Let's chat books!

From Barsoom to Malacandra: Musings on Things Past and Things to Come by John C. Wright

A collection of essays.  Mostly centered on specific works of science fiction, but touching on issues of aesthetics and writing, and broader questions of philosophy.  Differences between science fiction and fantasy and between soft SF and hard SF.  Introducing his children to books.  And more.

Understanding Conflict: (and What It Really Means) by Janice Hardy

A how-to-write book.

What is conflict, how it relates to tension, how it differs from character arc (which you may not need), the importance of goal and motives for everyone, obstacles and whether they move the story forward -- and more.

I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel

About reading itself, not the contents of the books. Like, the effect of living by a library; staying up too late; what book turned you into the voracious reader; the perils of recommending books, and more.

Creating Characters: How to Build Story People by Dwight V. Swain

All sorts of useful techniques.  Working back from events to suitable character.  The difference between motives and purposes, and the need for them.  Humor.  Background.  And more

The Peoples of Middle-earth by J.R.R. Tolkien

This is more about the writing of The Lord of the Rings -- to be more precise, of its Appendices. It fares wide and far over the whole of Middle-Earth. From scraps about making Celerimbor a descendant of Feanor, which made it necessary to work out which of his sons married, to Tolkien working out the "original" hobbit names that were "translated" to the forms in LOTR, down to the solemn observation that "Lobelia" is merely his best guess as to the flower she was named after. Ideas he played with, such as the question of whether Tar-Miriel was unwilling to marry Ar-Pharazon, and the story where one of Feanor's twin sons died at the Burning of the Ships.