A word of warning. The Art of X-ray Reading: How The Secrets of 25 Great Works of Literature Will Improve Your Writing will forever change how you read books and how they can serve as tools for improving your own writing.
In The Art of X-ray Reading, author Roy Peter Clark extracts memorable passages from 25 masterpieces of literature including The Great Gatsby, Moby Dick, To Kill A Mockingbird and Seabuscuit and analyzes them using a virtual pair of X-ray glasses to determine what makes those passages so effective. During the analyses, pointers for improving your own writing begin to emerge, such as using repetition, metaphors and creating unexpected suspense. When I was finished with the book, I was left with a craving to read the discussed books and truly appreciate them for the great works they are, but this time from a completely different approach.
All in all, a very lively, informative and illuminating book that belongs in your writing toolbox.
MJBDiver.com 