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Thursday, January 19, 2012

More Author Insight: Required Reading

What book do you consider required reading for everyone?



"The Giver." - Bethany Griffin, author of Masque of the Read Death.


"I want to say any of the collected poems of Wallace Stevens, mainly because I think more people should love Wallace Stevens. But really, any favorite collection of poetry will do. Becoming a better reader of poetry can help all writers, I think, whether you aspire to write verse or not (and I don’t). We’re all trying to use language more evocatively, and poetry is sort of the physics of writing." - Barry Wolverton, author of Neversink.


"Everyone has different taste in books. While some of us might have extremely similar taste and some books may have very wide appeal -- I don't know that there's one book I'd say everyone should read. But for aspiring authors (and even experienced authors!), I'd definitely suggest reading some of the major sellers and award winners in their genre, regardless whether they enjoy the book; it's important to know what's reaching the audience." - Jodi Meadows, author of Incarnate.


"For everyone? That's a tough one. For writers, I recommend Stephen King's On Writing; for everyone else my universal recommendations are Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and - of course - Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery." - Elizabeth Miles, author of Fury.

 
"Where the Wild Things Are. In the midst of gnashing teeth and terrible claws there is an important truth: even if you really screw up, supper will still be waiting for you. That one reassurance can make us brave enough to try to do the impossible." - Sarah Wilson Etienne, author of Harbinger.

 
"I’ve thought about this question for a few days. Here’s what I believe: There isn’t a single book that is for everyone, but everyone should read until they find their one single book." - Veronica Rossi, author of Under the Never Sky.

 
"The Giver by Lois Lowry. I read it in the fifth grade and it’s the first book I can remember feeling changed by. Before then, I don’t think I’d realized how much impact a book could have on my perception of the world." - Marissa Meyer, author of Cinder.



"The Diary of Anne Frank." - Jess Rothenberg, author of The Catastrophic History of You and Me.

 
"For everyone?  I really don't think there is such a book because there’s no such thing as a universally accessible story, but if you made me pick, then it would be Where the Wild Things Are." - David Macinnis Gill, author of Invisible Sun.

 
"Tolkien’s The Return of the King.  It has everything, from life-or-death stakes to tested friendships and a beautiful romantic subplot – not to mention its overall epic sweep.  The whole trilogy is (obviously) a masterpiece, but if I had to pick one book, I’d choose the grand finale." - Beth Fantaskey, author of Jessica Rules the Dark Side.
 

"To Kill a Mockingbird." - Mary Lindsey, author of Shattered Souls.


"The Catcher in the Rye, without a doubt. I read it when I was 14 and, naturally, fell madly in love with Holden Caulfield. But literary crushes aside, the feelings of angst and alienation in there are just timeless. There’s something comforting about reading it during those tumultuous teen years. And I love it so much I reread it every year or so, like checking in on an old friend." - Aimee Agresti, author of Illuminate.



"Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen." - Jennifer Echols, author of The One That I Want.

 

"Read some classics, any classics. They might not be the latest thing, but you'll be grateful for it later." - Suzanne Lazear, author of Innocent Darkness.




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