Recommended songwriting books - Part 1

As promised in one of my earlier blogs on melody first or lyrics first, here's my list of some songwriting books that I use or bought to help me with songwriting issues that I come across as a songwriter. (I might also add here that in addition to the first blog I did on creative ways to use your music money and the second blog on the same subject where together I listed over 14different ways to be smart with investing your money in the music business, I am going to add investing in good books as creative way #15.) I have also included a one line opinion about the books if I have an opinion. My list is definitely not exhaustive and grows all the time as I am a complete bookworm! But my list will at least get you started in the right direction. So click on the links below and buy the books today to get started!

Lyric Writing Books:
1. The Craft of Lyric Writing by Sheila Davis - (a must have in my opinion! It will take your writing to a whole different level!)
2. Successful Lyric Writing- a workbook - (another must have! This is the companion book to the first book. Excellent!)
3. The Songwriter's Idea BookThe Songwriter's Idea Book by Sheila Davis - (a little hard to read at first but still very good. Shows you how your personality type helps or hinders your writing and how to overcome your bad writing habits, including writer's block)
4. The Songwriter's Handbook by Tom T. Hall - this was my first ever book on songwriting and I still have it. Good book as well.
5. How to write a hit songby Molly-Ann Leikin - (has a good section on overcoming writer's block and if you are wanting a shorter, easier read, it's a good book too)
6. Writing Better Lyrics by Pat Pattison (this book is okay)
7. 88 Songwriting Wrongs & How to Right Them - (a really good book to help you critique your songs yourself so you don't have to pay a song critiquing service and helping with getting your songs published)
8. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Songwriting by Joel Hirschhorn - (great because it covers broad subjects on songwriting and makes you think of more things you can do with your music)

Lyric Writing Resource Books:
1. Songwriter's Rhyming Dictionary by Jane Shaw Whitfield - (cool, but I like Random House's better)
2. Roger's International Thesaurus (Fifth Edition) edited by Robert T. Chapman - (really good book - helps you expand your vocabulary and thus your lyrics)
3. Word Menuby Stephen Glazier - (haven't quite figured out this book yet)
4. The Dictionary of Cliches by James Rogers - (good if you use cliche's as lyrics).
5. Random's Rhyming Dictionary by Random House - (I love this little book!)

Melody Writing Books:
1. Creating Melodies by Dick Weisman (this book includes lessons with the keyboards or guitar so get a piano or guitar to get full use of this book but it's still pretty good information on how to write melodies even if you don't play an instrument)
2. The Songwriter's Workshop Harmony by Jimmy Kachulis
3. The Songwriter's Workshop Melodyby Jimmy Kachulis
4. Melody in Songwriting by Jack Perricone
5. Melody: How to Write Great Tunes by Rikky Rooksby