's read so far.

1. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Patricia loves this novel with an octopus as a main character, the creature 'looks back through the glass of the aquarium with running commentary about the humans on the other side'.

2. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

A woman makes her way through the male-dominated world of chemistry, teaches a nation how to cook dinner, processes profound grief, and loves her daughter beyond measure.

3. A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny

Patricia said: "This was the first book I read in the author's in the Inspector Gamache series (it's actually #12--so I started in the middle).

"Amid the mystery and the investigations, both old and new, the author gives us a poignant glimpse of what "home" really means."

4. The Over Story by Richard Powers

"This is a novel about trees, through generations and geographies, but it's also about life and interconnectedness from roots in the forest to entire communities", Patricia said.

5. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

This story, another of Patricia's favourites, is a 'botany, ecology, Indigenous wisdom, planetary peril' all intertwined in a memoir from an author who blends her Potawatomi culture, academic research, and the teachings from nature.

Patricia spoke about how she went about creating her own novels: "I wrote The Secrets of the Old Post Cemetery, the third book in my Ohnita Harbor Mystery series, twice.

"First, I wrote a draft in about nine months, and set it aside while I promoted my second novel (The Secrets of Still Waters Chasm).

"When I picked the novel up again, I saw so many more areas to deepen the narrative and heighten the tension. That rewrite took about six months. Most important was the gap in between.

"I have written three novels in my Ohnita Harbor Mystery series, plus a short volume for Hallmark of short stories and short essays, three nonfiction books in leadership, and my very first book in nonfiction/self-help for women who have lost their mothers."

At age 52, Patricia went 'back to school' to get her Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in creative writing from Northwestern University in Chicago, it was a five-year program.

She said: "I was a little nervous at first (for one thing, I was nearly twice the age of some of my classmates) and I wondered how I would ever find the time, given that I am a full-time corporate communications consultant.

"But I loved the experience. What I learned in the MFA program completely changed my writing trajectory, in fact, my creative thesis became the basis of my first novel, The Secrets of Ohnita Harbor."

Patricia's most recent published novel,The Secrets of Still Waters Chasm has received glowing reviews and contains some carefully crafted characters you'll fall in love with including protagonist, Gabriela Domenici, a '40-year-old single mom'.

The character had to move back to her hometown and mourns the loss of her "dream life" and her "dream job" in New York City.

Patricia said: "Gabriela is very relatable, she's edgy, has trust issues, and fiercely loves her son and her mother (even though they clash regularly).

"Gabriela is surrounded by quirky characters, and her interactions with them bring her to life, her Italian-born mother, Agnese, always good for some comic relief.

"Mike Driskie, the custodian of the library, who gets the better of Gabriela from time to time and yet is incredibly loyal to her and the library.

"Another character, Daniel Red Deer, is the love interest who Gabriela doesn't see right away - and readers are screaming for her to open her eyes."