Friday, May 29, 2015

Lamott's Bird by Bird Update & Other Favorite Reads Past and Present

I recently finished reading Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird and have to admit being a little sad when it ended. As I read I found myself curious about how much a novelist can earn with one successful book. I was shocked and sorrowed at the same time considering as I have known for a long time I have near-zero yen for writing fiction. This might be because I do not enjoy reading fiction. It's something about slipping into a fantasy-realm of creating fictitious people filling a beginning, middle and end that just doesn't beckon my spirit.
Of course, I'd love to 'channel' characters in a way that got and held the attention of readers. However, in truth, I'm convinced that's not how I am wired. At least not today; knowing that these giftings awaken without warning from places not of our own design. So kudos to fiction writers everywhere; both successful and aspiring. With that said, I thoroughly enjoyed Lamott sharing writing experiences that an author of any genre could relate.
On another note, Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray Love is what I'm currently enjoying. I find myself reading more for her personal awakenings than the touristy descriptions of places she travels for this book. It's very interesting to note that this is a non-fiction work; but, reads with the intertwinings of a good novel.
On a final note. I have probably read fewer than a dozen novels in my lifetime, mostly in my 20s. Perhaps I'll compile a list. I know it will include Toni Morrison's Beloved, Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind, John Grisham's The Client, Stephen King's The Shining, and a few  others. As an avid reader most everything I read is nonfiction.
That said, if you're an indie author and want to read the familiar experiences in the life of a writer, while enjoying a laugh or two, I strongly recommend Lamott's 
Bird by Bird. Warning: Occasionally her language can be a bit 'untoward;' therefore should be kept out of reach of young children. I offer this merely because the cover with birds on it may get the attention of younger readers.

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