The Shelf

This page is dedicated to books, essays, and poems that I recommend. In the sidebar, you can see my Goodreads feed of what I’ve read most recently, and this page is a list of some of my favorites (in no particular order). If I’ve reviewed the book, or a copy of an essay or poem is available free online, I’ve added a link to the title.

Alex’s Favorites

Writing Craft:

The Secrets of Story: Innovative Tools for Perfecting Your Fiction and Captivating Readers – Matt Bird

Bird by Bird – Anne Lamott

Fiction:

Ender’s Game and Speaker for the Dead – Orson Scott Card

Dandelion Wine – Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury

Mistborn series and Wax & Wayne series – Brandon Sanderson

Elantris – Brandon Sanderson

Creative Non-Fiction:

“Consider the Lobster” – David Foster Wallace

“Me Talk Pretty One Day” – David Sedaris

Poetry:

“Instructions” – Neil Gaiman

Life on Mars – Tracy K. Smith

Classic Literature:

To Kill a Mocking Bird – Harper Lee

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner – Samuel Taylor Coleridge