In my opinion as a writer you have only three main jobs; write, read, and keep yourself alive (so you can continue to do the first two). If you are not writing you should be reading; a lot. Read books from great authors as well as from terrible. Read genres you are not generally inclined to. In essence read everything you can, good, bad, and foreign. When you read, try to enjoy the book, but also think about why you did or did not like it and how it made you feel and why. How was it structured? What genre is it? Is there a sub-genre? What was the plot arc like? Why did it work or not work? All of these questions will help you grow. Below is some of what I have been devouring as of late.
2017 Reading Challenge
For my 2017 reading challenge I have set the bar at 26 books. I was able to find a list which made the challenge even more enjoyable. As I read the books from the list I will be keeping track of them here. Please follow me on Goodreads or Litsy for reviews and comments on each title.
1/26 (A book you read as a child.)- The Bear a.k.a. The Grizzly King by James Oliver Curwood 2/26 (A book which was previously banned.)- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 3/26 (A book with over 500 pages.)- The Cantos of Ezra Pound (Currently being read.)
Books currently being read
The Cantos of Ezra Pound Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Recommended reading
E.B. White and William Strunk: The Elements of Style Robert Brittain: A Pocket Guide to Correct Punctuation George Lois: Damn Good Advice for Creative People