I’m going to try to make this a recurring post: 5 THINGS will be a list of useful tips, strategies, books, product, or whatever else I have found to be useful to me in writing, reading, photography, music, or generally just goofing off.

To start, I want to talk about 5 BOOKS EVERY WRITER SHOULD READ.

Now, I know this topic has been beaten to death, so I’ll spare you the listing of Strunk and White. If you don’t know that one already, I’m not sure you’re a writer yet. I firmly believe you can learn the most from non-instructional books, so here are my 5.

1) On Writing by Stephen King.

Okay, okay, I know I said I wouldn’t write down obvious ones, but King’s semi-memoir will offer you so many gems of great information it’s hard not to list it. This book is entertaining, useful, and motivational, even if you despise Stephen King’s work. Anyone who has picked up a pen with any intention of writing serious fiction needs to read this from cover to cover. Don’t skip the somewhat tedious revision stuff at the end, either. Every writer needs to take his advice.

2)Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer.

I include this for both the lovers of Foer and the haters. I, for full disclosure, love his work, but there are some who call his work gimmicky. Well, that’s important, isn’t it? Because gimmicky got him noticed. I’m not saying you should be gimmicky; what I am saying is you need to take risks. Foer took monumental risks with both ELIC and Everything is Illuminated, and it paid off. You can write a novel, I am confident of that. But can you write a novel that matters? That gets noticed? That stands out? Read Foer and you’ll know what I mean.

3) Tinkers by Paul Harding.

I have to admit that this was not my favorite book in the world, and I’d rather mention “A Prayer for Owen Meany” by John Irving here, but I mention Tinkers first because it was very good, and second because Harding’s prose is exceptionally tight. He takes a concept that can turn very tedious and too self-aware into an agonizingly self-reflective tale. I was impressed by his writing, even if I did find it a bit aloof and at times inaccessible. Overall, this is a book a writer should read to learn to understand that every word counts, as does pacing.

4) The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie.

Wow.
When I finished reading this book, I think that’s the only word I could think for a solid ten minutes. Wow. This book is long and difficult to read, but the complexities are fascinating. The landscapes Rushdie creates are sometimes akin to a Tolkien-esque world, except with a frightening depth that reflects directly on the real world. Read this book to find out what it means to be LITERARY. The writing is dense, poetic at times, playful, heavy, and engaging. There were entire sections of this book I did not love, but I was engaged the entire time. Oh, and if you’re having trouble with metaphors, read this. And re-read it. And re-read it again.

5) In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd by Ana Menendez

I have read this book several times and taught it to seniors in high school as well. It may be a bit too advanced for high school readers, which is why I think many of my seniors liked it. Pay special attention to my favorite story, “Miami Relatives”. Writers should read this book to understand how intrinsically tied to culture all writing can be. These stories are historical, thick with metaphor, funny, touching, and engaging throughout. Pay attention to stylistic prose in each story, and take note of how each story uses a distinct writing style to convey a particular emotion.

Do you have feedback on my choices? Let me know! Post a comment and tell me what I should add or subtract from the list.

I want to leave you a quote from “Miami Relatives,” just to make you salivate a little:

The Aunt Julia climbs to the top of the table and holds her arms out for silence.
‘Today I ate the sun,’ she says. ‘The darkness was delicious.’
We sit staring at her until she opens her mouth and blinds us.