Five must reads on the writing life

Thomas H. Cook is the author of over two dozen novels. He has been nominated for the Edgar Award seven times in five different categories. He is the recipient of the Edgar Award for Best Novel for The Chatham School Affair and the Barry Award for Best Novel for Red Leaves, among other awards. His new novel is The Crime of Julian Wells.

One of Cook's five must reads on the writing life, as told to The Daily Beast:

A Sport and a Pastime
by James Salter

The best books about writing are books that are well written, so what could be better than a passionate and sensual love story that is also a blueprint for how to pace and control a novel?

Read about the other titles on the list.

A Sport and a Pastime is one of Adam Ross's favorite books under 200 pages.

--Marshal Zeringue