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Here's the best advice I was able to garner by talking to experts and from the internet....
Ø1, Books on Mechanics of the Language
Ø*On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser
Ø2, Books on Structure and Frame of Mind
Ø*Save the Cat, by Blake Snyder
Ø3. Story Engineering: Mastering the 6 Core Competencies of Successful Writing, by Larry Brooks
Ø4. Naked, Drunk and Writing: Shed Your Inhibitions and Craft a Compelling 5. Memoir or Personal Essay, by Adair Lara
Ø6. How to Write a Damn Good Novel: A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to 7. Dramatic Storytelling, by James N. Frey
Ø8. *CA$HVERTISING: How to Use More than 100 Secrets of Ad-Agency Psychology to Make Big Money Selling Anything to Anyone, by Drew Eric Whitman
Ø9. *On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
Ø10. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott
Ø11. Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg
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ü Your writer’s education is never complete.
ü And if you stay curious, the world is a generous teacher.
ü Every day, your mental kaleidoscope is filled with images and impressions you can use to create mesmerizing stories.
ü Books can bring structure and insight, but the constant search for exactly the right book keeps you from the job at hand – the act of writing.
ü So call off your search and focus on the nine books mentioned here.
ü Start by asking yourself a question:
ü “What do I need as a writer – right now?”
ü To sharpen the tools of your trade? Grab Zinsser’s book.
ü To get fresh inspiration on life as a writer? Pick up King, Lamott or Goldberg.
ü To learn a proven approach to structuring your writing? Read Save the Cat.
ü That you start is more important than where you start.
ü So get reading. Pick a book and start.
ü And then get writing. Because that’s what real writers do.
Yes, reading tremendously helps improve your writing. And you should not limit yourself to reading only English books. Consider also reading magazines, journals, and other relevant reading materials to broaden your knowledge.
Visit a bookstore and check for yourself which reading materials to read. Don't rely on the recommendations of other people because your personal interest may not be the interest of other people. One way of choosing a good book is by reading its synopsis on the back cover. If you choose to read a novel, a good one usually has some comments or reviews at the back.And if you choose to read a magazine, choose the ones that have good content - not just those glamorous pages or beauty magazines. I'm not saying that these beauty magazines are bad. It's just that they are mostly on advertising products, and not much about meaty articles or stories that you can learn from - unless your forte is on advertising or copywriting.
Certainly, reading books, newspapers, journals and magazines help to improve your English. Do one thing to improve your English. Read the daily newspaper in your mother tongue and then an English daily. It will help you to differentiate between the mother tongue syntax and the English syntax. Additionally, buy a good dictionary and find the contextual meaning of words that you find new in the newspaper.
I recommend you read different topics.
A.Grammar books and books for mechanics of writing definitely help.
e.g.
1. The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
2. New Oxford Style Manual
B.However, you need to further read fiction and non-fiction books. I recommend:
1- Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People"
2- Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion"
3- Charles Dickens's "David Copperfield"
4- Bernard Lewis's "The Muslim Discovery of Europe"
I fully agree with the answers been added by EXPERTS................Thanks.
Start with 'The old man and the sea' ,then something more controversial like 'The Stranger' by Albert Camus.
One can learn from every book one reads but like dishes everyone has ones own taste; fiction, non fiction, politics, religion, social issues, etc.
For the purpose of learning language you have to chose a book that you have interest in it. A book that is not of your own choice might not grab your attention and you will lose the purpose.
Watching documentaries are another way to improve language skills because there is a slow paced talk with latest terminology.
However, at this moment I would like to suggest you my latest book, "Attaining Health through Salah & Ablution" for reading. You can also write a review if you buy it from a site of your own choice.
Thanks
I support Mr. Zahid answer
Thank you very much dear for the invitation. But I myself is still a learner only not being a native English speaker, so I may not be the right person to answer. Will go with the experts answers. Thanks.
Apologized for the answer, I do not know the answer Leave for the professionals.
