<p>I know I've seen a thread like this before but I can't remember where or any of the books listed. I was wondering if you guys had any books that you had read that you felt helped you either read literature better for college, or any that you felt improved your writing abilities for college papers. </p>
<p>Thanks for the help.</p>
<p>I love Cal Newport’s books and blog. It doesn’t exactly give you specific writing tips, but it is awesome at giving a bigger picture of how to figure out what the professor (later boss) is looking for and focus on the critical details more effectively. Very practical!</p>
<p>Be sure you investigate your school’s writing centers - I know that DD’s school has several free centers for assistance. Her professors are always very helpful during office hours too!</p>
<p>The Lively Art of Writing is great for writing. I read it in my AP Lang class and now that I’m in college, 2 years later, I recommend it to anyone struggling in writing classes. As for reading, I’ve heard that How To Read Literature Like A Professor is really helpful. That’s one I’d actually like to pick up for myself some time! Best of luck!</p>
<p>Thanks guys. You’ve been really helpful. It’s not that I’m a bad writer, but I want to break that “B” barrier and get an “A”. 
</p>
<p>Sent from my DROID X2 using CC</p>
<p>Good writing involves multiple drafts with multiple people editing it. After writing your first draft, take a break, and about an hour later, fix any grammatical/awkward usage issues, as well as improving the actual content. Then go to the writing center, listen to other students’ feedback, and change the essay accordingly. Finally, if a professor is willing to look over work during office hours, ask him to examine your essay, and listen to ALL of his or her suggestions.</p>
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<p>^^^That escalated quickly.</p>
<p>I’d say go to the writing center at your school. Also, read good books and good news media like The Economist or The Atlantic.</p>
<p>Cal Newport is a great choice. Also read “Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamott.</p>
<p>You should check out “The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing” by Michael Harvey. It’s a quick read at only 100 pages, but really does a great job of covering all the major topics and issues. He has some great advice on clarity, punctuation, flow, and much more. Also covers proper citation formats, which I found extremely helpful.</p>
<p>I actually just bought the Harvey book, bob. And thank you for all the (sensible) responses. :)</p>