Top 5 novels by Dan Brown

Usually, I make a list of the ten best books of the author, but with Dan Brown this is not possible, because he wrote only five novels :). That's why this time I created a list of all novels sorted from the best to the weakest.

First Dan Brown's novel I have read was The Da Vinci Code - like I guess most people did. The novel had spectacular marketing, but for me all the things which are associated with this book, all the conspiracy theories, criticism of the Catholic Church, etc. didn't really matter.

What matters is that The Da Vinci Code reads really well. I was fascinated by the writer's workshop, the narration (short chapters ending at an important time, which force you to read further just to see what happens next) and the general plot and characters. This is a good thriller.

I got interested in other novels by Dan Brown and that is why I read his earlier books: Digital Fortress, Angels & Demons, Deception Point, and his newest - Last Symbol - which came six years after the publication of The Da Vinci Code.

I recommend to read The Da Vinci Code first, which is probably not surprising. I think that the plot is more interesting is Angels & Demons, but the structure of this book is not quite as good as in The Da Vinci Code (narration is slow in the beginning, there are too much explanations, the real action starts just somewhere in the middle). That's why Angels & Demons you should read second :).

This is my list of best novels by Dan Brown:

1. The Da Vinci Code (see description)

2. Angels & Demons (see description)

3. Deception Point (see description)

4. The Lost Symbol (see description)

5. Digital Fortress (see description)

If you already known adventures of world-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, get the Deception Point – very interesting, surprising and well-written political thriller, where NASA is involved in the plot. You certainly won't be bored!

10 great books about writing fiction

I love to read novels, but I am also interested in the writer's workshop. I want to know what are the different ways to create a good story and why sometimes even a great idea does not work and after reading a few pages the book turn out to be disappointing. If you are also interested in the process of creating the novel or you are a beginning writer, check out what is worth reading to learn about writing fiction.

I looked for guides how to write novels and create a bestseller to know the tools that a writer must learn to use to create interesting, memorable story with good narration, a credible background and psychologically convincing characters. Knowing that I can read novels more consciously, sometimes I can figure out why story does not convince me or what is main problem with someone's style (e.g. I think: hey, you should read a book on how to write dialogues, because these are terrible :)).

Of course I realize that there are some brilliant books that had been written against the advice given in these guides, but - as they say - to break the rules, you should first know them. Therefore, in view of all aspiring writers and people who are interested in the process of the creation of the novel, I made a list of ten great books about how to write a good novel.

What every aspiring writer should read and what every reader interested in the writer's workshop should know? Here is my list of ten guides to creative writing!

1. Writing the Blockbuster Novel by Albert Zuckerman
2. How to Write a Damn Good Novel: A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling by James Frey
3. Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain
5. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
4. Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print by Renni Browne
6. The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers by John Gardner
7. Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity by Ray Bradbury
8. On Becoming a Novelist by John Gardner
9. Elements of Fiction Writing - Characters & Viewpoint: Proven advice and timeless techniques for creating compelling characters by an award-winning author - Orson Scott Card
10. Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg

This is the initial list of books that I think are worth exploring. If you are writing in English you should also read The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White. However, if you write in another language, look for a good manual of style and grammar. Even if you feel strong with grammar, you should still read about it!

If you know other interesting guides about writing books - I encourage you to publish their titles on my blog!

The Pact - touching novel about teen suicide

There aren't many interesting and well written novels about suicide, especially among teenagers. That's why I decided to tell you about The Pact: A Love Story by Judi Picoult, a good novel, where author with sensitivity and tact has addressed this issue.

Judi Picoult is a bestselling writer, she is an author of Nineteen Minutes, House Rules, My Sister's Keeper (which is an excellent novel in my opinion). You can see her full bibliography on Wikipedia.

"I wanted to write the anti-Romeo and Juliet story: the families that are too close, insteady of enemies" - as the author explains on her website an idea for this novel.

Summary from Amazon: "Until the phone calls came at 3:00 a.m. on a November morning, the Golds and their neighbors, the Hartes, had been inseparable. It was no surprise to anyone when their teenage children, Chris and Emily, began showing signs that their relationship was moving beyond that of lifelong friends. But now seventeen-year-old Emily has been shot to death by her beloved and devoted Chris as part of an apparent suicide pact."

We deal with the drama of two families - one family has to deal with death of their daughter, the other one - with son that was arrested and accused of murder. The novel tends to reflect on how well we known people, who live with us. Do we really know another person, even if is our daughter, son or partner?

It turns out that almost everyone expected that Chris and Emily will be together. With time, however, Emily felt worse and worse - the pressure from the environment that they will be a perfect match was unbearable. Especially that Emily has treated Chris more like a brother than a lover. All these problems caused that she began to have suicidal thoughts. She shares her thoughts with Chris, and he attempts to prevent her from committing the act.

I have mixed feelings about The Pact. On the one hand is an interesting idea and subject, on the other - some parts in the novel are simply unbelievable. Yes, it's a painful book, with dramatic moments, but - in my opinion - it should be written more fairly, with more dramatic and surprising story, because it is hard to resist the impression that from the beginning Picoult favors Chris and she in on his side, which leads to the conclusion that he didn't do it. Besides, many chapters in the book are unnecessary and only slowing down the plot.

It might not be the best novel Picoult wrote (I recommend everyone to read My Sister's Keeper - great novel), but because of the subject and many various and interesting information about the phenomenon of suicide among teenagers, I think this book is worth reading. 

I think you will be moved by The Pact: A Love Story and you'll long not be able to forget it.