From Kate’s Writing Crate…
Last week I had just come across a delightful
book, a perfect gift for a reader or a writer, entitled I’d Rather Be Reading: A Library of Art for Book Lovers by
Guinevere de la Mare.
As I noted, the artwork is
mostly fun and colorful. The accompanying text consists of clever slogans, book-related
poetry, and essays including “Cheating” by Ann Patchett, which included a list
of interview questions about her favorite books. Her essay first appeared on
her blog “Musings” which appears on the Parnassus Books web site, her
bookstore. To see Ann Patchett’s answers, you will need to visit her blog or
buy this book.
Here are my answers although
I didn’t confine myself to the rules and I added a list of my favorite books
about writers and writing as this blog is about writing. Since many of my
favorite books were included in other questions, listing 25 more at the end was
fun. I reviewed many of these books under Reads for Writers, Writing Book
Recommendations, essays, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and some by author if you want more information.
Name your 25 favorite books about writers and writing.
(Please see posts dated October 30, 2017 and November 6, 2017 as Fearless Writing by William Kenower belongs at the top of this list.)
A
New Kind of Country by Dorothy Gilman
Backpack
Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing by
XJ Kennedy and Dana Gioia
Bird
by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by
Anne Lamott
The
Book on Writing: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Well by
Paula LaRocque (Also, Championship
Writing)
The
Elements of Eloquence: Secrets of the Perfect Turn of Phrase by
Mark Forsyth
Fearless
Writing: How to Create Boldly and Write with Confidence by
William Kenower (Also, Writing Within
Yourself—An Author’s Companion)
For
Writers Only: Inspiring Thoughts on the Exquisite Pain and Heady Joy of the
Writing Life, From Great Practitioners by Sophy Burnham
Handling
the Truth: On Writing Memoirs by Beth Kephart
Invisible
Ink: A Practical Guide to Building Stories That Resonate by
Brian McDonald (Also The Golden Theme)
The
Little Black Book of Writers’ Wisdom edited by Steven D. Price
My
Writer’s Life by Ellen Gilchrist
On
Conan Doyle by Michael Dirda
On
Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
The
Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life by
Julia Cameron
Six
Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure edited by Larry Smith,
founder of Smith Magazine
The
Soul of Creative Writing by Richard Goodman
The
War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by
Steven Pressfield (Read page 165 first.)
The
Way of the Writer: Reflections on the Art and Craft of Storytelling by Charles
Johnson
Winter:
Notes from Montana by Rick Bass
The
Writer’s Devotional by Amy Peters
The
Writer’s Home Companion by Joan Bolker, Ed.D.
Writing
Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg
Zen
and the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity by Ray Bradbury
REFERENCE:
Oxford
American Writer’s Thesaurus
The
Synonym Finder by J. I. Rodale
(You should already own The Elements of Style by Strunk & White)
What are you reading now?
I read multiple books at a time. Right now: The Long Way Home by Louise Penny (10th
book in murder mystery series); Eligible
by Curtis Sittenfeld; Books for Living:
Some Thoughts on Reading, Reflecting, and Embracing Life by Will Schwalbe;
and born bright: a young girl’s journey
from nothing to something in america by c. nicole mason. Still working on
summer reading list, Arthur and Sherlock:
Conan Doyle and the Creation of Holmes by Michael Sims; Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for the
Page, Stage, and Screen by Robert McKee; and Grief Cottage by Gail Godwin.
What was your favorite children’s book? Why?
I can’t pick just one. Harold and the Purple Crayon (and all the Harold books) by Crockett
Johnson—adventures and solutions all through a writing instrument, great book
for future writers; The Five Little
Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney—a tight-knit family faces
adversity cheerfully as well as with the help of a German shepherd which is why
I now have two of my own; the 199-page novel A Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith (NOT the children’s
picture book)—always loved dogs and this has the happiest ending ever for a dog
lover; and The Phantom Tollbooth by
Norton Juster—such a clever use of language as well as teaching life lessons. None
were new when I first read them. They are classics.
What book do you most often reread? Why?
I reread these four books the most: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values
by Robert Pirsig—made me consider how I see the world. Each time I reread it I
reconsider how I see the world. (Also, the sequel Lila.); Running From Safety
by Richard Bach—trust yourself! Be who you were meant to be; Reflections on the Art of Living: A Joseph
Campbell Companion selected and edited by Diane K. Osbon—discusses many of
the myths, ideas, and beliefs in the world and what we have in common and what
we can learn; and all of Robert Fulghum’s humorous and thoughtful essays about
life—they make me laugh and cry, especially It
Was on Fire When I Lay Down On It (pp. 9-15), Uh Oh, Maybe, Maybe Not, and True
Love: Stories Told To and By the Author. Having a bad day? Read one of
Fulghum’s books.
What book would you want with you on a desert island?
Why?
Blue
Pastures by Mary Oliver. I can remember the plots of my favorite
books so I could replay them in my mind. Mary Oliver’s prose and poetry would
make me think and remember and write—because I wouldn’t be on a desert island
without notebooks and pens! I would also want the complete works of Henry David
Thoreau as I would be without society.
What book would you recommend to a friend? Why?
It depends on the friend. I guess he/she would have to
choose one from all that I have listed in the other questions, especially the
next one.
What is your favorite biography? Why?
I read more memoirs than biographies. My favorite would
be Take the Long Way Home by Gail
Caldwell about her best friend, Caroline Knapp, who died at 42. Both writers,
Caldwell captures the essence of friendship and loss so beautifully I’m tearing
up as I write this. I recommend it to everyone.
What is your favorite holiday book? Why?
The
Sweet Smell of Christmas (a scented storybook) by Patrica M. Scarry.
More than anything else, aromas bring memories rushing back. This story about a
little bear is delightful as is the hot chocolate, peppermint, and orange
scents (and more) in the book which I first read as a child. I’m glad it’s
still in print as the scratch and sniff patches don’t last as long as the book.
What is your favorite summer read? Why?
The
Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter. It was my
grandmother’s favorite. I read her copy and remember the discussions we had about
the characters and the spring and summer wilderness settings as my grandmother
was a botanist.
What is your favorite mystery? Why?
Almost any book by Agatha Christie as well as the Inspector
Gamache series by Louise Penny who has won five Agatha awards. They both have deep
insights into how humans think and why they commit murder—that frightens me
more than the actual mystery.
What book did you think made a better movie than it did a
book? Why?
Hasn’t happened yet for me.
What book most influenced your life? Why?
Many have influenced me in different and important
ways—so the four I listed under books I reread for a start.
Most important was Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer
Within by Natalie Goldberg as it started me on the path to my writing/editing
career with her guideline to fill a spiral notebook every month without fail. I
wrote regularly and met the deadline—best training for a writer. When I became
an intern on staff at the magazines where I’m now the editor, I was ready to
write articles on short deadlines as I had no fear of a blank page.
What is your favorite classic?
Again, can’t pick just one. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Pride
and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and the Emily series by L. M. Montgomery (Emily of New Moon, Emily Climbs, and Emily’s Quest) all about a young girl who
wants to be a writer.
What is your favorite coffee-table book?
Our
Home, Too by Schim Schimmel. I love his artwork. Also, The Life & Love of Dogs by Lewis
Blackwell given to me by my dad, a fellow German shepherd owner, and one every
dog owner will love.
Name your 25 favorite books on top of the ones listed
above.
NON-FICTION
At
Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson
Autobiography
of a Face by Lucy Grealy (unforgettable)
Blink:
The Power of Thinking Without Thinking and every other book
written by Malcolm Gladwell
Dawn
Light: Dancing with Cranes and Other Ways to Start the Day and
every other book written by Diane Ackerman
Drawing
on the Right Side of the Brian by Betty Edwards (Also, What Really Matters? with Tony Schwartz)
Hidden
Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women
Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly
Rain:
A Natural and Cultural History by Cynthia Barnett
FICTION:
WRITERS AS MAIN CHARACTERS
The I-Team series by Pamela Clare
The
Last Enemy by Pauline Baird Jones (thriller) (Also, The Spy Who Kissed Me—funny)
Smooth
Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas
MYSTERIES
The
Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
The In Death series by JD Robb (PLEASE NOTE: Adult themes & graphic
violence)
(Don’t forget The Inspector Gamache series by Louise
Penny from my answers above.)
CHICK LIT
Bet
Me by
Jennifer Crusie (Also, Fast Women)
Dying
to Please by Linda Howard
The Wallflower series by Lisa Kleypas
FANTASY/SCI FI
The Dresden series by Jim Butcher
The Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs
ESSAYS
Ex
Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman
The
Quiet Center: Women Reflecting on Life’s Passages from the Pages of Victoria Magazine,
Katherine Ball Ross, Editor
This
is the Story of a Happy Marriage (includes “The Getaway Car”
an essay about how the author became a writer) by Ann Patchett. (The title
refers to one essay. It is not the theme of the essays.)
Tiny
Beautiful Things: Advice on Life and Love from Dear Sugar by
Cheryl Strayed
POETRY
Poems by Billy Collins
Poems by Mary Oliver
Ten
Windows: How Great Poems Transform the World by Jane Hirshfield
COOKBOOK
Confessions
of a Closet Master Baker: A Memoir—One Woman's Sweet Journey from Unhappy
Hollywood Executive to Contented Country Baker by
Gesine Bullock-Prado. While the original title seems more true to the author's
outlook, it's been repackaged as My Life
from Scratch: A Sweet Journey of Starting Over One Cake at a Time. Take
note: the recipes cover more than cakes and the text tells wonderful stories
from her childhood and life with her mother and her sister, actress Sandra
Bullock.
