A sample from my info bank. I’m not big on how-to books because they usually end up making me second guess myself but these are some of the titles I’ve purchased over the years for reference purposes.
1. Cause of Death by Keith D. Wilson – a writer’s guide to death, murder & forensic medicine. What can I say? I like to sprinkle bodies in my books.
2. Collins Pocket Reference Astrology – the essential guide to your astrological signs. I like to use this when deciding on character traits. I might not mention a star sigh in my book but I still use this book a lot.
3. Deadly Doses by Serita Deborah Stevens with Anne Klarner – a writer’s guide to poisons. Poison is an interesting way to kill off characters.
4. Courtesans by Katie Hickman – I have a fascination with English history and intend to try my hand at another historical soon.
5. Lascivious Bodies by Julie Peakman – a sexual history of the Eighteenth Century. I’ve mentioned this one before in a previous TT. It’s an interesting insight into the past.
6. The Kama Sutra – Pocket Idiot’s Guide by Ron Louis and David Copeland – very handy for an Ellora’s Cave author.
7. The Family, Sex and Marriage in England 1500-1800 by Lawrence Stone – another historical reference book.
8. The SAS Urban Survival Handbook by John ‘Lofty’ Wiseman – I’ve used this quite a bit in writing contemporaries.
9. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary – I use a dictionary most days. This one is good because it has the date the word was first used. I like this better than an online one because then I don’t get distracted!
10. The Secrets of Sexual Body Language by Matin Lloyd-Elliot – who knew we gave away so much by the way we stand or look at each other?
11. What Men Really Want by Susan Crain Bakos – straight talk from men about sex. Very interesting book and great for writing male characters.
12. The Big Book of Filth – 6500 sex slang words and phrases – this is always good for a laugh. It has little cartoons throughout.
13. Baby Names for New Zealanders by Anne Matthews – once again, I prefer a book rather than searching for the perfect name online. Less distraction that way!
Do you have favorite research books you wouldn’t be without?
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October 11th, 2007 at 1:03 am · Link
Interesting collection.
October 11th, 2007 at 3:34 am · Link
What a great list. I may have to steal it one day! And I gotta get my hands on the Big Book of Filth. Sounds like a must-have. Off to Amazon…
October 11th, 2007 at 5:08 am · Link
Okay the pocket karma sutra is one I need to get. I have a great book that talked about character psychology and how to use it for plot development. I can’t for the life of me remember the title at the moment…
October 11th, 2007 at 5:27 am · Link
Fantastic collection, Shelley!
Number 9? I can’t do without it! And number 6 looks soooooo cool . . . I should get some of these.
October 11th, 2007 at 5:28 am · Link
Oh, that #6 sounds interesting! Heh!
October 11th, 2007 at 6:00 am · Link
I’d definately have to keep this collection under lock and key at my house LOL Great list. Happy T13
October 11th, 2007 at 6:28 am · Link
I have to look these books up at my local book store, nice list..thanx for posting it
October 11th, 2007 at 7:06 am · Link
The Character Naming Sourcebook
Bullfinch’s Mythology
Larousse Desk Reference
Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
That more or less covers it for me. I had to go look at my bookshelf!
October 11th, 2007 at 7:12 am · Link
I have a book called Sex With Kings that I’ve never read. Don’t know what possessed me to buy it…I should send it to you!
October 11th, 2007 at 8:05 am · Link
Lets see, book I wouldn’t be without….
Women’s Rites, Women’s Mysteries: Intuitive Ritual Creation by Ruth Barrett
I do a lot of ritual work within my novels, and sometimes I have to recheck my teachers book (yeah I studied with her for years, tranformational experience) to remember details on some things, or ideas. It’s crucial to my work.
Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana, Revised and Updated: What to Name Your Baby Now by Linda Rosenkrantz and Pamela Redmond Satran
Great baby name book. I do lots of multicultural fiction, so I need unigue names.
October 11th, 2007 at 8:20 am · Link
OH, i’d love to have 1. and some day i’ll get brave enough for one of the ‘others’… LOL
October 11th, 2007 at 8:35 am · Link
Hmmm Great list!
October 11th, 2007 at 10:06 am · Link
Great list! I’ve got the Deadly Doses book. I probably should have returned it to its original owner. Hmm.
October 11th, 2007 at 10:08 am · Link
I wonder if these titles cross over like #5 and #8
October 11th, 2007 at 10:24 am · Link
Love the Deadly Doses book an some of the others in that series. I think if some of my neighbors knew what kind of books were in my library, they’d be duly scared.
October 11th, 2007 at 11:39 am · Link
I’m with Gina – I’m totally stealing this for a future TT! (That’s two, today) Don’t you love how the new American security paranoia could track the kind of books people borrow or purchase and put that person under surveillance?
October 11th, 2007 at 12:18 pm · Link
I like the “Idiots” guide because they simplify everything. The other Kuma Sutra books I found were very complicated!
Red – I wouldn’t be without my dicitionary.
Ann – thanks for the list. I could do with a good mythology book.
Heather – I like the Deadly Doses books, too. I have several in addition to the ones above.
Adelle – that’s one thing about not having kids. I don’t need to worry about keeping things from curious eyes!
October 11th, 2007 at 1:48 pm · Link
Moondancer – thanks for the suggestions. I’ll check them out
October 11th, 2007 at 1:49 pm · Link
Julia – I still shake my head about the banned book thing. That boggles my mind enough without going on “watch lists” because of my reading habits.
October 11th, 2007 at 3:03 pm · Link
I’ll take 7 and 12 please. As for research book it depends on what I am writing. Since I write historicals … um it all depends.
Basically if I am writing about a place I haven’t been I couldn’t live without my Lonely Planet books. I’m getting quite the collection! :)
October 11th, 2007 at 3:59 pm · Link
I have lots of Lonely Planets, too, Amy. Ours are well-thumbed. I think they’re the best guide books you can get.
October 11th, 2007 at 5:41 pm · Link
I’ve never heard of the lonely planets books. I’ll have to look into them.
October 11th, 2007 at 7:33 pm · Link
Wow! Great list. I’m going to have check a few of these out…
October 11th, 2007 at 9:15 pm · Link
The Big Book of Filth. Sounds like those books I used to get my kids…The Big Book of Phonics, The Big Book of Cars and Trucks. LOL
October 12th, 2007 at 2:58 am · Link
Cause of Death and Deadly Doses – OMG Shelley that’s too funny about sprinkling bodies and killing off characters! I’m still grappling with my one single dead body!
October 12th, 2007 at 4:56 am · Link
“The Woman’s Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects ” by Barbara Walker is one of my most mangled reference books. I even have it in two copies – first printing and a more recent one… just because.
October 12th, 2007 at 5:14 am · Link
Yep, I use Barbara Walker’s book sometimes stull, but not as much as the others. It;s still a great resource. I also use “New Book Of Goddesses & Heroines by Pat Monaghan” recently.
October 12th, 2007 at 1:34 pm · Link
Kate – it does, doesn’t it?
Mine big book is very naughty though!
Christina – yep, I love to kill off my characters but in real life I don’t like squashing bugs. Go figure!
Rhian – thanks! I’ll check it out.
Moondancer Drake – thanks for the Goddess suggestion. I’ll check that out too.