Blogocentric Formulations

National Author's Day

Today, November 1st, is National Author's Day. This year, I thought I'd dedicate it to some of the authors I've ready recently (i.e., this year) and what I find compelling about their work. By design, I've read considerably less this year than in years prior, so I don't have a huge selection of books to choose from, but there are still a couple authors that I want to talk about.

Blake Crouch. I haven't read a book of his that I haven't enjoyed yet, and each one has tackled a complicated, vastly different subject matter. Crouch has a way of taking a general idea (time travel, the many worlds theory, nanotechnology, etc.) and building it into a believable narrative with compelling characters. He's also really good at pacing and not bogging down the narrative with too much detail despite the extensive research he's done (something a lot of writers try to do... show off all the homework they've done on a book). Honestly, Blake Crouch is the closest approximation I can think of to an idealized version of myself as a writer. Someone who can take a "big picture" idea, make it accessible to the average reader, and do it in a way that doesn't sacrifice the quality of the characters or their narrative. I can't recommend his books highly enough to people who are fans of complex (but not obtuse) science fiction.

John Mark Comer. One of my favorite Christian authors and thinkers today, I like him in the nonfiction space for a lot of the same reasons that I like Blake Crouch in the science fiction space; Comer is always coming up with compelling, thoughtful books on a variety of topics. He's tackled concepts like spirituality in a world consumed with hurry, finding identity in the everyday lies others tell us and we tell ourselves, and dealing with afflictions like anxiety and depression through a religious lens. His writing is both casual and insightful, making it really accessible for both Christians and nonbelievers alike. He has a new book on spiritual formation coming out early next year, and I'm super-excited to read it and see where he goes with that book.

I've also read a few books by Brandon Sanderson this year (the secret novels from his record-breaking Kickstarter campaign), but I wasn't terrible impressed with them. Sanderson is probably on my all-time list of most influential writers because of his contributions to the fantasy and science fiction genres (both his books and his writing resources like his classes and his podcast), but the stuff that I read this year isn't even close to his best work (IMHO) so I have a hard time including him on a list of current-year faves.

I still have a few authors left on my to-read list this year that have the potential to end up high on my year-end list. I'm excited to read Originals by Adam Grant (an author I've been meaning to read for a while), and Rick Rubin's book on creativity is still sitting on my bookshelf. I'm starting to get back onto a nonfiction kick with my reading, so I'm starting to gravitate toward books and authors that have done interesting work and thinking on particular topics.

I have two months left in the year to meet my reading goal of 50 books (currently at almost 40), so stay tuned!