What I’m currently reading
I tend to read several books at once. I try to at least read a couple chapters before bed every night. With all the heavy legal and medical texts I translate I often need something light to wind the day down with… I love mysteries. Some of my favorite authors include Charlaine Harris, Janet Evanovich, and local Cleveland author Casey Daniels. I haven’t been reading as much as I usually do. I have no idea what to attribute that to.
Right now, I’m reading:
- The Long Way Home by Louise Penny
- The organized mind : thinking straight in the age of information overload by Daniel J. Levitin
- The Boss of You: Everything A Woman Needs to Know to Start, Run, and Maintain Her Own Business by Emira Mears
- 14,000 things to be happy about by Barbara Ann Kipfer
Suggested reading for translators:
- How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator by Corinne McKay
- The Prosperous Translator by Chris Durban
- The Entrepreneurial Linguist by Judy and Dagmar Jenner
- The Money Book for Freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed: The Only Personal Finance System for People with Not-So-Regular Jobs by Joseph D’Agnese and Denise Kiernan
- Money-Smart Secrets for the Self-Employed by Linda Stern
- Searching and Researching on the Internet & WWW by Karen Hartman and Ernest Ackermann
- Computer Security for the Home and Small Office by Thomas C. Greene (or some other computer security book)
- The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman
- Business without Borders: A Strategic Guide to Global Marketing by Donald A. DePalma
Musings from an overworked translator 
Hi Jill,
I’m just getting started as a freelance translator German into English. Please send me some links organizations where I could do some volunteer work.
Love your website – so very interesting !!
Susanne D’Souza
Susanne,
You might consider taking a look at The Translator’s Handbook by Morry Sofer. I prefer recommending Corinne’s book because it contains more useful information about actually running your business, but over half of Mr. Sofer’s book is appendices with lists of dictionaries, translation agencies, major companies, etc. The book deals with where and how to get work, what fields need translators, where to find T&I classes, useful dictionaries, professional organizations, etc. and is a good second reference book for those starting out. If you are looking for information on organizations and government agencies, I recommend buying the ATA’s Translating and Interpreting in the Federal Government, which was compiled by the late, great Ted Crump.
I just got the first of the Evanovich series from the public library & I hope I like it as much as others seem to! Since finishing both series by Sara Paretsky and Nevada Barr, I am in serious need of a new fix.
Sorry for the digression.
Your mentioning Theodore Dreiser’s book reminds of a line I read in Richard Armor’s book “It all started with Columbus”. It goes like this.
“Then there is Theodore Dreiser, who is known as an American tragedy”.
Have a nice day.
Regards,
Dondu N. Raghavan
I can totally relate to that need for some light reading after a long day at the computer. At least we can experience Stephanie Plum’s exciting life vicariously!
As for me, I have her second book on order from the library. While waiting, I am reading Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides and Justinian by H.N. Turteltaub, in addition to Cesar’s Way by Cesar Millan (thanks to a new puppy in my life!).
I like Stephanie Plum, but the series started getting old around book 11 or 12. She never evolves or learns from her mistakes, and I find that irritating. She never has bullets with her, isn’t comfortable with a gun and blows up a car in every book. You’d think she’d learn, but she doesn’t. But I love the books for their entertainment value…
Thanks a lot for recommending the books! Heading to Amazon…
Great idea for a tab. I loved the idea of strong “Suggested readings for translators.” I placed a couple on the wishlist. One suggested change: the DePalma book’s title is “Business without Borders.”
Ha! Good catch. I hadn’t noticed that. I’ve changed it. Thanks for letting me know!
How are the Stieg Larsson books? I’ve not read the series but have heard mixed reviews, love to hate. From a publishing standpoint, I am interested in learning about new/cutting edge genres. Apparently the stuff coming out of that part of the world, written in that vein, is being called: Nordic Noir. HA! Love it. And it’s hot, hot, hot.
Thanks so much for including our book, Jill!
@Colleen: Ah, Stieg Larsson. Not my genre, but read them when they first came out in German some five years ago or so, and they are pretty awesome. Nordic Noir I also like, surprisingly…. I am thinking Mankell and the such, correct?
This is what I have definitely been looking for! As a beginner in translation, these books are very important to read. Thanks a lot for sharing this interesting resource.