#bestreads2011 Blog Hop. Kindleriffic!

Thanks to John Wiswell for hosting this blog hop! Please go visit his blog for more #bestreads2011.

Here are mine :-)

A Classic

Portrait of a Lady. One of the great things about my Kindle is that there are so many free classics. This book, considered by some to be Henry James’ masterpiece, is definitely “slow hand lit.” James takes his time; the book’s pleasures are subtle ones meant to be lingered over, not swallowed in chunks. Definitely worth reading if you’re inclined to literary fare.

An Indie

As an indie author myself, I’m meeting other indies on a daily basis. There’s no way I could read all of the new books I’m finding out about as a result, but I am trying to at least sample and if something grabs me, read on. The Movie by Bosley Gravel is one that did. Said it before and will say it again, Bos is a writer to watch.

Where have you been all my life

This one sort of falls into the indie author category as well. Julie Harris is a midlister who has started bringing titles out as ebooks. I read An Absence of Angels and really enjoyed it. It’s historical fiction, great story telling, memorable characters.

And one print book

My dad lent me this one. Gregory Orr spent part of his childhood in Germantown, New York, where my father also grew up. The Blessing is his memoir. It opens on the day that Orr accidentally shot and killed his younger brother, but this is not a maudlin book. It’s a beautifully realized meditation on pain, grace, and art.

Musing Mondays, Cannot Tell a Lie

Musing Mondays from Should be ReadingToday’s Musing Mondays prompt:

Other than for school, do you read books to learn how to do something? What was/were the topic(s)?

There are a several types of how-to books I read from time to time.

I sometimes pick up books on writing. The most recent standout is Michael Moorcock: Death is No Obstacle, which is a transcript of an interview of Moorcock by Colin Greenland. It’s an opportunity to spend some time with a writer who truly “gets it,” a real gem of a book.

I sometimes read books on marketing and PR. In this category I recommend Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port, a great book for anyone who sells services or intangibles.

I also read books on consciousness/metaphysics which, loosely speaking, might qualify as how-to books. But since I have yet to, yanno, actually bend a spoon with my mind or something I hesitate to recommend any of them. But I’ll be sure to update this post the SECOND I succeed :-D

Thanks for stopping by! And if you need ideas for your To Be Read pile, please check out my novels in the sidebar.