So, if one is going to be a writer, one must also be an avid reader. At the back of Stephen King's On Writing are not one but two lists of over a hundred books that he recommends (mark that, not ones he has just read, but ones he has read AND recommends). Now, I am not a very fast reader and I don't devote nearly enough of my "free" time to reading, BUT I did enter into a reading challenge with my husband this year. We each pledged to read 20 books in 2016, and I'm currently sitting at 18. Here is a very brief list and rundown of what I maybe learned from reading each book.
1. Life After Life - Kate Atkinson: Different story structure - highly recommend!
2. Gideon - Alex Gordon: Pacing - recommend
3. Terms of Enlistment - Marko Kloos: I don't hate military science fiction - recommend
4. Ancillary Justice - Ann Leckie: Universe building, voice, POV, don't judge a book by its cover - highly recommend!!!
5. The Brothers Jetstream - Leviathon - Zig Zag Claybourne: wacky humor - recommend to Terry Pratchett lovers
6. The Women's Murder Club: 1st to Die - James Patterson: Quantity not quality sometimes wins out
7. Honeymoon - James Patterson: See above...just kidding. James Patterson has a very specific formula for his thriller books that appeals to many people. There is something to be said for following a proven path.
8. Ancillary Sword - Ann Leckie: Keeping certain elements consistent through a series while adding new elements - Highly recommend!!!
9. The Aeronaut's Windlass - Jim Butcher: Thought Jim Butcher had pretty much perfected his writing skills with the last few Harry Dresden novels...I was wrong! Can always get better as a writer!!! - Most highly recommend!!!
10. Ancillary Mercy - Ann Leckie: Don't answer all questions at the end of a series and wrap things up in a nice little bow, but answer most questions. People like satisfying endings. - highly recommend!!!
11. The Wizard of OZ - L. Frank Baum: Sometimes classics aren't that good
12. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold: Voice, POV, style - highly recommend
13. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline: Books with strong hooks don't need to be as well written - recommend to people obsessed with the 80s
14. The Outliers - Kimberly McCreight: Don't have your characters do things out of character or for no reason or both, not great books get published all the time
15. The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins: Main characters with huge flaws but who want to get better can really get the reader in their corner wanting them to get better too - highly recommend
16. On Writing - Stephen King: Situations drive a story, not plot - very highly recommend
17. The Girls - Emma Cline: A bestseller doesn't have to have a plot as long as it has florid prose and sex
18. The Mechanical - Ian Tregillis: POV, mashup of scifi, magic, and philosophy, just a really flipping good book - very highly recommend!!!
1. Life After Life - Kate Atkinson: Different story structure - highly recommend!
2. Gideon - Alex Gordon: Pacing - recommend
3. Terms of Enlistment - Marko Kloos: I don't hate military science fiction - recommend
4. Ancillary Justice - Ann Leckie: Universe building, voice, POV, don't judge a book by its cover - highly recommend!!!
5. The Brothers Jetstream - Leviathon - Zig Zag Claybourne: wacky humor - recommend to Terry Pratchett lovers
6. The Women's Murder Club: 1st to Die - James Patterson: Quantity not quality sometimes wins out
7. Honeymoon - James Patterson: See above...just kidding. James Patterson has a very specific formula for his thriller books that appeals to many people. There is something to be said for following a proven path.
8. Ancillary Sword - Ann Leckie: Keeping certain elements consistent through a series while adding new elements - Highly recommend!!!
9. The Aeronaut's Windlass - Jim Butcher: Thought Jim Butcher had pretty much perfected his writing skills with the last few Harry Dresden novels...I was wrong! Can always get better as a writer!!! - Most highly recommend!!!
10. Ancillary Mercy - Ann Leckie: Don't answer all questions at the end of a series and wrap things up in a nice little bow, but answer most questions. People like satisfying endings. - highly recommend!!!
11. The Wizard of OZ - L. Frank Baum: Sometimes classics aren't that good
12. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold: Voice, POV, style - highly recommend
13. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline: Books with strong hooks don't need to be as well written - recommend to people obsessed with the 80s
14. The Outliers - Kimberly McCreight: Don't have your characters do things out of character or for no reason or both, not great books get published all the time
15. The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins: Main characters with huge flaws but who want to get better can really get the reader in their corner wanting them to get better too - highly recommend
16. On Writing - Stephen King: Situations drive a story, not plot - very highly recommend
17. The Girls - Emma Cline: A bestseller doesn't have to have a plot as long as it has florid prose and sex
18. The Mechanical - Ian Tregillis: POV, mashup of scifi, magic, and philosophy, just a really flipping good book - very highly recommend!!!
Keep Writing and Edit On.
I Write, I Edit, I Write Again. Witness!
We're Making Better Words, All of Them, Better Words.
I Write to Burn Off the Crazy.
A Good Day Writing is a Day Writing.
It Puts the Words on the Page or it Gets the Hose Again.
Just Keep Writing, Just Keep Writing; Writing, Writing, Writing...
I Write, I Edit, I Write Again. Witness!
We're Making Better Words, All of Them, Better Words.
I Write to Burn Off the Crazy.
A Good Day Writing is a Day Writing.
It Puts the Words on the Page or it Gets the Hose Again.
Just Keep Writing, Just Keep Writing; Writing, Writing, Writing...
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