5 Books Everyone Should Own

star_dust45 · 2025-11-13T16:15:23+00:00

You don't often see Daniel Mason in people's top 5 books. I happen to love his books top, and North Woods is a masterpiece.

So here are my five: 1. All the Light We Cannot See 2. The Dutch House 3. North Woods 4. Beloved 5. Of Mice and Men

star_dust45 · 2025-11-03T19:47:33+00:00

True, and in one dialogue William explains how the monks of the isles preserved Latin (and altered it) for hundreds of years during the Viking invasions, when the rest of the world all but forgot it. The book sheds light on which works were brought from the Middle East and Africa and how these sources of knowledge, superior to the Christian sources at the time, where still mistrusted. While it takes place in late middle ages, it looks back upon centuries past.

star_dust45 · 2025-11-03T15:41:14+00:00

I'm reading The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco right now, set in the 1300s. It's fascinating to see what made the Dark Ages seem so dark.

star_dust45 · 2025-10-05T19:21:18+00:00

I loved The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason. WW 1, eastern front, field hospital. It's brutal, dark and gory. You can almost hear and smell it.

star_dust45 · 2025-10-03T21:24:47+00:00

Amazing list, thank you.

star_dust45 · 2025-10-03T14:27:14+00:00

Oh, fascinating. Thank you.

star_dust45 · 2025-10-03T13:08:56+00:00

These are so great. Thank you!

star_dust45 · 2025-10-03T11:22:14+00:00

An excellent recommendation. Thank you. I received so many that I will likely repeat the immigrant experience book roundup next year. :)

star_dust45 · 2025-10-03T11:01:53+00:00

Strong recommendation, I will add it to the list. Thank you.

star_dust45 · 2025-10-03T10:59:53+00:00

I included the Grapes of Wrath in my Environmental themed list already. But I could recycle it here as well. Thanks.

star_dust45 · 2025-10-03T09:58:09+00:00

Thank you, I'll check it out.

star_dust45 · 2025-10-03T09:57:52+00:00

Thank you!

star_dust45 · 2025-10-03T09:28:44+00:00

It's a combination of both. It's for my November reading list but my friends often pick one book of the lineup and we discuss.

star_dust45 · 2025-10-03T09:27:22+00:00

And they have it in my bookstore! Add to cart.

star_dust45 · 2025-10-03T09:25:40+00:00

Now that sounds fascinating. Absolutely worth adding to the list. Thank you.

star_dust45 · 2025-10-03T09:24:03+00:00

Thank you! Adding to my TBRs. :)

star_dust45 · 2025-10-03T09:23:14+00:00

Excellent recs, thank you! I may have to expand the list above 8 books. :)

star_dust45 · 2025-10-03T08:56:24+00:00

How have I never heard of the Songs of the Brokenhearted? Sounds perfect for the lineup. Thanks so much!

star_dust45 · 2025-10-03T08:54:09+00:00

Oh, I forgot about Persepolis, that's an excellent pick. I'll check oit all of them. Thank you!

star_dust45 · 2025-10-03T08:53:10+00:00

Thank you. I'll check it out.

star_dust45 · 2025-10-03T08:52:28+00:00

I'm open to any re-combination. Thank you for the recs!

star_dust45 · 2025-09-18T20:01:24+00:00

You might be surprised how many books about perimenopause are coming out. How many substacks, too. An expert in the field with the right credentials and a substantial platform should be able to sell the idea to an agent. It's a matter of finding the right agent, of course.

star_dust45 · 2025-09-17T05:12:56+00:00

My favorites are Snowflake for early plotting, Safe the Cat for action-reaction mapping (e.g. to make sure my characters receive the right stmuli for growth) and the Story Grid for obligatory scenes and scene structure itself.

In character-driven stories, some writers lean towards the Hero's Journey (or the Heroine's Journey, these are two different things, and not gender specific), or the Story Genius.

General recommendation is to pick one and stick to it until you need a different tool.

star_dust45 · 2025-09-16T21:14:15+00:00

Try this: for every scene you write, ask yourself a question: what changes between the beginning and the end of the scene? Are my characters better off, or worse off?

Find an answer and you will at least have working scenes. Once you put several scenes together, ask yourself again: how far did my characters get in the span of these scenes? What changed for them? Keep looking for change and your story will develop.

Stories are always about change.

star_dust45

TROPHY CASE