Episode 10: 11 Books Every Writer Must Read
Read better to write braver.
A love letter to reading as a creative practice—and a ruthlessly curated stack to sharpen your storytelling, deepen your sales voice, and keep you grounded when the algorithm gets loud.
I share why strong inputs create stronger output, why indie bookstores matter, and how to build a sustainable reading ritual even if you’re busy, neurospicy, or starting from zero.
Here’s what we cover:
Why writers must be readers—how quality sentences tune your internal ear and lift every draft you touch.
Formats that actually stick for your brain—print, ebook, audio…or permission to choose one and ignore the rest.
How to read “on purpose”—savoring, skimming, annotating, and rereading as craft training (not homework).
The case for indie bookstores—real recommendations, community dollars, and serendipity you’ll never get from a feed.
Fiction + memoir + craft—why a mixed stack builds range, resonance, and sales clarity.
The 11 I recommend and why they matter:
Beautyland — Marie-Helene Bertino: luminous, alien-hearted fiction that captures the strangeness and holiness of making art.
The Creative Act — Rick Rubin: short, devotional-style riffs that reconnect you to source, courage, and simplicity.
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel — Jessica Brody: a practical, scene-by-scene plotting spine you’ll steal for books, emails, and case studies.
The Book of Goose — Yiyun Li: quiet, cutting fiction about ghostwriting, fame, and the cost of storytelling.
A Happy Pocket Full of Money — David Cameron Gikandi: wealth energetics, self-worth, and why your prices are part of your prose.
Dinner for Vampires — Bethany Joy Lenz: razor-tight memoir of power, cult dynamics, and reclaiming your voice.
Outrageous Openness — Tosha Silver: tiny spiritual vignettes that teach surrender, timing, and creative trust.
In the Dream House — Carmen Maria Machado: second-person memoir masterclass in perspective, structure, and emotional precision.
Martyr! — Kaveh Akbar: poet’s-brain fiction with outrageous images and immaculate plot stitching.
The God of the Woods — Liz Moore: propulsive, character-rich mystery that doubles as a study in authority and pacing.
The BFG — Roald Dahl: a reminder that wonder, voice, and heart are advanced craft—disguised as a children’s book.
Whether you’re drafting a book, a newsletter, or a sales page, this episode gives you a reading roadmap that upgrades your writing life—without turning it into a chore. Bring a pen. Mark up the margins. Let great sentences change your own.
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