I know I have previously mentioned the importance of reading as a way to improve one’s writing. I think most writers are strong readers, but it can be difficult at times to strike a balance between reading, writing, and the 20 million other things that compromise the rest of life.
Some may see reading as a luxury only to be enjoyed when everything else in their busy life is done, but honestly, when are we ever done? There’s always something or someone that needs attention and before we know it, another day, a week, or a month has gone by. It is a certain truth that we must make time for the things we want to do or they will remain forever on our wish list.
As the weather warms for many of us, we may choose to spend more time outside. I am most inclined to be in my garden or on my patio as often as possible during the always too short summer season. When I was a kid, I spent most summer days (and evenings) outdoors: swimming, playing, drawing, and reading. Some of my favorite memories are of sitting under a huge oak tree in our yard with a sketchpad or a favorite book.
Now, as an adult, I find I have to plan for this kind of time. When my daughter was younger, I don’t think I even read a magazine, much less a book, for several years. I convinced myself that there was no time for it, that there were more important things to do. I know I missed many great reads through those years—something I now regret.
This summer, I have promised myself to go on a diet. Not a ‘lose 20 pounds in 10 days diet’ or whatever new diet is being touted on magazine covers in the supermarket. I’m going on a reading diet. For all the books I’ve missed and the fun I’ve forsaken, I’m going to put myself on a ‘book-a-week’ diet for the next ten weeks.
Every year I read the lists of recommended beach reads, find a few of interest, and promptly forget about them. Why? Because I’ve got important things to do! Even though I know how crucial reading is for a writer, I have not followed my own prescription. So, this summer is going to be different. I am committed to reading at least 10 books—more if time permits. I’m still in the process of creating my list, but I’ll be happy to share what’s on it right now:
1) The Wife of Sir Isaac Harman- H.G. Wells (1914)
2) The Gurnsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society- Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (2008)
3) The Wednesday Sisters- Meg Waite Clayton (2008)
4) Dune Road- Jane Green (2009)
5) Endpoint and Other Poems- John Updike (2009)
6) The Adventures of Tom Sawyer- Mark Twain (1876)
7) The Elegance of the Hedgehog- Muriel Barbery (2008)
8) Vanity Fair- William Makepeace Thackeray (1847)
9) Little Women- Louisa May Alcott (1868)
10) Please Excuse My Daughter- Julie Klam (2009)
As you can see my tastes in books are somewhat eclectic. For years, if it were on the bestseller list, I wouldn’t even look at a book. (I have no idea why). These days, I try to read what interests me, regardless of what might be popular at the moment. I try to select choices from both current and classic authors, realizing that they each have something to offer—like blockbusters and black and white classic movies (my favorites).
There is so much reading material available that it can be overwhelming to try to decide what to read next. If you don’t know want to read strictly off the bestsellers list and you want some ideas, I recommend BookPage www.bookpage.com, which talks about new books across numerous categories, including fiction and non-fiction, and children’s books as well. (If you have kids, creating book lists with them is a great way to get them reading and keep them interested in books).
Another source I like is BasBleu www.basbleu.com. It’s an online bookstore that calls itself “Champion of the Odd Little Book”. They have some great lesser known titles, and wonderful descriptions of their books. Of course, you don’t have to buy books to enjoy them; I often use these sources to find books I want to read, and then borrow them from the library.
As writers, we all know how good it feels to finish that latest story, article, poem, etc. Completing a wonderful read gives me that same sense of satisfaction, and whether deliberate or not, I always find myself learning something about writing, positive or negative, from reading a book. It might be the turn of a particular phrase, the vivid characters, or maybe it’s the way they perfectly describe a setting without being overly wordy.
I encourage everyone to take some time and create your own reading list. Keep adding to it as you discover new authors (or old) and try to read across a wide range of material to keep expanding your experience. It’s so easy to fall into a habit of only reading favorite authors or genres—and miss other really good writing.
I’d love to hear what’s on anyone else’s reading list; please feel free to share any recommendations here.
As always, I look forward to your submissions.
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Comments: 45
Oh, Tom Sawyer...I bet I read that book 5 times between 10 and 14..absolutely LOVED it.
Reading is something I absolutely HAVE to have in my life. Of late I've been reading quite a few spirituality books (particularly Deepak Chopra's writing). I can wholeheartedly recommend any of the nonfiction writing by Anne Lamott, especially Bird by Bird : Some Instructions on Writing and Life (1994).
I really think it is a must read for any writer.
Thanks for the links Nancy!
Hi, Rose!
I actually have never read Tom Sawyer all the way through, and I thought I probably should finish it.
i have read "Bird By Bird" and thought it was great too. I do read non-fiction as well as fiction, but for some reason, I always tend towards fiction in the summer.
Very interesting to see your reading list. Mine is quite different, but Vanity Fair is one I started as a teen but intend to do revisit and read. Read Little Women one night - all night under the cover with a flashlight to avoid my mother's checking in on me when I was in second grade - and I had to go to school the next day after about 3 hours of sleep.
My list includes re-reading most of the classics I studied as an English major, 18th and 19th and 20th C. American authors, plus Renaissance and Middle English authors - 19th and early 20th such as Somerset Maughm, and many European authors from Renaissance on.
Oh and I will see movies of the books instead at times, too.
I used to read 5 books a week for English. Yeah time on my hands. Sports and friends, too. But about 5 hours a day devoted to reading.
Yeah, kids. Not much read during those times. Nor much written. Hence, my time here.
This summer I also plan to read or read a number of romance novels, analyze them to death then to write a contemporary romance novel. At least, to begin it.
Writers cannot write without an extensive reading background.
Hi, Kathryn!
I would fully expect that my list would be different than yours- or anyone's for that matter. I used to worry about why I wasn't interested in reading more mainstream selections, and then I got over it. I can't explain my taste in books, and I stopped trying years ago.
Sounds like you've got a lot on your reading/writing agenda- no surprise there! :)
This is fabulous! I copied down several of your titles. I often feel guilty reading as much as I do. I feel there are too many other things I should be doing. Thank you for letting me feel less guilty!
Hi, Megan!
Thanks for your comment. I totally understand your "guilty" feeling, as I spent years thinking the exact same thing, even though I now think I was wrong to look at reading as a luxury. I think I could have made some time for it if I had put it in its proper perspective. Reading can be just as renewing as a good night's sleep. Now that my daughter is a teenager and also an avid reader, I feel I can finally start to make up for lost time and get reading!
Wow!! I like your list of books for the summer. I am also planning on reading "Little Women" during the summer as well as "Tthe Wednesday Siters." I must say that I am very disappointed on the "Edgar Sawtelle." I am sticking to Debbie Macomber books and other chicklit.
Hi, Gessy!
I like to revisit books I have read in the past on occasion, and "Little Women" is one of them. I actually met the author of "The Wednesday Sisters", Meg Waite Clayton, on Twitter. For anyone who doesn't know about this book, it's the fictional story of a group of five unlikely friends in California in the '60's who all decide to try their hand at writing and meet on Wednesdays in a local park.
"Please Excuse My Daughter" is a funny, poignant memoir by Julie Klam (who I also met on Twitter). The book is funny, honest, and sometimes sad, but a GREAT read.
I have also put myself on a reading diet this summer. Over the years people have given me books knowing how much I enjoyed reading. I'm way behind on reading them so I am now reading through what I have in my library and when I complete each book I'm taking it to the local bookstore where they give you credit on books you sell back to them. This will come in handy in the future when my book stock is reduced.
Hi, Trish!
That's a great idea- one I actually already used recently. I packed up a large bag of books I no longer wanted and took them off to the local used bookstore. That's where I picked up my first edition copy of "The Wife of Sir Isaac Harman" by H.G. Wells. It's a beautiful book and not what comes to mind when one thinks of H.G. Wells.
I like your reading diet and plan to do the same.
Hi, Jennifer!
Do you have any recommendations for books of poetry? I chose "Endpoint and Other Poems" by John Updike after my daughter selected it as a gift for her English teacher.
My top two choices are Selene's Raspberry Girl and Eve's Rib. I also like Garrison Keillor's Good Poems and his 77 Love Sonnets. Daniel Irwin Tucker's Phantom Pain is in route right now. Maya Angelou's Complete Collected Poems is on my shelf.
Thanks, Jennifer! I know we have a lot of poets in the writing group and I'm not up on poetry books- yet. :)
Hi Nancy, love your list. I have got to read #2. And would you believe I never read "Little Women"? LOL, one of these days....I have enjoyed the Bas Bleu catalog, too.
Poets: Louise Gluck, Edith Sodergran (Swedish/Finnish, and her work is available in translation), Lucille Clifton, Barbara Crooker, and I will think of more.....
Hi, Alison!
I wonder if anyone has read all the classics. I watched the DVD of Little Women with Susan Sarandon and Winona Ryder this past winter, and it renewed my interest in the book. I found a mint leather-bound copy on eBay for $12 and bought it because I love the book so much.
Thanks for the poet recommendations. That is one area I could use some catching up on.
Here is something about Edith Sodergran:
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977362889
Thanks, Alison!
Good suggestion about Book Page, Nancy. It is hard to know where to start to find that next book. I often find the bestsellers disappointing. Interesting to have alternative sources.
Hi, Julie!
I really do prefer to have some knowledge of a book before I read it rather than select one from a list based on earnings, which sometimes are misleading.
Even though I certainly understand the reasons for it, I never liked being told what to read in school. I much prefer to research my own choices, and I do listen to recommendations from others.
When you read a book you really like, re-read it. On the second reading, take your time. You know the story, so there are no surprises and no reason to hurry. Take time to linger on the paragraphs that move you.
Think - how did the author do that? How could I do something like that?
Hi, Greg!
I have re-read favorite books many times. I always keep a pen and pad of paper handy when I read to record favorite sentences or phrases to review later.
I hadn't read a "new" book in years - and then my sister sent me one when she finished it. I read it in less than a day, and realized how much I MISSED reading. It is very important, and life is NEVER easily balanced, but always a constant re-evaluation and trade off as we do our best to manage. Great article, and wonderful encouragement!
Hi, Lisa!
You make a good point about re-evaluation of priorities. They do change and it's so easy to fall into a rut and not make changes when they're most needed.
I know there are people who don't like to read, but I can't imagine my life without books. I really felt deprived when I was not making any time to read, yet it took me a long time to correct it. I think it was because as a new mother, I felt I owed it to my daughter to run myself into the ground trying to anticipate her every need. What I forgot was that I could not be good for her (or anyone) if I did not take care of myself. I find reading to be fun, relaxing, and a good way to reduce stress.
As I've adapted to my "new normal," I find myself doing NOTHING sometimes because I feel guilty if it is "relaxing," and I'm too sick to do anything else. I know that sounds strange, but there is so much guilt over all the things I can no longer do. Reading this and time, plus my sister's gift have made me realize that I am going to have to look at reading and writing as productive activities that I happen to enjoy, and not feel guilty for the times when I am capable of doing them and not much else.
Absolutely, Lisa!
Reading expands your mind and writing is a great way to be productive without being physically demanding. I would never consider either of those activities to be anything less than productive. You're exercising your mind and you should never feel guilty about that.
Hi, Keith!
That is a skill I have never mastered- reading multiple books at a time. My daughter does that, and I always wonder how she keeps them straight. I can multi-task, but not with reading.
I'm reading many memoirs right now (serially, of course) because I'm set to begin gathering and adding to my own memoir chapters, with intent to finish this time. I took a wonderful Saturday workshop on Memoir writing last week. The author just published Green Velvet Journals about a period of time when she was a teenager and her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. It is entirely the journal entries of the two women, mother and daughter as they shared their fears and hopes within their green velvet journals. I bought the book and will begin there.
One of my favorite memoirs is by Eudora Welty, titled One Writer's Beginnings. She wrote in the same eposodic style that I plan to use.
Hi,Sandy!
Thank you for sharing your experience with the workshop and how you are reading similar material to prepare for your own writing. I'll have to check out that Eudora Welty title; it sounds interesting.
I love your "diet plan". I don't know if I can do a book a week, as I work full-time in the summer, but I plan to read a few.
At the moment I have just begun Henry VIII; a Gather member strongly recommended it. When done, I want to get a collection of love poetry by Paulo Coehlo.
After that, I might add one of your summer reads to my list - Little Women. I've never read it.
As Greg suggested, above, I have reread my favorite novels/books many times over. Sometimes it is for the sheer re-pleasure and other times it is to try and see what captured my heart.
Great post, as always, Nancy.
Hi, JM!
i love historical novels and biographies as well, but haven't read one in a while. They tend to be quite lengthy, so I read them less often. I'd love to hear what you think of "Henry VIII" when you're done reading it.
"Little Women" is such a great story and I have found that even the movie is worth re-watching. If you get to read it, I'm guessing you will enjoy it.
The one I'm reading is a historical ficiton. I will let you know (and it is VERY lengthly, so it will take me some time).
I never saw the movie of Little Women either; I want to read the book first. :)
I edited a historical fiction book for a client last year- it was over 700 pages long.
I agree about reading the book first. I don't know how well it stood up in reviews, but I thought that the 2004 movie version with Susan Sarandon, Winona Ryder, Claire Danes, and Christian Bale was well done.
I'll keep it in mind! :)
Hi, Nancy!
What a great list! I personally couldn't commit to a more than just a very few for this summer; my children are all still very young. I have read a novel by Susanna Clarke called "Jonathan Strange & Mr.Norrell", and it is, in my own opinion, probably the single most beautifully written novel of this century. It is a work of fantasy and set in the early 1800's (Napoleonic Era Western Europe). If you haven't read it yet, I highly reccomend it. I am just about to embark on a second reading of it; this time with an eye on the mechanics and the style.
Enjoy your summer reading choices, it certainly looks like you will.
Hi, Mustafa!
That sounds like an interesting book and I'll add it to my list. Whatever doesn't get read this summer will get read in the fall and winter.
I'm hoping that a steady diet of reading will force me to find new ways to incorporate reading into my daily life without impacting other things I must get done. I could have made some time for reading when my daughter was young if I had given up doing things I thought were necessary but really were not. Even now, I would rarely have time to while away hours reading, but I certainly can find more time than I thought I had available. One thing I found out for sure- I can't read in bed at night. I always fall asleep before I finish one page!
Is this comment okay?
Haha. no. :)
I often get ideas from reading.
Books open us up not only to new characters and places, but new ways to use words and phrasing.
Such a sea of change from Chaucer to now. I think the biggest innovation in the English language was around Shakespeare's time when words had lexical roots added to change the part of speech.
Excellent list! I am always looking for new books to read becase most are almost "too popular" or over rated but end up not being that great. I like to read ones more obscure. Another great website is paperbackswap.com. It allows people to trade books and gain credits then request for their own books.
Hi, Courtney.
Although I do look at the bestseller lists, that's not how I choose my reading material. I'm not too worried about reading what's popular either, but I do try to read some contemporary material too.
Enjoyed your reading list. Fascinated by the title "The Elegance of the Hedgehog".
As for poetry have you read any of Billy Collins "Sailing Alone Around the Room". I met Billy Collins when he came out to New Zealand some years ago. He's a lovely guy and his poetry is so easy, humourous. He picks up, very often, on what is familiar.
Another fun poet is an English woman who's just been made poet laureate of UK, Carol Ann Duffy. Her book "The World's Wife" is such fun. She takes the partner of mythological people like Midas and does the poems from their point of view. And can you imagine what life would be like if everything around you was turning to gold.
Hi, Benita.
I have not read either of the two poets you mentioned, but thank you for the suggestions. My poetry reading has been sparse, and I'm trying to make sure my reading diet includes more "servings".