Rachel’s Recommendations
Recommended Reads:
‘Rain Reign’ Will Grab Your Heart and Keep It
I’ve mentioned before that I run a book club where some women and I get together every month to talk about some books we’re reading. We take turns picking a book each other, and then we discuss any other books we’ve read that we’d recommend to each other, which means...
Reading is a Great Way to Introduce Kids to Mental Illness
Every time I got on Amazon, there was this book that kept coming up as a recommended item: Kenneth Oppel’s The Nest. I’d been hearing good things about this book, because I read a lot of book reviews and try to stay up-to-date on the newest releases, particularly in...
This Time Together: The Humor Book that Will Make You Cry
I’ve mentioned before that I really enjoy reading humor books. Some of my favorite humor writers include Erma Bombeck, Jim Gaffigan and Dave Barry. I recently read Carol Burnett’s memoir This Time Together, which wasn’t a straight-up humor book but was more a record...
Writing resources
On Story
- Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting, by Robert McKee
I know this is a screenwriting book, but it’s probably the most comprehensive book on storytelling. A great resource! Dense reading, but full of great information. - The Hero With a Thousand Faces, by Joseph Campbell
Another dense read, but Joseph Campbell is one of my favorite commentators on story and story structure. Every writer should read this one at least once. - The Power of Myth, by Joseph Campbell
This was actually a series of interviews Campbell did. It’s better to listen to the audio version or watch the DVD. He’s so passionate about story, and that’s contagious!
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.