Books That Inspire
You know what books I’m talking about. The ones that keep you up late at night, that you’ve read more times than you care to admit, that resonate with you.
After I read a truly great book, I go through four phases:
- Enjoyment Where I revel in how much I love the book!
- Word-envy Where I desperately wish I had written the book.
- Inadequacy Where I despair about never being able to write anything that can compare to it.
- Analyzing Where I dissect a story to pinpoint what I found especially compelling so I can better my own writing.
After all, reading brilliant books fuels the writing fire. Here are some of the books (in all different genres) that inspire me and why:
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins For Anna’s voice, leveraging the Parisian setting, and taking a seemingly simple plot (girl moves to Paris and falls in love with gorgeous boy) to a deeper level. Seriously, this book is like a how-to guide on voice, especially an authentic YA voice.
Wallbanger by Alice Clayton For its daring humor and a badass feline sidekick. Clayton’s humor… It’s so smart and unexpected, brilliantly woven through the tale with Caroline’s voice. I hope to someday write humor half as well as Clayton.
The Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu For the action scenes, twisty plots, and compelling characters. Writing action scenes is really hard and Lu is a master, maybe due to her history in the video game industry. Also, her books don’t follow the usual story structure, meaning she avoids the pitfalls of the mushy middle. And Day and June… It’s just *sob* so good.
Front Page Fatality by LynDee Walker For Nichelle’s voice and the edginess of the mystery. In writing mysteries, having a sympathetic protagonist is so important, and Nichelle is spot on. Even more impressive, Walker strikes a perfect balance between nitty-gritty and suspense without jeopardizing traditional cozy elements.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss For the unique narration and kick-ass main character. The narrative style is different than anything I’ve ever read, and is incredibly entertaining. And I applaud Rothfuss for thoroughly torturing his MC. Life continually crushes Kvothe, but he’s so intelligent, talented, and determined that he’s never down long. And you can’t help but root for him!
What books inspire you?
What I’m reading: Claws of the Cat by Susan Spann
What I’m listening to: Love Don’t Die – The Fray
Aw, thank you so much! Your sweet words truly made my day. I’m so glad you love Nichelle! And I do the same thing when I read a great book. I think everything we read shapes our writing in some way, and the more you read, the better writer you become. 🙂
Thank you for the sweet words, LynDee! I’m excited to read about Nichelle’s next adventure (and her expanding shoe collection)! I’m sure it’ll continue to inspire 🙂