The first two books are Bad Girls Don't Die and From Bad to Cursed.Early this month I asked Alender what she was reading. Her reply:
The question "What is Katie Alender reading?" could be combined with the question "How is Katie Alender reading?" I read across a variety of formats, and I wouldn't have it any other way.Visit Katie Alender's website, blog, and Facebook page.
My current tree-book of choice is Chime by Franny Billingsley. It was recommended to me by a friend, and I'm really enjoying the sumptuousness of the language. Also, the town in which it's set has the same name as the small town in Ohio where I have a ton of family and lots of wonderful memories. So I thought that was pretty cool.
One of my big problems is that I have a ton of books and relatively little time to read lately. Also, since I became a stay-at-home author, my attention span has deteriorated to squirrel-like proportions. (Although, thinking about it, squirrels are pretty good at focusing on the task at hand--maybe that's an unfair comparison. Sorry, squirrels.) One thing I love to do is sit down for breakfastor lunch with Bradbury Stories, a collection of 100 of Ray Bradbury's short stories. I can usually finish one in a single sitting, and then I get to write that day's date next to each story's title, which I find weirdly satisfying.
My most frequently-opened e-book is Blake Snyder's Save the Cat! Strikes Back. I find that e-books are a great format for writing-oriented books, because I can access them on my iPad or on a computer using the desktop e-reader software. If I find myself stuck on a story point, I'll often review my favorite writing books to see if I can unstick myself. Another one I've been loving is Screenwriting Tricks for Authors by Alexandra Sokoloff. (Some people say they need the tactile element of a "real" book, but since I use a stylus with my iPad, I have my own unique tactile experience when I swipe the page. It's very enjoyable!)The audiobook I'm listening to lately is Daniel Deronda by George Eliot. Classical British Lit is marvelous read aloud! When I'm cleaning, sewing, folding laundry, or walking the dog, I love to have an audiobook playing. It's actually the perfect diversion for me when I'm cleaning, because it keeps me from seeing a magazine and sort of slithering away from my work to sit down and read. Not to mention that listening to books helps me appreciate the language and "hear" the story in a different light. And the interesting thing is that if I'm quilting and listening to a book, the quilt and book are forever linked in my brain! I can tell you exactly which quilt I was working on when I listened to Stephen King's The Cell three years ago (it was the purple quilt with flowers). And I remember washing dishes and listening to Predictably Irrational.
Read--Coffee with a canine: Katie Alender & Winston.
--Marshal Zeringue
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