Nathan Bransford - The Forums

I don't think there is a "must read" list for any writer. I think you need to read plenty of books in the area you want to write and plenty of books that challenge you outside your familiarity. You should start by defining the type of book that inspires you and then read books very much li...

Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files is paranormal, hysterical, but not YA. I love them and having met Jim Butcher in person, HE is hysterical too. Many of his stories can be creepy, though he handles the deep and the scary with a light touch, keeping sarcasm and wit always at the forefront. His writing ...

I've started reading The Devouring and I think it is pretty excellent so far. Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender is, so far, my favorite YA ghost story. It creeped me out a whole bunch. Project 17 by Laurie Faria Stolarz is definitely on my horror-to-read list. I can't tell you it is good though. ...

For me personally as a reader, names are very important. Especially when it comes to how they are pronounced. When I read, I mentally repeat the words in my head as I go, and if I stumble over a name over and over again, it can be enough to turn me off a book. I might be alone in how I read, so take...