I've been asked a couple times at conferences about good books for writers to read. I'm still working on that list, but in the meantime, here's my master's creative writing thesis reading list, with some notes as to how these books can benefit your writing.
CONTEMPORARY (AMERICAN) SHORT STORIES
- I often cite Lorrie Moore's story "Agnes of Iowa," found in this collection, when examining instances of change in writing (how authors write characters changing).
“CLASSIC” (AMERICAN) TEXTS WRITTEN SINCE WORLD WAR II
- Fox's novel of a marriage in turmoil is also one of the best examples I've ever read of how a writer uses background description to suggest mood, tone, and the mindset of the characters.
- Along with Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible, Oates' We Were the Mulvaneys is an excellent example of an author writing in many different, distinct voices throughout a novel. Good for writers considering multiple narrators.
- Besides being a classic, Welty's Optimist's Daughter is a great example of a complex novel told over a very short period of time -- only about three days.
CONTEMPORARY (AMERICAN) NOVELS
- Paul Auster has a fantastic talent for sprinkling his books with too-good-to-be-true coincidences, and making them absolutely believable. Well worth studying.
- Moody has an unbelievable command of language, and moreover, he uses that language to make the smallest details of life seem beautiful. A good source for adding lyricism to your writing.
“WORLD” NOVELS
- Money demonstrates how to use an untrustworthy (or unpleasant) narrator, and make that narrator one your readers will follow through the length of a novel.
THEORY AND PRACTICE
- Essays on writing by LeGuin. Her "Carrier Bag Theory" of fiction deconstructs the idea of a necessary hero and villain in a work, with points worthy applying to your own writing.
- A history and critique of creative writing programs. Worth reading if you're considering a creative writing degree.
MULTI-GENERIC AND HYBRID TEXTS
ADDITIONAL READING
- There's some value in budding writers reading debut novels and studying how others "broke in." Czuchlewski's Muse Asylum is a clever, thought-provoking novel, but a quick enough read that it makes a good tool for workshop-study.
- An excellent writing guide. Discusses the idea of "junky" first drafts (Lamott uses a different term) and how it's important to get your ideas down on paper first, and worry about tidying them up later.