Michael J. Sullivan

Michael J. Sullivan's books include the Riyria Revelations series: Theft of Swords, Rise of Empire, and Heir of Novron.

His new book is Age of War.

Recently I asked Sullivan about what he was reading. His reply:

Fact is, I’m not a fast reader. On average, I get through about ten books a year. I also don’t read much contemporary fantasy. That’s the genre I write in, which makes me hyper-critical and kills the enjoyment of reading. I tend to focus on non-fiction, or out of genre novels both for enjoyment and as a source of new ideas. Living in an echo chamber is no way to be creative.

This spring I happened to see the PBS show The Great American Read, listing America’s 100 Favorite Novels that will be voted on all summer and the number one choice revealed in October. There are a lot of books on that list I haven’t read. Quite a few that I find very interesting. As a result, I have been reading them.

Presently I am reading, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, by Betty Smith. Published in 1943, her style is very different from more modern works with a greater emphasis on narrative, less on dialog, and a floating PoV that drifts around from close personal third to distant omniscient. There also isn’t really a story, but merely an accounting of a person’s life that jumps around to include her mother and grandmother’s story as well. Nevertheless, it is enchantingly wonderful, emotional, and the best book I’ve read this year.

Prior to it I read Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. Also a good enjoyable read that takes you back to an earlier age of quaint, atmospheric murder mysteries. The comfortable, leather chair before a fire on a chilly night, sort of read.

Visit Michael J. Sullivan's website.

--Marshal Zeringue