Can I be blunt on this subject? If you don’t have the time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.
– Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Last year I returned to my book roots. I did read a couple of new ones, but I mostly went through my stack of old favorites – because, as King also said: “Good books don’t give up all their secrets at once.” The verdict? I like wizards and witty (if not slightly disturbed) damsels:
- Harry Potter 1-7 by J. K. Rowling
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
- Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
- Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Fielding
- Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding
- A Room with a View by E. M. Forster
- The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Whenever I’m apathetic about my writing, I find that it’s usually because I’m trying to be someone I’m not – trying to impress a potential agent, editor or reader. Reading books that I admire, written by authors who have stuck to their literary guns come rain, snow or evil review, inspires me to stay true to myself.
*Photo by Zoran Mesarovic @ 500px / CC BY
The Friendly Editor 