“It doesn’t sound too bad.”
I love that setup. Because what follows is such a great story. I’m working on a manuscript now that makes me think of THE PRINCESS BRIDE.
And here’s what I think, in my secret thoughts: I want to write a book as good as William Goldman’s THE PRINCESS BRIDE.
I do a lot of re-writing because…well, I’m not William Goldman. But that’s okay. I have a goal, a standard, if you will, that I hold my work to.
And sometimes, on a really good day with my manuscript, it doesn’t sound too bad.
(Bet you have a book like that, too. Want to share your secret? I won’t tell anyone. Promise.)
Cathy C. Hall Writes 
Oh, yes! SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson. In a tie for second place: LOOKING FOR ALASKA by John Green & THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky.
Oh, Laurie Halse Anderson, yes, she’s awfully good.John Green is a master with dialogue–and I’m re-reading THE WESTING GAME right now and thinking, dang. Ellen Raskin was GENIUS. Gone way too soon…
Leonard Pitts, Jr.’s “Freeman,” Epic. A wonderful tale. THAT is the book I want my book to be like…
Leonard Pitts, the columnist? I need to check that out–I love his columns.
Depends on what I’m working on. For horror/creepy I’d love to write like Stephen King (me and everyone else on the planet)—Misery, in particular comes to mind. Even SK books that I’m not crazy about (meaning the plot) I still swoon over the writing. He’s just so dang good at . . . the whole enchilada. *sigh* ya know? For romance smoochie stuff, if I could pen something like Nora Roberts’ The Villa or Three Fates, I’d be a happy woman. She makes it seem effortless. I guess the good ones always do!
I haven’t read any Nora Roberts, Lisa, but I *have* read Janet Evanovich’s romance–and seriously, your styles are really similar. But if we wrote as many words as SK, an editor would have a field day with the red pencil. Only SK can get away with that–;-)
Maybe it’s because of all the rain we’ve been having, but the book Mudbound by Hillary Jordan is well written with strong characters and a moving message—-although I didn’t like her second book (When She Woke) because it was more heavy-handed message and less storytelling.
Oh, and I’ve bee meaning to tell you that the shoes in the photo on your sidebar look like my granddaughter’s Irish dancing shoes (her hard-soles), except hers have scuff marks on them.
Forgot to mention, William Goodman’s Marathon Man was an exciting thriller.
I’m not familiar with Hilary Jordan but now you’ve piqued my interest, Donna! (I think those are tap shoes–I wanted MALE jazz shoes, but I had to take what I could get.)
Oh! And I saw Marathon Man, the movie. That dentist scene STILL makes me cringe.
Okay, as long as I’m dreaming here, I’ll go with Marcus Zusak. I laughed, I cried, I ignored the kids for two days straight to read The Book Thief. That’s all I want. 🙂
That doesn’t sound like too much to ask to me, Debra. 🙂 (Yep, THE BOOK THIEF was pretty amazing!)
I like Elizabeth George Speare’s The Witch of Blackbird Pond. It’s perfect for cuddling up with on a rainy day!
P.S. I am sure your book is going to be a best-seller!
Katherine, I really liked that book, too. And thank you for that vote of confidence–I suppose I shall have to, you know, sell my book first. But after that, best-seller list, here I come! 🙂