What I'm reading this spring

Hi Readers, and Welcome back! I’m really sorry for not being able to post for the past two months (I do aim to post more often and regularly in the future, though.)

Anyways, spring is just around the corner and so I decided to share with you guys what I’m reading this spring!

           1. How to Make Money using Etsy: 
      A guide to the online Marketplace for Crafts and Handmade Products

Author: Timothy Adams

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Length: 222 pages
ISBN: 978-0-470-94456-1

I found this book at a local library. Ever since we’ve started our own 
small business, Clayholds (www.clayholds.blogspot.com/), I’m often finding books on business and making money whenever we visit the library. However, unlike some of the books I’ve found on business, How to Make Money using Etsy is quite an interesting read and gives you practical tips on how you can set up your shop on Etsy. The book isn’t at all dry and boring, as the writer maintains reader’s interest through 
adding Interviews and personal anecdotes. I like how the writer has included simple steps and pictures that guide you on how to set up your Etsy shop. This book also explains how you can use social media and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) effectively to promote your business and to generate more traffic on your Etsy shop.

Overall, I think this book is essential for anyone thinking of setting up their online business for handmade products. A good thing about this book is that the author has used simple language and has explained complex terms well which makes it easy to understand.

           2. The Elements of Story – Field Notes on Nonfiction Writing

Author: Francis Flaherty

Publisher: HarperCollins

Length: 293 pages

ISBN: 978-0-06-168915-4

Francis Flaherty’s book, The Elements of Story, draws in on the 
seventeen years of experience he had working for the New York Times Magazine as Story Doctor. Divided into seven parts and fifty short chapters, this book lays out fundamental yet extremely important principles for Non-fiction writing in less than three-hundred pages. I like the way the writer has illustrated this book with examples and excerpts from other books which not only explain his point but also make the book more interesting and lively on the whole. Also, Flaherty tells writers
about the reader’s perspective- what readers like to read about and what they find boring-and, more importantly, what makes a story too heavy for the reader to digest. He says:”A writer must be a sensitive gatekeeper, for every tidbit that she puts into her story is a burden on the reader”.

Overall, The Elements of Story is an interesting and enjoyable read, and an essential handbook for every writer, newbie or veteran. Susan Shapiro says about this book- and I agree with her -that “Francis Flaherty’s writing guide is fluid, fun, and filled with brilliant advice for anybody who wants to improve their work, break into this country’s top newspapers or get a glimpse into an editor’s mind.”

 3. The Arrival

Author: Shaun Tan

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Length: 128 pages

ISBN: 9780439895309

I read The Arrival a couple of months ago but I intend to read it once again. The Arrival is often classified as ‘a wordless graphic novel’ but I would not call it a graphic novel, or even a picture book, for that matter. I think The Arrival is a book beyond graphic novels and picture books.

The story revolves around a young man, who leaves his wife, his daughter, and his homeland in search for a better place and a better future for his family. The Arrival is all about immigration and the challenges this man faces. In a city totally unknown to him, the man struggles to find accommodation, food, and employment. During his quest, he meets different people, all of who have their own stories to tell.  Although the man encounters numerous difficulties and hardships, the story has a happy ending.

 The Arrival is interesting, thought-provoking and touching. The pictures are illustrated with watercolours and pencils, and they are perfectly detailed and stunningly beautiful. I enjoyed ‘reading’ them, and deciphering the meaning behind each of them. I would highly recommend reading this book, too-it is definitely worth reading.