Recommended Reads

These are books that I hold dear to my heart.  There are probably thousands I could add to this list, but these are some of my all time favourites.  

Heartbeat by Sharon Creech

This book sounds amazing!  It is a verse novel and at first glance it seems like a collection of poems, but it is a novel.  It tells a great story about a 12 year old girl who likes to run.  It is my favourite book and if you can get a hold of the audio book, do yourself a favour and get that too.

Ender’s Series by Orson Scott Card

This book is a science fiction classic and the follow up Speaker for The Dead is equally amazing.  Card has written seven books in this series and they have all been produced as stunning audio books.  The audio books have sound effects, music, and full cast narration.  He lists those audio books as the definition collection.  He believes that they are the best way to enjoy this series, and I totally concur.  They are spectacular.  

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

This book is part autobiography part writing manual.  It is an excellent read for anyone who anyone who writes.  King shares his story and advice on how to write.  He examines many aspects of writing that he finds essential to the craft.  I learned a lot from this book and his advice.  

Story by Robert McKee

This is a must have for any writer.  Read it with a pencil in your hand.  Make underlines and notes.  Study it, memorize it, and apply it to your works.  It is the best book I have ever read on the craft of writing and I know many writers in several different genres that sing its praises.   If you don’t already have a copy, you NEED to go get one. 

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

This is a great story and a terrific read.  It deals with finding your place in the world and realizing the connections we have with the world itself.  This story is very touching and it tells us to follow our hearts.  It is a modern classic.

Watchmen by Allan Moore and Dave Gibbons

This is a graphic novel which revolutionized the comics industry.  It showed the real human side of superheroes and told a serious story that dealt with mature subject matter.  It was the first graphic novel to ever win a Hugo award for fiction.  It is a classic.