Bird by Bird

Recently I ordered three books on Amazon. One I didn't like (a book of essays by Barbara Kingsolver. I like her writing, but these were too shove-my-liberal-agenda-down-your-throat-minded) and two I did. They are both on writing, and so if you are not at all interested in writing, then you might not be interested in these. However, both books have a lot to say about other things besides writing and are inspiring, albeit in distinctly different ways.

First:

On Writing, by Stephen King - I have not read any of his books except this one, and yes, there is plenty of profanity to be found. There is also plenty of wit, good advice and a fantastic personal memoir

Second (and my favorite book about writing, ever):

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott - this book has made me laugh out loud as well as given me serious food for thought. It has great insight into the writing process and it's just a beautiful read. (warning: she also is keen on cussing)

I think I am the only one posting here, but I like to read, so I will continue to post books that I have read.

I like to get on Amazon.com and browse through the best seller lists or recommendation lists to get some ideas about new books or authors I may not have heard of. One such recommendation was for “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society”, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

This delightful little book takes place in London and on Guernsey Island in the English Channel at the end of WWII. The book is comprised entirely of letters written back and forth, with each letter telling a bit of the story of life in a Nazi occupied town.

Although the book is written only through letters, it flows well and the story line is easy to follow. There are humorous anecdotes about the quirky characters but also heartbreaking letters about humanity and heroism as the islanders helped each other during the war.

Don’t let the weird title scare you away…this book is witty, engaging, sad, thought provoking, and kept me gripped to the end. I loved all the characters and wanted to continue reading about their lives. So…read it!

Sophie Kinsella Books

I have to admit I have thoroughly enjoyed reading (er..listening to) Sophie Kinsella's books recently. The hapless heroine of each book is always getting into predicaments that make you cringe out of embarrassment for her and laugh out loud. If you are in the mood for a funny, easy to read, entertaining, bit of romance book, here's a little list for you:
The Undomestic Goddess
Can you Keep a Secret?
Remember Me?
Confessions of a Shopaholic

I also love an English accent...the narrator on the audio books does such a good job and it is fun listening to her accent. Everything seems funnier in an English accent for some reason.