Taylor Rush's Blog

Word by Word: the secret life of dictionaries Who knew dictionaries could be so fascinating? I had a lot of assumptions about how dictionaries are currently created, and even when I was correct (which was not always), I often oversimplified. … Continue reading →

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Mairelon the Magician by Patricia Wrede I’ve loved all her stuff — and I read most of it this past year. Mairelon the Magician reminded me of Knives Out but set in the 1800s. The “Cecelia and Kate” novels are … Continue reading →

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There are so many books that I love, but here is a sampling of a few that I’ve read over the last 12 months that I’ve particularly enjoyed. I like reading books without any major expectations, and part of my … Continue reading →

The post Favorite Fiction reads in the last 12 months (2018-2019) appeared first on Taylor Rush.

There are so many books that I love, but here is a sampling of a few that I’ve read over the last 12 months that I’ve particularly enjoyed. I like reading books without any major expectations, and part of my … Continue reading →

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I write to entertain. To make people laugh and encourage reflection. To take people into a world of imaginary friends and possibility. I write for myself. I write stories that I want to read, that help me feel better about … Continue reading →

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Hello, sweet readers! I am slowly, determinedly making progress on the next novel. The edits on the very rough first draft are well underway. I’m both delighted by my very dear characters and trying to be ruthless with plot points … Continue reading →

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I read many wonderful books in 2017! I can’t quite put my finger on the common thread of my three favorite fiction books that I read in 2017, but maybe I can identify it by the end of these recommendations. … Continue reading →

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So, it’s been a year and half since I last updated my website or really posted anything on social media. What happened? Some good things and some challenging things. I started a new job, which was immensely helpful for my … Continue reading →

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An occasional dollop of life improvement can be tasty in the summer — but eventually we just have to live life! These are books that could be labeled as “self-help” in the most positive sense of the phrase. Below are my suggestions for great summer reading for a better life, the fourth of my four favorite types of summer reading. I have found both of these books hugely useful to visit to over the years.

A Conversation with Fear by Mermer Blakeslee helps me get up my courage to downhill ski in the winter and tackle scary activities throughout the year. The book also give me the courage to sometimes say that I’m not going to do some activities. My friend Vanessa suggested this book, and I highly recommend it to people like me who aren’t adrenaline junkies but also want to push ourselves to do some scary-feeling things.

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The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness, and Peace by Jack Kornfield is a lovely little book, full of wise, thoughtful, and gentle words from all over the world. My mother gave me this book, and I return to it often. A short reading often helps me take a deep breath and face life with a full and open heart.

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You can see my other recommendations in my blog post about my four favorite types of summer reading.

Note: if you buy books from these links, I will receive a small payment from Amazon or Powell’s. This helps cover the cost of this website. Thanks!

The post Summer reading to improve your life appeared first on Taylor Rush.

These books are good for us and help balance the richness of other summer reading. My learning for work books may not match yours, but they’re both books that you may find intriguing! Below are my suggestions for great summer reading for work, the third of my four favorite types of summer reading.

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande is an excellent book for thinking about the role and importance of checklists. I love making lists, and I love crossing things off a list. But I hadn’t thought much about the different kinds of lists (or the history of lists) until I read this book. Gawande uses fascinating real-life stories to help illuminate and clarify the strengths and weaknesses of different kinds of lists, as well as how their usage has evolved. I highly recommend this book to anyone who uses lists, particularly for recurring activities. And it’s fun to read too!

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Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott makes me laugh and helps me be a better writer! I have read this book straight through a couple of times, and I also like to read individual chapters. Lamott provides specific, concrete advice with wonderful stories about writing. It’s great for writers (professional and otherwise), but also just an interesting and funny book if you are interested in the craft of writing.

Buy from Powell’s Book Store

Buy on Amazon

You can see my other recommendations in my blog post about my four favorite types of summer reading.

Note: if you buy books from these links, I will receive a small payment from Amazon or Powell’s. This helps cover the cost of this website. Thanks!

The post Summer reading for work appeared first on Taylor Rush.