FREEDOM by Jonathan Franzen

Well, this was Oprah's Book Club selection.  And I enjoyed the book the author became famous for, The Corrections. 

To purchase or download this book, click below:

http://sh.st/Q4PZL

It's a family saga.  Rather than following the family member linearily, the author chose to focus on each character in a chapter, much like he did in The Corrections.  It's very well-written, I really felt for the characters, and even the most debasing, disgusting and reprehensible behaviours seem acceptable within the context of this world.

The one issue I had with this book is that there is so much information on each character.  I got bored for about a hundred pages that delved into American politics, and then another fifty or so pages that dealt with saving a bird species.  I think that the author felt too passionately about these subjects to leave them out, and while they were a part of the characters, I didn't really see how they added any real value to the story.


This is a long book - over 700 pages - and definitely not a beach-read.  If you enjoy dissections of humanity and family, and have long commutes to work, then this would be a good addition to your electronic reading device.

THE SKIN TYPE SOLUTION by Leslie Baumann

We've always heard of the four types of skin: dry, oily, combination, and normal.  But I was fascinated by the author's idea of actually breaking our skins down into SIXTEEN different types.

To purchase or download this book, click below:

http://sh.st/QNzwQ

The author, a practicing dermatologist in Florida, sets out detailed questionnaires that help you determine your specific type.  Not only that, she then explains the difference between the varieties in a way no dertmatologist has ever touched on (in my experience), and even gives lists of examples of ingrédients to look for, and more importantly, to look OUT for.


The information in this book has saved me a pretty penny, and many an avoidable skin-irritation due to a cosmetic that was sold to me simply because the seller needed to reach her weekly target.
HIGHLY recommended!

NO TWO ALIKE by Judith Rich Harris

I've always been interested in why two (or more) siblings who grow up with the same parents in the same home can become so completely different.  I was hoping this book would provide some insight.

To purchase or download this book, click below:

http://sh.st/QNke1

I can't really say that I got much out of this book.  While the author quotes many studies, I never felt like she really got deeply enough into the subject, and I kept waiting for some kind of revelation but sadly, it never came.  I would say, skip this one.

SAVE THE CAT! (series) by Blake Snyder

This is when I discovered how FUN organizing thoughts can be!


SAVE THE CAT!
The first book in the series breaks the entire process down in a clearly understandable way without talking down to you.  It gives you tools and tips you can use, but more importantly it lays everything out visually so that 110 script that you've been dreading to write suddenly appears to you in vivid pictures.
The first book I would recommend to anyone - whether you've never written anything in your life, or if you've produced some of your manuscripts already but are looking for a different way (and more approachable) of doing things.
Instead of reinventing the wheel, this book shows you, step by step, how it's constructed, so that you can recreate it all by yourself.

To purchase or download this book, click below:

http://sh.st/QhNSN

SAVE THE CAT! GOES TO THE MOVIES
The second book in the series takes the theories described in the first book and applies them to a wide range of films across all genres.

To purchase or download this book, click below:

http://sh.st/QhMnJ

Unlike the first book,  this second one doesn't delve into too much detail on the aspects of writing.  This is purely a dissection of fifty films, using the author's method that is shown in detail in the first book.  This book is rather an interesting study of how the author's writing method can be applied to any genre.


SAVE THE CAT! STRIKES BACK
This is my least favorite book of the series, and although I still got some interesting information from some chapters (how do you interpret 'notes' from producers?), I felt like towards the end it was a struggle for the author to complete it.  There is a chapter on 'getting an agent' etc but I didn't find the information any more useful or hopeful than I've gotten from all the other books I've read. 

To purchase or download the book, click below:

http://sh.st/Qh2IM

There was some information I found to be just a rehashing of the first book:  in a nutshell, save yourself the time and money, and concentrate more on the first two books of the series which I truly feel are extremely helpful.

REEL PEOPLE by Howard M. Gluss Ph.D.

This is one of those hidden gems I wish more people would talk about.  It's essentially a list of characteristics of "unusual" or "abnormal" personality types with clear examples taken from films, to give the writer an idea of what ticks, habits, and tendencies a certain character might have.


But it's much more than that.  This reads like an easy-to-digest medical book on various personality disorders.  It's well-written, well-researched, and just really interesting and enjoyable.

To purchase this book, click below:

http://sh.st/mDUAc

And if you're an armchair psychologist, or you're just really curious about people, this book gives some great insights and alternative possibilities that you probably never considered before.
You may even learn a few things about yourself too.
Highly recommended.

COOKED by Jeff Henderson

I really wanted to enjoy this book.  I really really really wanted to.  Mostly because it's a wonderful true uplifting story of a black man who, as a teenager, got into dealing drugs and making tons of money, and not lacking in the female-adoration department. 
Then, as a Young man, he got caught and sent to prison.


What is uplifting about this story is that, while locked up, instead of falling further down the rabbit hole of crime, he learned how to cook, and how to do it well.  And then...  well, perhaps you should read it for yourself to find out.

To purchase or download the book, click below:

http://sh.st/mS5lR

It's heartening to read a story of perseverance like this, it's just that I had a small issue with the writing style.  The author is also a public speaker in schools, and I suspect that his book was written in his voice, as in how people spoke on the street in his time, and how he perceives the world now.   I found the style to be a little jarring, and I found it difficult to concentrate on the story because I felt a lack of flow in his sentences and storyline.
Nevertheless, it's one to give a shot.

CREATIVE SCREENWRITING: Understanding Emotional Structure by Christina Kallas

This is not a sexy book.  Even just by looking at the cover, there is nothing seemingly attractive or 'good' about this book.  It's filled with dense paragraphs, no pictures or illustrations or graphs, there is no humour or ironic phrasing to put you more at ease, and the opening chapter starts with a detailed observation of Aristotlean writing, including some quotes in Greek.


I tried to read that damn first chapter more than a dozen times.  And every time, it felt like more gibberish was piling in my already over-burdened mind.

To purchase the book click below:

http://sh.st/mSXf0

But after 2 years of it sitting on my shelf, collecting dust, I was about to throw it out when I randomly opened it somewhere towards the back, and was immediately engrossed in the author's analysis of the ending of the chapter.  She includes numerous exercises, (admittedly I haven't done half of them), but the other half that I took the time to work on really opened my flow of creativity.
This woman knows what she's talking about.


As the ideas and exercises are built up on the preceding chapters, I found myself going back a few pages, then a few more, then a few more, until I decided this was ridiculous and went back to the beginning.
I still can't digest her Aristotlean musings, but the rest of the book, although grey, and densely packed with information, detailed analyses of produced films, and possible interprétations, is fascinating.


This is definitely not for a beginner screenwriter: but if you have a few thousand pages under your belt, I HIGHLY recommend this book to broaden your horizons.