Tim Akers

I’m going to be starting a new series of posts on here, updated semi-regularly, in which I recommend a book. I’ll be posting the first one later this week, but I wanted to say a few things about the article series before I gotstarted.

First off, I’m not going to be recommending many of my friends’ books. There are a lot of politics in publishing, a lot of networking that goes on, and I’ve always disliked it. I try to stay away from appearing partisan toward something just because it came from one of my friends. I just want you to rest assured that if I recommend a book to you, it’s because I authentically read it and loved it, and think you would love it, too.

Secondly, books are an art form, and art is subjective. I have really broad reading tastes, and sometimes they overlap with someone else’s tastes and sometimes they don’t. I’m simply going to be presenting you with the things that appeal to me. Your mileage may vary.

Finally, I am not going to be presenting these to you as a reader. I am very specifically going to recommend books that appeal to me as a writer, and picking apart what makes them well written. Books that I don’t like usually fail because of some aspect of their craft, which may have nothing to do with how most readers will approach them. But if you want to be a better writer, the first thing that you learn how to do is analyze the books you read and determine why they work. You’ll be giving up the pure joy of reading. It’s a sacrifice. But it’s a sacrifice that you make in the pursuit of a higher goal.

I’m hoping to give you more than good books. I’m hoping to introduce you to good writers, and maybe peel back a little of what makes those writers good. Enjoy!