What books are you reading?

I'm a nosey sod.  There, I've said it.

It's true.  Whenever I see somebody reading a book, I've got to ask, what are they reading and why?

It's easy to know that if they're using the old style paperback book.  But e-readers have come in to our world.  And despite me swearing that I'd never use one, I found myself wanting to buy one last year purely because there were a couple of books that I wanted to buy and I didn't want wrist-ache with holding the heavy books.

 Neal Stephenson's Reamde was one.  At over 1000 pages, the guy knows how to tell a story.

E-readers have revolutionised the way reader's read.  And equally the way writer's write.  And get published.  Some publish their first books for free and then charge a little for subsequent novels.   Self publishing is a big thing on Amazaon UK and lots of new writers are blogging and tweeting about how to do it.  

But what have you read recently?  And what has influenced your choice?

There was controversy about six months as a couple of authors were found to be writing their own reviews.  I suppose that's one way of self-promotion!  
 
For me, I love books written in the first person.  Add some thrills, a bit of science fiction and a sense of humour and I'm sold.
 
 After numerous false starts I've finally got into the Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher.  Think Harry Potter for adults.  Definitely not for children.  Read the later ones in the series from the library and bought the earlier ones in the series straight to my Kindle.

Oh, and two about writing: Goals, Motivation and Conflict by Debra Dixon, and The Positively Productive Writer by Simon Whaley.  Both were recommended by Nell Dixon, and they're changing the way that I think and plan my writing.

Hopefully the fruits of which you'll see sometime in the near future.

Take care

Joe