Until this year, I was not a reader – at all, not even a little bit. Then my husband brought home a book about Feng Shui from his mother’s bookshelf and I read it cover to cover. Then I read another book about Feng Shui. I guess I just needed to find a topic that interested me. Now I keep finding more books that I want to read, about all kinds of different subjects, and now I understand why avid readers always have a stack of books by their beds and a list of books they want to pick up. It’s kind of addicting!

As an Administrative Professional, I need to have stellar written and verbal communication skills. While blogging is more of a personal form of writing than professional or business correspondence, it is good practice for organizing my ideas into complete thoughts. Thus, the reason I joined the 2011 WordCount Blogathon. I figure, if I write something every day for 31 days, that will definitely give me some practice.

The Blogathon is offering a few prompts this year and today’s topic is “My Top 5 Favorite Books on Writing.” The following are my top five.

1. The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging by the Editors of the Huffington Post
2. ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income by Darren Rowse
3. 31 Days to Build a Better Blog also by Darren Rowse
4. The St. Martin’s Guide to Writing by Rise B. Axelrod
5. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey*

* This book isn’t specifically about writing, but it is great for learning how to set goals, prioritize your time and gain balance between your personal and professional life. I recommend it to everyone because you can apply these principles to every aspect of your life.