That one writer you always return to

I do not remember exactly which book by Avi I read first. I know that I read several in a row as a kid, which is normally what I do when I like the author's work. I still do this as an adult, getting on kicks and reading marathons. Avi is one of the writers I have followed for decades.

(Image Source)

As a kid, I was very lucky to have a library that brought in authors for talks, signings, and visits. Avi was one of my favorites. He was funny with great writing tips and memorable jokes. 

With the advent of blogs, I subscribed to Avi's blog and have enjoyed reading his posts and books since. It is refreshing to know that even with writing so many books, Avi still writes multiple drafts and heavily edits in addition to reading his work out loud to his wife. This gives me hope for my own messy drafts.

Do you have an author that you always return to? With rereading their books or following them online? Let me know in the comments. 

Q: What Are You Reading? A: Antiracism Books

(Racism Scale: Where do you fall? source: https://racismscale.weebly.com/)

"If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot." –Stephen King

It is vital for writers to read. The best writing advice I have ever received was to read everything I could. One hundred books of what I wanted to write.

It is important in these times to educate ourselves on the meaning of words. What is individual racism? What is systemic racism? Are we using these words correctly? Do we truly understand what these words mean? Click here for more information on racism definitions and explanations. 

I am still learning, and as a writer, editor, and reader, I read to learn. What are you reading today? Currently on my nightstand are: White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism  by Robin DiAngelo, So you want to talk about race by Ijeoma Oluo, and Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad.

There are articles online, book lists, and sources available here to find book titles, authors, and more to learn about #WeNeedDiverseBooks and how to be antiracist. Here are a few.

 

The Antiracist Reading List

35 Must-Read Books About Racism

5 Black Children’s Authors and Illustrators You Should Know

A Diverse #SummerReading List For Kids

1000 Black Girl Books Resource Guide

Black Books Matter

AICL’s Best Books of 2018

Revisions to Racism in Books

28 great Black History Month books for kids

24 Children’s Books to Read to Your Kids In Honor Of Black History Month

75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice

158 Resources to Understand Racism in America

Books by or About People of African Descent

 

Check out OA’s recent blog posts on how you can support #WeNeedDiverseBooks

 

Authors and Videos of Support #WeNeedDiverseBooks 

Support Black Lives Matter

This blog post is part of a series called Q: What Are You Reading? by Suzanna Anderson on Operation Awesome. Please note that this book list is not comprehensive. This list is a starting point, an introduction to Antiracism titles. Suzanna reads a book and usually finds at least ten more books to read. Use this list as inspiration to check out titles at your local library, support your local bookstores with purchases, or wherever you get your books. Please do read, share, and write reviews (if you want to). Comment below what you’ve read and what you’re excited to read next!

What are you reading?

How Long is Too Long for a Book Reading?

At a local sci-fi/fantasy conference over the weekend, a couple of the authors discussed book readings. How long is too long? How many different readers are too many?

We’d all attended book readings that went on too long. Fidgeting sets in.  Phones are covertly checked for the time. At some point, people simply stop listening and zone out. For this reason, I tend to err on the side of taking up less time rather than more. It seemed to be consensus that five to ten minutes was reasonable and fifteen was far too long.

I often attend book readings, and I’ve found that hearing three or four people giving five to seven minute readings works well. Any more than that and I get restless, and it seems, others do too.

Attention spans have gotten shorter, and I think we need to be conscious of this. I feel it’s better to give a shorter reading from a high-energy piece than to read on and on and have people stop caring about what you’re reading. I always want to leave readers wanting more.

What do you think? How long of a book reading do you enjoy? 

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Melinda Marshall Friesen writes YA and adult speculative fiction from her home in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.