Rachel’s Recommendations

Recommended Reads:

A Unique Memoir Written Like a Graphic Novel

A Unique Memoir Written Like a Graphic Novel

Recently I read a memoir that was completely different from any other memoir I’d ever read; it was a memoir written like a graphic model. Thi Bui’s The Best We Could Do is an illustrated memoir that examines her relationship with her mother and father, both immigrants...

A Wonderful MG Story About Friendship, Curses, and Bravery

A Wonderful MG Story About Friendship, Curses, and Bravery

I’ve been a big fan of Cassie Beasley’s middle grade books for a while, and it was with great anticipation and eager eyes that I picked up her latest release, Tumble and Blue. This was a sweet middle grade story about friendship, fate, and sacrifices and included the...

American Street: An Engaging Look at Detroit Street Life

American Street: An Engaging Look at Detroit Street Life

I’d been hearing a lot of talk about Ibi Zoboi’s American Street, and I finally, after waiting for months, got it off the hold shelf in our library. All that talk was true: American Street is a truly spectacular book that will entrance you, bring you to tears, and...

Writing resources

On Story

On Writing (general)

  • Wired for Story, by Lisa Cron
    Great book on the science of the brain and how to craft well-told stories that will appeal to the storytelling side of the brain. I got this book years ago but still pull it out every now and then to refresh my memory.
  • Steering the Craft, by Ursula Le Guin
    This one’s not so much a technique kind of book as it is a book reminding writers of their obligation to their readers. Some of her ideas are a bit old-fashioned, but most of them are still valuable today.
  • The Fire in Fiction, by Donald Maass
    Another great one on creating books that appeal to readers. Again, I always read these kinds with a grain of salt–because my goals are a bit different, but we all want readers, so I think we can always find value in the suggestions offered, even if we don’t become hardcore users of them.