There are so many fantastic authors and great books out there that sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin. Start Here solves that problem; it tells you how to read your way into 25 amazing authors from a wide range of genres--from classics to contemporary fiction to comics.
Each chapter presents an author, explains why you might want to try them, and lays out a 3- or 4-book reading sequence designed to help you experience fully what they have to offer. It’s a fun, accessible, and informative way to enrich your reading life.
A wide array of writers, critics, and bloggers offer their expertise and passion for these authors to help you get started reading authors you've always wanted to try.
Includes chapters by Erin Morgenstern (The Night Circus) on Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill (Heart-Shaped Box) on Bernard Malamud, Linda Fairstein (The Alexandra Cooper Series) on Edgar Allan Poe, and Kevin Smokler (Practical Classics) on Sherman Alexie.
A good road-map for readers looking to get into authors' work. The chapters are all short, the reading lists as well (usually no more than 3 or 4 books leading from an accessible work to one that is considered a "magnum opus"). The tone varies between writers but most have a wonderfully earnest tone - they are each writing about beloved authors and the enthusiasm shows. Though I'd read a number of authors it was nice to see recommendations for a range of authors from classic to contemporary.
I asked Rebecca why Toni Morrison wasn't included (since I was expecting a chapter from her on one of her favorite authors) - apparently the author list was voted on at the Book Riot site (I must have missed that) so here's hoping for a follow-up edition!
Note: Kit Steinkeller thinks one should start with It if one is looking for an "in" to Stephen King - I disagree vociferously. I read It and didn't read any more Stephen King for an entire decade. I hated it. A lot. And it scared the hell out of me. Skip it and start with her second recommended novel, The Shining.
No comments:
Post a Comment