30 Day Challenge: Day 13

Day 13: Your Favorite Writer

Our tagline is extremely true at Scarletta: "Publishers by trade. Readers at heart," which is why we put so much emphasis into our own authors. Someday, we want our own authors to receive the passionate recommendations for their writing as what we are doing in today's #30DayChallenge.


Easy-peasy today: Kurt Vonnegut!

I first read Vonnegut in 2009 in my Contemporary American Literature course. Mother Night became the most interesting book of my entire junior year as an English Literature major, so much so that I didn’t even want to stop and turn the light on in the living room as I read it for the first time. Eventually I had to since I couldn’t see anything after awhile. I immediately went out and bought more of his books when I finished it, and while I hold Mother Night dear to my heart, I’m now also a huge fan of Galapagos and Player Piano.

Vonnegut’s satirical social commentary, his notion for time-travel, for putting the reader into a different time in history or the future, for using his own experiences – it’s unbeatable. I mentioned before that I’m not a fan of science fiction, but Vonnegut’s blend of science fiction with gallows humor and the stark realities of authoritarianism, make the science fiction part just a sliver of what makes his writing phenomenal.

I will never stop recommending Vonnegut. I could re-read all of his books and it would never be too much, and so I hope you lovely readers of today’s challenge make sure to pick up at least one book by Vonnegut in the near future and see what he was about. His writing is more than worth it, or so it goes.

-Desiree

This one’s a no brainer, for me.

Two years ago, my partner at the time introduced me to a little book titled Invisible Monsters. The story follows a former supermodel on her cross-country trip with rising star Brandy Alexander and the violent, powerful, and drug-filled antics of their journey. As one of my ten favorite books of all-time, Invisible Monsters was my gateway drug to the split-second, graphic, minimal stylings of Chuck Palahniuk.

Now. I know I mentioned a few days ago that I respond best to gothic, romantic prose. This guy is an exception to this rule. His writing is bereft, satirical, scathing, and snippy—a complete turn from the type of writing I most enjoy. And, truthfully, that’s probably why I respond to Palahniuk so well! He takes scenarios and distorts them into unimaginably gruesome moments of taut chaos, and then shatters the chaos with frightening clarity. I read almost 10 of his titles within the span of two months and have enjoyed EVERY piece I’ve read.

Yeah…I like him.

-Josh

One of my favorite writers is Frank Miller. I think that almost all of the work he’s done in writing is incredible. All of his work is very unique, and he really set the bar for great writing in comic books. He made characters that seemed dull and a little out of date bigger then ever.

His work on Batman is probably his most well known. The Dark Knight Returns and Batman Year One are considered by most to be the best Batman comic books of all time.

-John