Recommended Reading and Resources

I had to draw the line somewhere because I don’t think anyone will really benefit from a list of all the books, magazines, websites and blogs I’ve read in my life. So I’m listing the books and web resources that I’m either currently engaged with or have made a significant impact on me. I hope to update these lists from time to time, and to save me from getting too anal-retentive about how I organize the lists, I’m saying right now there is no significance to the order of the lists. I invite your suggestions! If you know about a book, magazine, website, blog or other source that should be on one the lists, please send me an email.

Brain & Neuroplasticity
My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D.
The Brain that Changes Itself: Personal Stories of Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science by Norman Doidge
The Owner’s Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind-Brain Research by Pierce J. Howard, Ph.D.
Mapping the Mind by Rita Carter
The Emotional Brain: The Mysterious Underpinnings of Emotional Life by Joseph LeDoux
Synaptic Self: How Our Brains Become Who We Are by Joseph LeDoux
The Executive Brain: Frontal Lobes and the Civilized Mind by Elkhonon Goldberg
Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves by Sharon Begley
The Brain Has a Mind of Its Own: Insights from a Practicing Neurologist by Richard Restak, M.D.
Brain Work and Brain in the News FREE subscriptions from the Dana Foundation; visit www.dana.org for a variety of great information
BrainBlog www.neuropsychological.blogspot.com/

Creativity
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
The Creativity Habit by Twyla Tharp
Dancing in the Dragon’s Den: Rekindling the Creative Fire in Your Shadow by Rosanne Bane
Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Life, Paint and Passion: Reclaiming the Magic of Spontaneous Expression by Michell Cubley and Stewart Cassou
Drawing on the Artist Within by Betty Edwards
The Creative Fire (CD) by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
www.43folders.com Merlin Mann, who hosts this site, defines it as: “43 Folders is focused on an arc about how to improve the quality of your career and life by managing your attention in a way that allows you to work your ass off on the creative projects that matter most to you.”
www.101smackdowns.com hosted by Clare X. Gailey and Jacquelyn B. Fletcher, where you’ll learn to “Knock out your doubt and live the life of your dreams…”

Fiction – General
Honestly, there are just too many to choose from, but here’s a seriously edited and reduced list.
All of the Disc World novels by Terry Pratchett. Yes, technically Terry Pratchett is a fantasy writer and he is first on my list of Science Fiction and Fantasy, but just in case some of you think you don’t like fantasy, I’m putting Terry here too because he is an amazing author. He’s laugh-out-loud funny (seriously, I laugh out loud in public, even in airports which can get you in trouble with TSA, when reading Terry Pratchett). He can do more with dialogue than any other writer I know. Read his books – you’ll be glad you did.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
The Life of Pi by Yann Martel
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (Nonfiction Dance of the Dissident Daughter is a paradigm-shifting book)
The Joy Luck Club, The Hundred Secret Senses and pretty much everything else by Amy Tan
Memories of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Fiction – Science Fiction and Fantasy
All of the Disc World books by Terry Pratchett, especially the Sam Vimes series and the Granny Weatherwax series and the Death series and oh seriously, read them all (see note under Fiction – General)
All of Robin Hobb’s books
All of Connie Willis’s book, especially The Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog and Bellwether and oh, just read them all
All of Sherry Tepper’s books 
All of C.J. Cherryh’s books
All of Lyda Morehouse’s books as Lyda Morehouse and as Tate Halloway
David Brin, especially the Uplift series, Earth and Kiln People
Neil Gaiman
Lois McMaster Bujold: I didn’t like the Miles Vorkosigan series, but I do like the Sharing Knife series and the Curse of Chalion series
Orson Scott Card: I didn’t like the Ender series, but I like the Homecoming series and nearly everything else of his
Tim Powers
Quarantine by Greg Egan
Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
The Eyre Affair: A Thursday Next Novel by Jasper Fforde
It may not be PC in some circles, but I enjoyed J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books
Self-promotion time: The Essential Path by Rosanne Bane

Shadow
Dancing in the Dragon’s Den: Rekindling the Creative Fire in Your Shadow by Rosanne Bane
Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature edited by Connie Zweig and Jeremiah Abrams
Shadow in America edited by Jeremiah Abrams
A Little Book on the Human Shadow by Robert Bly
Owning Your Own Shadow: Understanding the Dark Side of the Psyche by Robert A. Johnson
Writing Past Dark: Envy, Fear, Distraction and Other Dilemmas in the Writing Life by Bonnie Friedman
Awakening in Time and Embodying Spirit by Jacquelyn Small
Facing the Shadow in Men and Women (audio cassette available used from Amazon.com)
www.101smackdowns.com hosted by Clare X. Gailey and Jacquelyn B. Fletcher, where you’ll learn to “Knock out your doubt and live the life of your dreams…”

Writing – Inspiration
The Courage to Write: How Writers Transcend Fear by Ralph Keyes
The Writer’s Book of Hope: Getting from Frustration to Publication by Ralph Keyes
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield
Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles & Ted Orland
Dancing in the Dragon’s Den: Rekindling the Creative Fire in Your Shadow by Rosanne Bane
If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit by Brenda UelandBecoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande
Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg
Wild Mind: Living the Writer’s Life by Natalie Goldberg
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
www.editorunleashed.com hosted by Maria Schneider (former Editor of Writer’s Digest magazine)
Self-promotion time: Write Anyway: How to Keep Showing Up for Your Writing No Matter What!  by Rosanne Bane
www.helpingwriters.com hosted by writing consultant, literary agent and ghostwriter Scott Edelstein helps writers reach their goals faster, with less effort, stress, and expense

Writing – Craft
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
From Where You Dream: The Process of Writing Fiction by Robert Olen Butler
Writing the Wave: Inspired Rides for Aspiring Writers by Elizabeth Ayres
Steering the Craft: Exercises and Discussions on Story Writing for the Navigator or the Mutinous Crew by Ursula K. LeGuin
The Wave in the Mind: Talks and Essays on the Writer, the Reader and the Imagination by Ursula K. LeGuin
The Passionate, Accurate Story: Making Your Heart’s Truth into Literature by Carol Bly
How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card
The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers by John Gardner
www.editorunleashed.com hosted by Maria Schneider (former Editor of Writer’s Digest magazine)
www.helpingwriters.com hosted by writing consultant, literary agent and ghostwriter Scott Edelstein helps writers reach their goals faster, with less effort, stress, and expense

Writing – Getting Published
The Shortest Distance Between You and a Published Book by Susan Page
How to Write a Book Proposal by Michael Larsen
Give ‘Em What They Want: The Right Way to Pitch Your Novel to Editors and Agents by Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook
Writing the Breakout Novel: Insider Advice for Taking Your Fiction to the Next Level by Donald Maass
The Forest for the Trees: An Editor’s Advice to Writers by Betsy Lerner
Writer’s Market and its many variations including the online subscription available at www.writersmarket.com
Writer’s Digest magazine
The Writer magazine
www.editorunleashed.com hosted by Maria Schneider (former Editor of Writer’s Digest magazine)
www.helpingwriters.com hosted by writing consultant, literary agent and ghostwriter Scott Edelstein helps writers reach their goals faster, with less effort, stress, and expense

Seriously, you’re still reading this? Go read a good book!