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I hope you are finding time to refresh and rejuvenate this week between Christmas and New Year’s. I’ve been reading a lot, since Bob, Mr. WordPress, gave me the best Christmas present ever. It was better than the warm, fuzzy socks. Better even than the foaming bath oil and scented candle from L’Occitane.
It was a Kindle!
Now, when you live on a ferry-only island, getting just about anywhere on the mainland—a mega-grocery store, a library, a bookstore—can take at least half a day. If you happen to miss the ferry that runs hourly, it takes even longer. But if you have a Kindle, with Amazon’s one-click buy and instant download, you can make your purchase and start reading within seconds.
It was the perfect solution.
You’ve heard me talk about why writers and bloggers should be readers, too. So, in the spirit of sharing, I offer my best reads of 2011. Note: I am not an affiliate and have no financial motivation for recommending these. I just think they are the best books I read in 2011.
My favorite reads of 2011
Personal Essays/Memoirs
Holidays on Ice– David Sedaris writes a collection of laugh-until-you-snort, holiday-themed stories and personal essays. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be “Santaland Diaries,” his accounting of the Christmas he worked as a Macy’s elf.
Lit – I’ve been in love with Mary Karr’s storytelling since The Liars’ Club, her memoir of growing up in a hardscrabble Texas town with an unstable family. Her new book follows her journey from drunk to sober, in only the darkly hilarious way she can tell it.
Paris to the Moon – This is not a new book (2000), but it was new to me. New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik offers a collection of 23 essays and journal entries about what he learned when he, his wife and their son spent five years in Paris. Told with the observation of a reporter, with an extra dose of wit and charm thrown in.
The Craft of Writing
On Writing – Again, not a new book, but one I read at least once a year. In the first part, Stephen King gives us a peek into how his childhood shaped him as a writer. The second half gives us his best writing advice. My favorite takeaway sentence: “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.
Story Engineering– My friend, the talented Larry Brooks, writes about how to build a story with a foolproof process that made more sense to me than any other book I’ve read on plotting.
The Art and Craft of Fiction: A Practitioner’s Manual – Victoria Mixon’s book has applications for storytelling—and for life. You’ll find everything you need to know about writing a story, all in one place. I haven’t read her sequel yet, but I’m going to pick it up.
The Fine Print of Self-Publishing – A writer friend recommended Mark Levine’s book to me and I wasn’t disappointed. Industry professionals say it’s a must-read for anyone considering self-publishing their book. A helpful and concise breakdown of the costs, contracts and process of self-publishing.
The Memoir Project: A Thoroughly Non-standard Text for Writing and Life – I’ll be talking about this in a separate review on my blog, but just let me say that whether you want to write life stories to give your children and grandchildren or you want to formally publish a memoir (or know someone who does), you must get this book. Marion Roach Smith shows you how to find your memoir’s theme/topic and pull only the ideas that apply to it. Brilliant stuff.
Write the Perfect Book Proposal – I can’t say enough good things about Jeff Herman and Deborah Levine Herman’s book. They are both agents who have sold hundreds of titles to publishers. In the first part, they give you step-by-steps for writing a book proposal that editors and book publishers will notice. The second half looks at 10 actual proposals that sold and why. I followed their advice and already have a strong first draft of my proposal completed.
Inspirational
Dream Save Do – My friends Betsy and Warren Talbot, of the Married with Luggage blog had a dream: to travel the world for five years. Whether you want to do that, or write your book, or start that business, or whatever, you can follow the steps to your dream with this book. What I love is that it’s not just the dreaming part; it’s the doing part. They show you exactly how to raise the money to do it. Digital version only.
One Hundred Names for Love – Diane Ackerman has written an inspiring love story about her gifted writer husband Paul West’s journey back to the world of words after suffering a devastating stroke. This amazing story starts with West being unable to speak (except for “mem, mem, mem”) and ends with a return to his desk and the writing of three more novels. Very inspiring.
There they are: my recommendations for 2011. By this time next year, I plan on having a link to my first book. ,
What about you?
Do you have any favorite reads from 2011?
Like to tell us what you loved and why?
About the author
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My favorite reads for 2011 are listed below. They are not books on writing or blogging, but they helped me in unique ways with my writing and blogging.
1.) “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin – Love her conversational style and research approach.
2.) “Brain Storm” by Don Hahn – Great insight into creativity.
3.) “Jump Off the Hormone Swing” by Lorraine Pintus – Loved how she took on a medical topic and made it a Bible study too.
4.) “Health Care You Can Live With” by Dr. Scott Morris – Dr. Morris is a physician who has our health care crisis totally figured out.
5.) “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Lee Harper – I’m ashamed I’m almost 40 and had not read this before.
6.) “Introverts in the Church” by Adam McHugh – This book helped me become more comfortable with being an introvert and to see the unique ministry I’ve been given.
All of these books are impacting my life and my writing tremendously.
@struggletovictory See, this is what I love about sharing our reading lists. At least three new books I’ll be looking for. Thanks for the suggestions. : )
I tend to read fiction books over nonfiction 90% of the time, but my favorite nonfiction book that I read this past year was “Some Girls” by Jillian Lauren, wherein she details her days spent in a harem of a middle-eastern prince. It was superbly engrossing.
@_erica Oh, my fault! My reading has tended toward nonfiction for the past several years because that is what I love to write. But I have started writing short stories and fiction is going to be at least 50 percent of my reading in 2012. SDo, yes, “Some Girls” goes on my list but, please, share your fiction faves, too. Bring them on! : )
LOVE new book recommendations!
My faves from 2011:
Fiction:
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (@erinmorgenstern created a world I didn’t want to leave – just beautiful storytelling and atmosphere)
- American Gods and Neverwhere – both by Neil Gaiman (American Gods was a 2nd reading … Both of these are impressive works that take the reader on a rambling and surprising adventure into lands familiar and unknown. @neilhimself ‘s characters are so real, they each deserve their own novel.)
- The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente (It took me a bit to get into the cadence and voice of this one, but once I did it cast a spell that kept me reading and prompted me to buy The Orphan’s Tales – In the Garden which I am currently reading.)
- Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (also a 2nd reading … listening to this one on Audible and loving the delivery. Gaiman and Pratchett made an excellent team full of wit and warmth and intelligence. The Apocalypse was never so much fun!)
- The Magician King by Lev Grossman (This was the sequel to Grossman’s first book and I actually liked it better than the first.)
- The Hunger Games trilogy by Susanne Collins (These were recommended by a friend and I couldn’t read them fast enough – riveting action, in-depth characters, and themes that run deep in the human psyche. I hope they don’t screw up the movies.)
- Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (So glad I read this before seeing the movie, though I enjoyed that as well.)
Non-fiction:
- Bossypants by Tina Fey (made me laugh out loud!)
- If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland (probably a 3rd or 4th reading – a timeless classic that is both firm and gentle, sensible and whimsical)
@suddenlyjamie I’ve heard *very* good things about Hunger Games from multiple sources, definitely on my to-read list for next year!
@suddenlyjamie@neilhimself Oh! What a rich list. I am so grateful because I will be loading up some fiction on my Kindle in the next couple of weeks. So many books, so little time. I’m thinking I might start with “The Night Circus” and just work my way down. (I read an excerpt of “Bossypants” and, yes, it’s hilarious.) : )
@CatsEyeWriter @marriedwithluggage Thank you. I am delighted to be included in this fine list on one of best sites online for writers.
@CatsEyeWriter @marriedwithluggage Thank you so much. Feels fine to be in such great company.
I’m a newcomer to your blog, but I’m enjoying it! I just had to put my two cents in since you’re talking about favorite books of 2011. The one that really stands out from all the reading I did this year is A Visit from the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan. Absolutely flawless writing! Another one which perhaps doesn’t qualify as great literature, but is a really fun read, nonetheless (especially if you love Jane Austen and British mysteries!), is Death Comes to Pemberley, by P.D. James. It’s a continuation of Pride and Prejudice, in which the tranquil world inhabited by Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy is shattered by a grisly murder! Another fun read is Then She Woke, by Hillary Jordan. It’s a futuristic dystopian fantasy reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood. Enjoy!
I’m a newcomer to your blog, but I’m enjoying it! I just had to put my two cents in since you’re talking about favorite books of 2011. The one that really stands out from all the reading I did this year is A Visit from the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan. Absolutely flawless writing! Another one which perhaps doesn’t qualify as great literature, but is a really fun read, nonetheless (especially if you love Jane Austen and British mysteries!), is Death Comes to Pemberley, by P.D. James. It’s a continuation of Pride and Prejudice, in which the tranquil world inhabited by Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy is shattered by a grisly murder! Another fun read is Then She Woke, by Hillary Jordan. It’s a futuristic dystopian fantasy reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood. Enjoy!
I’m a newcomer to your blog, but I’m enjoying it! I just had to put my two cents in since you’re talking about favorite books of 2011. The one that really stands out from all the reading I did this year is A Visit from the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan. Absolutely flawless writing! Another one which perhaps doesn’t qualify as great literature, but is a really fun read, nonetheless (especially if you love Jane Austen and British mysteries!), is Death Comes to Pemberley, by P.D. James. It’s a continuation of Pride and Prejudice, in which the tranquil world inhabited by Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy is shattered by a grisly murder! Another fun read is Then She Woke, by Hillary Jordan. It’s a futuristic dystopian fantasy reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood. Enjoy!
@annecrawford829 These are excellent suggestions, Anne. Death Comes to Pemberley sounds intriguing. And, definitely, Jennifer Egan’s book goes on my list. I’ll be collating these suggestions and printing in a post for all to see. Thanks.
@annecrawford829 These are excellent suggestions, Anne. Death Comes to Pemberley sounds like a fun read. And, definitely, Jennifer Egan’s book goes on my list. I’m just getting into more fiction now, so thanks for helping to populate my bookshelf.
My favorite books this year have been “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson, “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak, “Made to Stick” by Chip & Dan Heath and “Enchantment” by Guy Kawasaki. All well-written and examples of how to communicate ideas in compelling ways using story… and in particular, “The Book Thief” had some absolutely inspired sentences that stopped me in my tracks.
@BethBuelow Happy New Year, Beth! I remember you telling me about “The Book Thief” last time we talked. I enjoyed “Enchantment,” too. Ashamed to admit I haven’t read “Made to Stick” yet but I’ve heard good things about it. I’ll check out Bryson’s book and oder Zusak’s. . Your recommendation on any book is good enough for me. : ) Hopefully I’ll have a whole list of readers’ faves to share in an upcoming post.
Thank you for the list Judy! Reading is on my list of things I’m devoting time to this year and your list is a great addition to what I’ve already collected. I’m also glad you’re enjoying your Kindle! I know it was a transition for you. Happy New Year!
Jen! Happy New Year to you, too. Now the task is to prioritize, right? And, yes, the Kindle is perfect for me and my lifestyle. Here’s to happy reading in twenty twelve!
I am a huge fan of that Stephen King book. It might be because I feel like the majority of his advice/instruction are things that I try to do already.
I agree that one of the best ways to become a better writer is to be a voracious reader. You can learn a lot from reading the works of others and the best part is that much happens unconsciously. You don’t even notice sometimes how little tricks of the trade are absorbed.
Last year I think my favorite book was A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin. It is part of a series that I love.
Jack recently posted..New Year’s Eve
Jack! For some reason, your comment landed in t6he spam folder (oh no!) and I didn’t see it until today. Sorry about that. Sometimes these filters can be overly ambitious.
What’s the genre Martin writes in? I have much catching up to do when it comes to fiction. Yes, King’s tips are common sense but, still, I reread that book at least once a year.
The part about the application of storytelling techniques that you absorb subconsciously? Perfect—and so true. Thanks for the book recommendation.
Judy Dunn recently posted..‘Clean Slate’ Blogging: How to Write a Post Your Readers Will Remember
Two of my favorites were Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games trilogy and Jack L. Chalker’s Four Lords of the Diamond series. Both series are well-crafted, imaginative, thought-provoking, and, almost as importantly, well-edited!
For 2012, I already have a bookshelf full of intended reads, as well as a Kindle growing ever fuller. With all of this literary loveliness, how’m I supposed to find time to write my own novels?!? ; )
Courtney Cantrell recently posted..Books I Read in 2011
Okay. Hunger Games is surely on my must-read list now. Too many people have mentioned it.
It’s a balancing act, the writing and reading, isn’t it? But if we don’t read voraciously, we won’t be good enough writers. I save my reading for evening. (We unplugged our cable three years ago. So, while I’m not up on pop culture anymore—who is Paris Hilton and what is it with this “Dancing with the Stars”?— I have more than made up for it with a better vocabulary and more thoughts to chew on.
Here’s to literacy!
Judy Dunn recently posted..‘Clean Slate’ Blogging: How to Write a Post Your Readers Will Remember
Oh, I hear ya. I’ve never had cable — and I’ve never felt like I’m missing out on anything. True, I do have Netflix…but since I’m making active choices on what I’m viewing, I feel no temptation to flip channels mindlessly.
I hope you enjoy The Hunger Games! If you plan on seeing the movie, I recommend reading the novel first. : )
Courtney Cantrell recently posted..Can We Bare It or Bear It: The Breasts of Superheroines
Funny, Stephen King stories can freak me out sometimes. I’ve read several of his books, but certainly not most. Yet, one of my favorite books and I too read it once a year is his, On Writing…
René Fabre recently posted..First Moose Sighting of 2012
Ha! King is fairly good at freaking people out. Bob likes his older stuff, but he’s not so fond of some of his more recent titles, except for his new one on what would have happened if Kennedy hadn’t been assassinated. That one he liked. Horror is not my favorite genre so I don’ read much King.
And, yeah, On Writing is right up there with my other writing “Bibles.” Thanks for sharing, René. Haven’t seen you in person in a might long time. : )
Judy Dunn recently posted.. What Is Your Online Avatar Saying About You?
I have many book in my room. Most of them are a collection of encyclopedia. I took care of this books for my children.
@Ronie Walter @ IT Staffing Agencies Encyclopedias are good, too. : )