My picks for favorite books this month: a couple memoirs, a book on writing, a book on reading and a book on business

It's hard out there for a writer.

Hard to get attention, especially when publishers don't tend to do much to help.

That's why I'm thrilled that I get to help support writers I love by touting their books on KATU Portland.

This month's picks:

Foreverland: On the Divine Tedium of Marriage?by Heather Harvilesky

I’ll be honest: Harvilesky is one of those writers that I could literally read as she dissected the phone book. She writes for the?New Yorker, New York?and the?New York Times?(as well as many other publications that don’t have “New York” in the title). She’s just a delightful writer—funny, self-aware, honest. And actually when an excerpt of the book ran in the?New York Times?in December, it attracted an onslaught of criticism from people who flinched that her depiction of marriage was negative. Reading the book, it’s clear that those people missed the point: Harvilesky excels at sharing those fleeting thoughts that don’t matter, aren’t real and are all too human. The difference between her and everyone else is that she had the guts to put them on paper. And she did so hilariously.

The Art and Business of Online Writing: How to Beat the Game of Capturing and Keeping Attention?by Nicolas Cole

This is one of those rare writing books that offers just as much information about how to get people to READ your work as it does on how to WRITE. The author was the #1 most read writer on Quora and a Top 10 columnist for Inc and if you read this book, you’ll see that he didn’t just accidentally end up with those accolades. He WORKED for them. And in this book, he breaks down how anyone can follow what he’s done. It gets into topics, headlines, going “viral” and everything they essentially DON’T teach you in school about being a professional writer (take it from someone who majored in writing!) I see this as a book not just for quote unquote “writers” but for anyone who wants to have an online presence today.

Learn to Love Reading: 365 Powerful Quotes That Will Inspire You to Read More Books?by Alex Wieckowski

This is exactly what it promises to be: a collection of a year’s worth of quotes about reading. It seems too appropriate for a segment devoted to books NOT to include. Alex is a well-known book lover who posts book recommendations and tips on social media. One of the best ones I got from him that I now use is to highlight books as you read, then write in the front the page number and why you highlighted it and then in the back how you’re going to apply what you learned. Anyone wondering if that’s worth the effort should read this book to find the motivation! My favorite quote in the book is probably from Lisa Kleypas and it’s “a well-read woman is a dangerous creature.”

Your Creative Career: Turn Your Passion Into a Fulfilling and Financially Rewarding Lifestyle?by Anna Sabino

This short book is packed with everything you need to know about being a creative person who can actually support yourself. Unlike a lot of books out there that just say “find your passion and the money will follow,” this book gives the actual steps you need to take if you’re not following the traditional 9-to-5 route but don’t know how to turn your art into income. It contains research and quotes from some of the most successful entrepreneurs as well as anecdotes about people she knows. But perhaps most importantly, it documents her personal journey in creating a thriving jewelry business and then becoming a career thought leader. It’s clear that she knows what she’s talking about. And once you read her book, you will, too!?

Dirty Chick: Adventures of an Unlikely Farmer?by Antonia Murphy

This is a hilarious memoir that came out a few years ago by a San Francisco-bred, Columbia University educated woman who ended up moving with her husband to New Zealand. Because their son was born with a rare genetic condition, they were seeking community and so they find themselves in a farming community where they are suddenly the owners of chicken, goats and sheep who making homemade wine and cheese and having all sorts of other unlikely farm adventures. As long as you like laughing and aren’t too easily grossed out by animal bodily functions, you’ll love this one.

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