I see that a lot on Facebook or BookTok or Bookstagram or BookReddit (is that a thing?). Folks asking about what they should read next. I’m always like, well, don’t you know which one you want to read next? LOL

But of course, if they did know, they wouldn’t be asking. Or they just want to post nifty pictures like this one.

Yes, I threw my newest book in there just for grins! Is it not pretty?

Anyway, at the moment, I’m reading A Dream of Fire by J.R. Rasmussen (indie author!). I’m just about done with it and I do plan to review the story. I’ll probably post the review on Goodreads. Maybe here, too. However, it hasn’t been the best read, but at the same time, it is a good read.

Next on the list is Godkiller by Hannah Kaner. I’ve been meaning to read this one for some time. So, that’s definitely next. And then I’ll read The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones. I’m looking forward to this one. I hope it lives up to the hype.

So, if I have those three books in my to-be-read pile, what about the ones in the picture above? Watership Down by Richard Adams and The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón?

Well, those are the two I plan to do a “read-along” on this here blog next year, similar to how I did The Road by Cormac McCarthy way back in 2014. My aim with those two titles above is to read them chapter by chapter and delve more deeply into how the novels are constructed with a blog post for each chapter. If you’d like to read with me, I plan to start Watership Down in January. I’ll warn ya all.

Watership Down has fifty (50!) chapters so I’ll probably combine a few. The Prince of Mist was actually written as a young adult novella. It only have eighteen chapters with a very short epilogue. And because the chapters are so short, I’ll likely combine some of those, too. I’ll create a schedule. If you want to join in, let me know and I’ll post a calendar.

You might be asking, why on earth would Nila want to do this? It sounds like work! And even a tad bit annoying.

One way to become a better writer is to read. Read a lot, across many genres, yes, but also Read (with a capital R). And by that I mean, read critically. And by that I don’t mean try to find fault with a text. No. But rather, find what works in a text.

Why do we become enamored of characters? Why do we want to join their struggle?

Both Richard Adams and Carlos Ruiz Zafón are both excellent authors that I really enjoy and admire. I hope to learn a thing or two by re-reading their work carefully.

So, no, I don’t need your reading recommendations, sorry about the click bait.

But I am curious. What have you read recently that you think I should add to my (ever growing) to-be-read pile?

Until next time, Read like a writer.

If you’ve had a chance to read Mapmaker or The Legend of Damndrake, I would love it if you could share your thoughts. Reviews on sites like Amazon and Goodreads will help future readers know if my stories are a good fit for them.