Writers are readers. If you want to write better, it’s important to read more!
When, Why and How Writers Read
There’s no better season than “summer” for interesting reading projects. In the Marianas, in a way, it’s always summer because of our warm tropical temperatures. We have rainy season and dry season. There’s rainbow season and typhoon season. Other seasons might include mango & avocado season, banana season, mañahok or atulai season, and Flametree season. But with school sessions we have what feels like a “summer” season, with kids out of school, bright sunny days, and the lure of relaxing with a good book. There is no wrong season for reading. Writers read any time, any season.
There are all kinds of blog posts on reading like a writer. The theory is that critical analysis of how novels work will make you a better, more knowledgeable writer. But I think it’s perfectly fine to read like a reader and just enjoy the books you read. Osmosis works! You will take in all kinds of writerly help just by reading, even without careful analysis.
So here are 5 summer reading project suggestions that you might enjoy. Try one. Or more!
Project #1
1. Select an author and read their oeuvre. Diving deep into one author’s entire body of works will show how they developed different characters, changed styles, set up rhythms and patterns in their work. And it will help you know an author completely.
You could choose any author! Suggestions:
∙ Jane Austen (classic, period novels of romance and daily life)
∙ Stephen King (classic, horror)
∙ Judy Blume (classic, juvenile and adult)
Project #2
2. Read a series of books. These would all be by the same author and you get a similar benefit, but because they follow the same characters you see different challenges the author faced, and experience the growth and familiarity of characters to know and love or hate. You also get setting in both familiar and changing worlds.
You could choose any favorite series! Suggestions:
∙ Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot series (or her Jane Marple series)
∙ Dan Brown’s The Robert Langdon series (mystery or cult, spy or supernatural?)
∙ Veronica Roth’s Divergent series (popular culture)
Project #3
3. Read one of everything! List your genres and then select a book in each. This will not only be fun and enjoyable, but showcase the various styles, popular tropes, and pacing differences that authors employ to bring their stories alive.
Genres (and suggestions) you might like to try:
∙ Adventure-Yann Martel/LIFE OF PI
∙ Mystery-Carl Hiaasen/CHOMP or SKINNYDIP or NATURE GIRL
∙ Romance-Alexis Daria/A LOT LIKE ADIOS, A NOVEL
∙ Contemporary-Pat Conroy/THE PRINCE OF TIDES
∙ Historical-Alice Walker/THE COLOR PURPLE
∙ Fantasy-Neil Gaiman/AMERICAN GODS
∙ Sci-fi-Frank Herbert/DUNE
∙ LGBTQ-Hanya Yanagihara/A LITTLE LIFE
∙YA (young adult)-Laurie Halse Anderson/SPEAK
∙ Dystopian –Margaret Atwood/THE HANDMAID’S TALE
∙ Horror-Anne Rice/THE VAMPIRE LESTAT
∙ Graphic-Gene Luen Yang/AMERICAN BORN CHINESE
Project #4
4. Read aloud to others. Reading aloud brings an entirely different dimension to experiencing books and novels. You can read aloud to children, using picture books and lots of silly expressions and dramatic pauses. You can read aloud to the man’amko (elderly) and especially those who are vision-impaired, letting them choose anything from a newspaper story or magazine article to a full-length novel.
Some books to try reading aloud:
∙ Donna Tartt/ THE GOLDFINCH
∙ Harper Lee/TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
∙ Liz Rosenberg/MONSTER MAMA
Project #5
5. Enjoy listening to an audiobook! It’s even better if you have a hard copy book to follow along, but not necessary. Hearing someone else read brings a different dimension to the words. You’ll get different pronunciations or emphasis. You’ll find phrases that suddenly stand out and call for repeating! You’ll hear what dialogue works and what doesn’t.
Some audiobooks to listen to:
∙ J.K. Rowling/ HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCEROR’S STONE read by Jim Dale. (Once you listen to this, you’ll want to listen to the entire series!)
∙ Alexander McCall Smith/THE NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY read by Lisette LeCat
∙ Delia Owens/WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING read by Cassandra Campbell
Conclusion
Whatever you do, be sure to take up or make up a summer reading project! You will enjoy this author assignment!