What's in your waiting-to-be-read pile?

This weekend I attended a beautiful, if soggy, writers' retreat. Attendees spent three days up to their eyeballs in fantastic editorial direction. Want to know what the continuity editor for Harry Potter had us read for good examples of plot, character, opening lines – good writing in general?

The first Harry Potter, yes, of course.


But also a few other books she edited:

"Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally)" by Lisa Yee, illustrated by Dan Santat (fun, fun, fun)

"Marcelo in the Real World" by Francisco X. Stork (beautiful/maddening/surprising)

And books she admires, but did not edit:

"The Hunger Games" (more below) by Suzanne Collins

"Graceling" by Kristin Cashore

When I hear an editor or an author talk about a book they've worked on (or loved reading) it only makes the book ten times more inviting. If you hadn't read one of the books above, our workshops were pretty careful in not spoiling the ending, so that was great because now MY LIFE DEPENDS ON READING "GRACELING."

I have not wanted to read "Graceling" because of the cover and title (yes I am shallow!) But after hearing other people talk about the book, it drove me wild with curiousity. So that is at the top of my to-be-read pile.

An old award-winner I had never read because the COVER DRIVES ME BONKERS was "The Giver," by Lois Lowry. One of the two editors at the retreat had us study the book's opening paragraphs and I was staggered to find the story began a bit like LOST in the Others Camp and not, like the cover led me to believe, old hippies in Angry Narnia. Finished it with breakfast this morning. Loved it – the end is a little unsatisfying, but I think there's a second book.



And now we get to the real wallet-killer/heart-breaker, Suzanne Collins's "The Hunger Games." I got this as an audio book to listen to while painting my entire basement. Honestly, I am sitting here in this painted basement with no idea as to who did the painting. All I can remember is "The Hunger Games." It is still only available in hardback, but it is worth the price. And if you haven't read it yet, you are almost lucky – the second book, "Catching Fire," is out now, too. But I say 'almost lucky' because, Lord knows, you will read both of these books in record time. I have no idea when the third book is coming out only that it won't be soon enough. I might take a page from the Twilight Superfans and start a Team Peeta | Team Gale section. Watch the Bound left sidebar.

This weekend was worth its weight in gold. If you want to learn about writing and are ever so lucky as to have a Cheryl Klein or Ruta Rimas workshop in your area, spend the moolah to get yourself there. If not, Cheryl has a blog and soon will have a book on writing out. I have a funny feeling that Ruta will have a blog soon, too, but for now you can read this interview with her here. If you want to pretend you are in school again, the book "Reading Like a Writer" by Francine Prose was also mentioned this weekend.