My summer reading suggestion
Pretty soon the lists of summer books, vacation books, and beach reading will start to appear. Whenever I go on a trip, even for a weekend, the first thing I pack is a book. I know a lot of travelers like easy or fast reads; nothing too thick or ponderous. Even if you are not going anywhere, it's fun to set aside books for summertime reading.
This year, I'd like to suggest that you consider doing an author study. It's not as academic as it sounds. I simply mean picking an author you like and reading several of that writer's books or story collections. It's a great way to get a little deeper in to the mind of a writer, by sampling his or her work over the course of a career or through different genres. Many novelists have written short story collections, for example.
I love to discover a "new" writer, or new to me, and dive into their work in chronological order or no order at all. Right now, I'm reading as much of the work of Jose Saramago as I can. What's so great about reading multiple works by the same author is that you get to know the tone of the author's work, and become familiar with his or her voice as a writer. For example, Saramago has a great wit and uses lots of dry humor in his writing. When I start a new book by Saramago, I know the humor is there waiting for me and I can't wait to discover it. I've also gotten use to his particular quirks as a writer, such as not using quotation marks in dialog. Reading the works of a writer in the order they were written lets you see how the author has grown as an artist. Recurring themes let you know the writer's philosophy. I recommend that you start with Death with Interruptions and then read The Double or The Year of the Death of Ricado Reis.
Doing an author study is not only for fiction writers. I have read all the work by John M. Barry, who wrote Rising Tide and The Great Influenza. I admit that I have not read his football book, and probably won't. His third book, Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul, was a quite different from the first two works of nonfiction, about the 1927 flood of the Mississippi River and the 1918 influenza pandemic. If I had not decided to follow Mr. Barry's work, I might have let it slip by me and missed a fascinating read.
I find that when I do an author study, I become very interested in the biography of the writer I'm following. Learning about where the writer grew up, what her family life was life, her non-literary interest, or her literary influences only adds to the experience of discovering the author's work.
So, when you're planning to sit under an umbrella, either on a beach or at your back yard picnic table, consider reading through the works of an author you admire. I guarantee you'll enjoy the experience.
Comment and let me know a writer you've studied, or would like to study.
This year, I'd like to suggest that you consider doing an author study. It's not as academic as it sounds. I simply mean picking an author you like and reading several of that writer's books or story collections. It's a great way to get a little deeper in to the mind of a writer, by sampling his or her work over the course of a career or through different genres. Many novelists have written short story collections, for example.
I love to discover a "new" writer, or new to me, and dive into their work in chronological order or no order at all. Right now, I'm reading as much of the work of Jose Saramago as I can. What's so great about reading multiple works by the same author is that you get to know the tone of the author's work, and become familiar with his or her voice as a writer. For example, Saramago has a great wit and uses lots of dry humor in his writing. When I start a new book by Saramago, I know the humor is there waiting for me and I can't wait to discover it. I've also gotten use to his particular quirks as a writer, such as not using quotation marks in dialog. Reading the works of a writer in the order they were written lets you see how the author has grown as an artist. Recurring themes let you know the writer's philosophy. I recommend that you start with Death with Interruptions and then read The Double or The Year of the Death of Ricado Reis.
Doing an author study is not only for fiction writers. I have read all the work by John M. Barry, who wrote Rising Tide and The Great Influenza. I admit that I have not read his football book, and probably won't. His third book, Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul, was a quite different from the first two works of nonfiction, about the 1927 flood of the Mississippi River and the 1918 influenza pandemic. If I had not decided to follow Mr. Barry's work, I might have let it slip by me and missed a fascinating read.
I find that when I do an author study, I become very interested in the biography of the writer I'm following. Learning about where the writer grew up, what her family life was life, her non-literary interest, or her literary influences only adds to the experience of discovering the author's work.
So, when you're planning to sit under an umbrella, either on a beach or at your back yard picnic table, consider reading through the works of an author you admire. I guarantee you'll enjoy the experience.
Comment and let me know a writer you've studied, or would like to study.
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One David Halberstam, The Best and the Brightest, led to nearly all his books.
You are absolutely right about recognizing the style of an author's work. One author I've been following for nearly 30 years allowed me the privilege of reading her earliest short stories and scripts many years ago and I would recognize the extremely talented voice of my dear friend, Marcia Calhoun Forecki, anywhere, in a heartbeat.
Miss you, my friend,
Susan