Find Time to Read: Our Must-Read Books

In this post, the Studio 602 writers share their must-read books, along with why these books should find their way onto your reading pile.

Our Must-Read Books

Victor Inzunza: Writer

My reading life, much like everyone else’s, is often interrupted by work and other demands, making it difficult to get through a good book. Nonetheless, in the wise words of my librarian friend, “Don’t find time for reading, make time.” It’s sound advice. I must remind myself of this on a constant basis, because reading is worth it. In the spirit of making time to read, I offer these two must-read books.

This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff

Recently, I found myself unoccupied on my day off, a rarity for me these days, and I decided to finally finish my copy of Tobias Wolff’s, “This Boy’s Life.” I read through something like 118 pages of fantastic writing that night, and I felt better for it. As the morning sun crept in through the blinds, I felt as if I’d come to some great realization about this book and where it intersected with my own life. This is the kind of thing a great book does for you. A great story finds you where you are, and it leads you where you did not yet know you must go.

I’ve always had a soft spot for coming-of-age stories. To me every story is propelled by an insatiable, desire to know oneself. Learning through a character’s struggles reminds us of our own, and in this journey, we are reminded of the importance of discovery. Undoubtedly, growing up is hard, but we must move forward. When faced with  our earliest obstacles, as insurmountable as they appear at the time, they ultimately make us stronger and wiser. These early trials help define us in a lot of ways, providing a foundation of character and spirit that we carry into adulthood.

This Boy’s Life, provides all this and more. I can relate with Tobias Wolff’s scrappy, younger self, because I was like him in many ways. The young man Mr. Wolff describes is simultaneously imaginative, curious, and endowed with a gift for finding himself in trouble more often than he’d care to admit. A trait I also possessed. So I sympathized with the young Tobias, or Jack as he prefers to call himself, a young boy who was largely raised by his mother. A boy who was often confused by the father figures in his life, who asked himself many questions like, Why did they always seem to disappear? Why did his mother fall in love with them in the first place?

I could also understand Tobias’s constant struggle to understand where he belonged in the world. How he felt somewhat trapped by his circumstances, the town he lived in, and the fact that despite all of the urges he felt to break free, he felt at home there. I urge you to  read this book, and remember what it means to appreciate the insight gained by reading a book that helps you rediscover yourself.

Fobbit by David Abrams

The second of my two must-read books enjoyed its debut this Tuesday. Written by David Abrams, Fobbit will be a book that will speak volumes, both articulately and with great wit about the war in Iraq. I had the pleasure of interviewing David Abrams here at Studio 602, and the excerpts I have read are both vivid and captivating. David manages to capture the brutal reality of the ground war, coupled with the absurdity of the tedious bureaucracy involved in fighting the war in Iraq.

This book dispenses with the official platitudes of pundits and double-talking politicians, and it gets to the heart of what soldiers experience on a day to day basis overseas. David has said he wrote this book for many different people like, “The 26-year-old woman reading the book while eating her lunch in the employee breakroom and thinking about her brother who’s serving his second tour of duty in Afghanistan,” among others. I believe it’s a book that many different readers, from many different walks of life will enjoy. As a veteran, I’m especially excited to read it. You can read the full interview, “David Abrams on Comedy, The Iraq War, and Finding your Golden Sentence” to find out more about Fobbit at the Studio 602 Blog.

Enjoy this short reading list, and remember to do more than just find time to read, make time to read. Your friendly neighborhood librarian knows best.

Alexander Poirier: Writer 

My list of must-read books is growing every day, so I decided to share a recent addition to my list, along with a book about writing books.

Supergods by Grant Morrison

It’s no secret that I’m a comic book nut, so when I found out that one of the best comic book writers of the past 20 years had released a book, I dove in immediately. Grant Morrison’s Supergods is a crash course in comic book history with a bit of memoir mixed in for good measure. The writing is superb and the history lesson is thorough and fascinating. Readers familiar with Morrison’s work will not be surprised to learn that the book also delves into a philosophical discussion about the sudden resurgence of superheroes, what these characters meant to us in the 1930s, and how that meaning translates to the present day. Anyone who enjoys comics or superheroes (or anyone wondering what the heck all of the hubbub about comics and superheroes is all about) needs to give this book a read.

On Writing by Stephen King

Someone stole The Great Gatsby from my list (I’m looking at you Ann), so I’m going with my favorite piece of writing about writing instead. Stephen King’s On Writing shows why King is one of the best selling authors of all time, and a true master of his craft. Most folks dismiss King as a pulp writer without much substance behind his words, but On Writing proves that this assumption couldn’t be any further from the truth. If you’re a writer or someone who is interested in the craft, pick up On Writing. You’ll become a better writer because of it.

Gina Verrastro: Writer

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

Although it’s a novel, the events that take place are based on the author’s life, from his escape from prison to his adventures smuggling arms during the war. In addition to being a captivating adventure and a unique love story, Shantaram makes you rethink your understanding of the world and question your perception of right and wrong. It is a book with the power to change the reader for the better.

My Less Than Secret Life by Jonathan Ames

Whenever I’m feeling blue, I turn to this book. It is a collection of articles, essays, and fiction by a man who has been called “the x-rated Woody Allen.” You will want to read excerpts aloud to friends and strangers alike. Just make sure you don’t do so in polite company.

Ann Mazzaferro: Writer

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

It’s almost a cliche how many people have read “The Great Gatsby” – after all, how many of us were required to read it in high school English? But the thing is, most people haven’t picked it up since then, and if we’re going to be honest, how closely did you really read the text? People like to throw this out as their favorite novel to prove that they’ve read one in the first place, but take another look. Read it again. The swirling, elegant prose of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s prose is just like one of Gatsby’s parties** – it seduces you with glamor and beauty, but once you start looking closely, you see the ugliness and brutality of human nature underneath it all. And of course, Fitzgerald had to make things difficult for all writers who struggle with endings by giving us the greatest closing line to a novel of all time. Give it another read, if for no other reason than to be ready to nitpick all the inaccuracies in the Baz Luhrmann film due out next summer.

**Paging all hipsters currently sporting an “I Party With Jay Gatsby” t-shirt (yes, I know you’re out there): Please take a note from my younger sister, Amy, who so accurately pointed out, “What does that mean? Does it mean you are going to show up to my house, uninvited, eat and drink food without having the manners to thank me for it, and generally abuse my property and hospitality until all hours of the night? If that’s what you mean, then I don’t think I’ll be inviting you over for dinner.” Truer words were ne’er spoken.

Posession by A.S. Byatt

This tour-de-force has been compared by many to “The French Lieutenant’s Woman,” except there is a major difference between the two: I did not throw this one across the room when I was finished with it (though I will say “The French Lieutenant’s Woman” did land with a satisfying smack). This novel about two literature professors on the trail of a major, groundbreaking historical discovery, is worth reading for Byatt’s inimitable and unerring eye for detail alone, but what always dazzles me is her complete mastery of whatever voice she assumes. Be it a northern English gentry farmer or a 19th century poet and scientist, Byatt’s ability to speak through her characters is astounding. Add in a passion of the mind and the soul, as well as an engrossing plot that spans two centuries and two continents, and you have a brilliantly crafted novel that you’ll be hard-pressed to put down.

What about you Studio 602ers? What are your must-read books? Let us know in the comments section!