"For such kind of borrowing as this, if it be not bettered by the borrower, among good authors is accounted plagiary."
- John Milton
Books have always been important to me. More engaging than television,
I've devoured them more than the often disappointing shows or stagnant reruns that try to temp me during leisure time.
From theological works to detective fiction, my taste in literature is eclectic and more unusual--I would venture to guess--than
the average Joe's.
Like any occupation, practice makes perfect, so one might think writing is the best
way to practice at becoming a writer. I would beg to differ, however, and say that to become a better writer, one must not
only write but read and read often. From the styles of varying authors, the emerging writer can pick and choose techniques
that suit him or her best, developing a unique style by building on what has been accomplished beforehand. A writer can also
learn what he or she does or doesn't like about certain books and can use the "why" in those observations to
better improve their own work. Most importantly, reading develops one's "inner narrator". A writer can learn
how the narration of a good story should "sound" to their inner ear and look to do the same with his or her own
story.
With all the events, surprises, meetings,
and work that life throws at me now, these are the main reasons I still choose to read far beyond the days when reading lists
were mandatory. It's why I believe it's as important as my one hour a day spent writing. The greatness of my dependence
might border on the edge of plagiarism in some people's minds, but the truth is, "there is nothing new under the
sun" and writers build on the work of other writers. No man--and no author--is an island. My work isn't solely my
own but is founded on the work of countless other masters and muses who have influenced me and my creations and have helped
me develop my own unique brand of literary art. This page should be considered not just a list of favorite books I have enjoyed
or admired, not just a place to encourage literary discussion, but also a dedication of sorts, an acknowledgements section
where I get to recognize those those men and women who have persevered to express what was on their heart and succeeded in
influencing at least one other human being to dream and dream big.
The following is a list of favorite books by genre:
Nonfiction
Autobiography - The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Essay - Profiles from the New Yorker, Anthology
History - In the Heart of the Sea, Nathaniel Philbrick
Science - Dawkins' God, Alistair McGrath
Philosophy
- Meditations, Marcus Aurelius
Theology - Jesus and the Victory of God, N.T. Wright
Sacred Text - The Book of
Revelation, St. John of Patmos
Fiction
Whodunit - And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie
Detective Fiction - The Skull Beneath the Skin, P.D. James
Historical Fiction - Ahab's Wife, Sena Jeta Naslund
Fantasy - Watership Down, Richard Adams
Horror - Dracula, Bram Stoker
Gothic - The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
Romance - Possession, A.S. Byatt
Comedy - The Barrytown
Trilogy, Ruddy Doyle
Thriller - The Children of Men, P.D. James
Children - Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis
Classical - The Golden Ass, Lucius Apuleius
Theater
Latin - Trojen Women, Seneca
Greek
- The Bacchae, Euripides
Shakespeare - Macbeth
Modern - Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller
Historical
- Translations, Brian Friel
Poetry
Epic - The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri
Narrative -
Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, Samuel Coleridge
Compilation - Tales of a Wayside Inn, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Modern Collection - Opened Ground, Seamus Heaney
