These are words

Last week, if you remember, I talked about why you should always be reading, as a writer. If you don’t remember it, Click Here to give it a read.

Today, I’d like to expand on that idea, at least a little bit. Because reading is a big thing, for writers. And it’s something that a lot of us have trouble doing, even if we refuse to admit it. We don’t like people to know that even writers struggle to find time for reading, that even we have a hard time finding a book that we can read.

But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t read. So…

Read, Whenever You Can

Now, I frequently have a hard time finding books that I really want to read, that I won’t struggle to continue reading beyond the hundredth page or so. But I’ve recently figured out a way to find books that I have an easier time reading, because (get this) I actually enjoy them.

Here’s what I do:

Head over to Goodreads. Now look up one of your favorite authors. Now, read some of their book reviews, and find a reviewer who you agree with. Go to their page, look at what else they’ve read, and see how they’ve reviewed things. I know it’s a bit roundabout, but it really works very well for finding a book that is along the same vein or in the same wheelhouse as something else that you really enjoyed.

For me, that meant finding some fascinating fiction similarly written to Michael Crichton’s work. I apologize, I don’t remember the author’s name, the book is packed in a box, and I bought it in a store. *sigh* Such is life... I'll find his name when I get a bigger house and have all my books on shelves, instead of in boxes. 

I digress.

There’s a lot of great writing out there, but reviews are frequently the easiest and best way to separate the good stuff from the blasé. I used to read reviews on Amazon, but it’s harder to find good reviews on there, somehow. Goodreads also allows you to contact some of the authors online, so if you have questions, you can ask them.

How cool is that? 

Thing is, for this to work for as many people as possible, you'll need to be writing reviews as well. So when you find a book that you like, or even one that you didn't like, head back over to Goodreads and leave a review for someone else to find. I guarantee there's someone out there who agrees with you on that book, and on many others. Help them find this book that you enjoyed, or stay away from a book that you think wasn't so great. 

Whatever you do, make sure you’re reading. Honestly, even if you read the same ten books over and over again, as long as you’re reading and learning something from those words, I’d say you have a good start. But you need to branch out, at least now and again. 

Please.

Read.

[love]

{Rani Divine}