Do you have a book you go back to time and again? For me, it’s the one that I grab when I need a bit of comfort and familiarity. It’s the literary equivalent of curling up in my favorite pajamas with some chocolate ice cream
For me, the book is Pride and Prejudice.
Leave a note in the comments and tell us what your comfort book is.
I thought it might be fun to talk about some of the interesting things I’ve been reading in the hope that some of you will find them interesting as well.
What WD missed I really enjoy Paperback Writer, and this is a terrific post. She lists some great sites that WD didn’t include in their “best” listing this year. I can see a few (or more) of these ending up on my Google Reader. I used to read every issue of Writer’s Digest, but I haven’t in a long time. For a while I’d at least thumb through it at the bookstore, but it’s been so long since I’ve found much useful, I don’t bother doing that any more either. Is there a really good writer’s magazine out there anywhere?
Morning Writing Ritual. I haven’t been reading Freelance Switch long, but there are some good articles there. This one describes how, and why, to create a morning writing ritual. Since I’m not a morning person, I may pass, but if you are…
Voice. This is another blog I haven’t been reading long, but I really like it. In this post, she talks about the necessity of developing your own voice. Unfortunately, no one can really tell you how to do that, can they? She’s right; write and write and write some more. Eventually, your voice will come through.
Call for Submission. Here’s a new horror ‘zine, and their request for submissions. By the way, they actually pay!
Top 100, from Crof at Writing Fiction. I love this one, and I just found his blog the other day. I love the fact that he’s willing to take a book that’s accepted as “literature” and say what he thinks. I’ve read a few myself and wondered how such a piece of crap ever got published, let alone considered “great.”
Here are a few that jumped out at me.
They have to be kidding. It was one of two choices for 2005. I’m not saying it’s a bad book; I enjoyed it actually. I enjoyed it in the way a kid enjoys a dinner made up of chips and ice cream. The book doesn’t really have much substance, and the plot is predictable as well. Fun, but not a great book. Lord help us if if was one of the best.. Again, a fun read. One of the best? Probably not. It has some great plot twists though! Okay, that one definitely belongs on a”best” list. If you haven’t read it, you absolutely must get a copy. This is one of my favorites.This is for all the techies out there. If you, or someone you know, tends to buy a lot of computer books, you may want to check out Safari.
For about $15 a month, you get full access to 10 books. You keep the books on your "bookshelf" for 30 days, and then you can either keep them on the bookshelf longer or trade them in and choose other books. I usually keep one or two spots open at any time in case something comes up that I need.
This is really handy, especially if you just need to look up a few things and read a good explanation. You might not always be able to find what you want through search engines, and you certainly don’t want to buy a book for that.
I’ve been a subscriber for over a year, and I can’t count the times I’ve used it.
What is everyone reading? What genre(s) do you prefer? What do you read while writing?
Let me start off. I read just about everything, from classics to pulp, fiction and non-fiction. I enjoy horror and fantasy for fun and Tolstoy when I want something a lilttle more serious. As for non-fiction, I enjoy reading about stone-age cultures and general science.
What writing books do you read? I highly recommend the workbook, Writing the Breakout Novel, in the reading list at the bottom of this page. It’s a very good way to edit scenes and examine characters’ motivations and conflicts.
When I write in a particular genre, I do tend to avoid reading books within that genre. I’d prefer not allowing the author’s approach and voice to influence my own. Anyone feel the same?