Chancing upon another author
How we meet new authors can vary. Perhaps a friend recommends the author’s works or you read a positive review by an author or journalist you respect. Maybe you simply trip across an intriguing book jacket in your local bookstore.
No matter how your path crosses with that new author, with any luck you will come away with a satisfying find. Whether you read mysteries, classic literature or non-fiction books, it helps to broaden your pool of choice authors.
And if you’re anything like me, you must find new authors. I know that I steal every possible minute to curl up in a comfy spot and speedily devour everything and anything written by my favourite authors. Unfortunately, that well eventually runs dry and then you have torturous waits between publication schedules. Worse yet, when authors die, you will eventually read your way through every precious work that will ever be written by them.
I sigh to think that I’ll never read another labour of love by Mordecai Richler, Carol Shields, George Eliot or Henry James, but thanks to my dear friend Melanie's generosity and Mark Twain’s genius foresight, I do have a brand-new 2010 autobiography from the man in white.
But these morning missives are supposed to be uplifting, so back to the delicious and exciting act of discovering a new author. If you’ve recently found a brilliant or enjoyable read, then share that find with others and introduce them to a new author. You could even note it in the comments section below (I’m just sayin’).
As Jane Austen wrote, “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!” Chancing upon a fresh source of books from another author, in e-reader form or in print, well that means more reading and that’s
AWESOME!
No matter how your path crosses with that new author, with any luck you will come away with a satisfying find. Whether you read mysteries, classic literature or non-fiction books, it helps to broaden your pool of choice authors.
And if you’re anything like me, you must find new authors. I know that I steal every possible minute to curl up in a comfy spot and speedily devour everything and anything written by my favourite authors. Unfortunately, that well eventually runs dry and then you have torturous waits between publication schedules. Worse yet, when authors die, you will eventually read your way through every precious work that will ever be written by them.
I sigh to think that I’ll never read another labour of love by Mordecai Richler, Carol Shields, George Eliot or Henry James, but thanks to my dear friend Melanie's generosity and Mark Twain’s genius foresight, I do have a brand-new 2010 autobiography from the man in white.
But these morning missives are supposed to be uplifting, so back to the delicious and exciting act of discovering a new author. If you’ve recently found a brilliant or enjoyable read, then share that find with others and introduce them to a new author. You could even note it in the comments section below (I’m just sayin’).
As Jane Austen wrote, “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!” Chancing upon a fresh source of books from another author, in e-reader form or in print, well that means more reading and that’s
AWESOME!
I'll start things off with some suggestions...
ReplyDelete* Louise Erdrich "The Master Butchers Singing Club"
* Anything by Bill Bryson, but especially "A Short History of Nearly Everything"
* Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society"
* Jane Urquhart "Away"
* Ami McKay "The Birth House"
This summer, a friend recommended "Peace Like A River" by Leif Enger. I loved it; it's beautifully written.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently reading "Madeleine's World: A Biography of a Three-Year-Old" by Brian Hall. I'm enjoying it because of the baby in my life, but I think it has something to offer regardless of the reader's family status.
Sure you've already heard of her, but I fell into Sara Gruen's "Water for Elephants" and can't wait til the day I put down the sleep books and board books.
ReplyDeleteOn that baby note, I've got a couple more authors to share for our younger (under 4)crowd:
Devin Scillian's "Memoirs of a Goldfish"
Julia Donaldson's "The Gruffalo"
Thank you, Shannon and Rachelle. Sounds like the two of you can share kids' lit recommendations with one another.
ReplyDeleteCindy recently told me about Lane Smith's "It's a Book" - sounds like great fun for anyone raising millennial children, but I've yet to take a peek at the book.
Shannon - I'm passing on "Madeline's World..." to my friends with toddlers :) Thanks!
ReplyDelete