I was at a potluck dinner not long ago–a gathering of local writers–when I asked around the table: what are you reading?   To my amazement, many people weren’t reading at all.

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have time to write,” said Stephen King.

Writers read.  Reading is our life blood, just as much as our own writing is.  If you’re a starlighter, it’s hard enough to find room for writing, but we’ve got to make room for books.  I read at night in bed.  When my kids were born my reading dropped off precipitously,  but I found that if I didn’t read at least two books a month I didn’t feel right.   I made time for reading again and told myself reading was part of my professional development.  And it is.

I read for pleasure.  I read to learn how to put a book together.  I read to study what works (and what doesn’t).  I read to understand my genre.  Here’s what I’ve been reading lately:

• Half Broke Horses – Jeannette Walls
• The Tiger’s Wife – Tea Obreht
• Little Bee – Chris Cleave
• A Visit from the Goon Squad – Jennifer Egan
• Three Junes – Julia Glass

What about you?  What are you writers reading lately?  How do you make time to read?