Peg Cheng

Author + Teacher

Reading Recs

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Books I Read in 2018 (with my Top 10)

I read 55 books in 2018. They’re listed in the order in which I read them, and I only included books that I finished.

As I did in 2017, I picked the Top 10 books that I especially enjoyed and/or changed me for the better. These books are in bold and are hyperlinked. While I enjoyed many of the books I read this year, these Top 10 hold a special place in my heart, and I highly recommend them.

  1. If Found…Please Return to Elise Gravel by Elise Gravel
  2. Spinning by Tillie Walden
  3. Hola and Goodbye by Donna Miscolta
  4. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh *
  5. Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms by Katherine Rundell *
  6. Built to Sell by John Warrillow
  7. Blood, Bones & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton *
  8. Blood Hina by Naomi Hirahara
  9. fail fail again fail better by Pema Chodron
  10. The Changeling by Victor LaValle
  11. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
  12. Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy
  13. The Smell of Other People’s Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
  14. Summer of the Big Bachi by Naomi Hirahara
  15. The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
  16. Post-Dated: The Schooling of an Irreverent Bonsai Monk by Michael Hagedorn *
  17. Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas
  18. Perks of a New Body by Frannerd
  19. About to Leave by Frannerd
  20. Gnarly Branches, Ancient Trees by Will Hiltz
  21. Two Old Women by Velma Wallis
  22. How to American by Jimmy O. Yang
  23. Arbitrary Stupid Goal by Tamara Shopsin
  24. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
  25. Savage Season by Joe R. Lansdale
  26. Gasa-Gasa Girl by Naomi Hirahara
  27. Mucho Mojo by Joe R. Lansdale
  28. Firefly Magic: Heart Powered Marketing for Highly Sensitive Writers by Lauren Sapala
  29. Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen
  30. Wayfinding Part 1: Rats and Rafts by Hugh Howey
  31. Ghost by Jason Reynolds
  32. The Misfits by James Howe
  33. Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman
  34. Just Kids by Patti Smith
  35. Code Monkey Save World by Greg Pak & Takeshi Miyazawa
  36. Last of the Independents by Sam Wiebe
  37. Just the Funny Parts by Nell Scovell
  38. Rewrite Your Life by Jess Lourey
  39. Boxers & Saints by Gene Luen Yang
  40. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
  41. Commissary Kitchen: My Infamous Prison Cookbook by Albert “Prodigy” Johnson & Kathy Landoli
  42. They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? by Horace McCoy
  43. Wayfinding Part 2: Hell & Heaven by Hugh Howey
  44. Tru & Nelle by G. Neri
  45. Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury *
  46. Imogene’s Antlers by David Small
  47. The Gardener by Sarah Stewart & illustrations by David Small
  48. Home After Dark by David Small
  49. Outrageous Openness by Tosha Silver
  50. The Mouse and His Child by Russell Hoban & illustrations by David Small
  51. No Refunds: an Unversed Comics Anthology edited by Jonathan Hill
  52. Miles Morales Spider Man by Jason Reynolds
  53. Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver
  54. The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovel Shinn
  55. The Year of You: 365 Journal Writing Prompts for Creative Self-Discovery by Hannah Braime

* = I’ve read this book in previous year(s)

If I could only read one book from this entire list, it would be Outrageous Openness by Tosha Silver. Why? Because this book changed my life. If you read it, please comment below and let me know what you thought of it. In fact, if you read (or have read) any of these books, let me know your thoughts in the comments box. I’d love to hear from you.

Hope my list gives you some good ideas for books to read in 2019. Happy new year and happy reading!

Peg Cheng is the author of The Contenders, a middle-grade novel that asks, can enemies become friends? She is currently querying a novel that is a re-imagining of the Snow White fairy tale set in 1980s Seattle. Peg is also the creator of Fear & Writing, a workshop for procrastinating writers from all walks of life.

Illustration by Risa Rodil.

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Outrageous Openness Changed My Life

I’m not a religious person. I consider myself a spiritual person, but religious? No.

In fact, one of the things I’m most grateful for from my childhood is that my parents raised me without religion. They already tried to rule my life with an iron fist, and if religious dogma had been added to that, I don’t know if I would have survived.

So, to my great surprise, I found myself relating on a deep level to a book called, Outrageous Openness: Letting the Divine Take the Lead by Tosha Silver.

This book was recommended to me by my therapist during a recent session where I confessed that thinking about when and if I’ll ever get an agent, and when and if I’ll ever sell my novel, was causing me depression and anxiety. I remember her telling me at the end of our session that I might like this book. She mentioned that it was pretty out there and kinda “outrageous,” but why not give it a shot?

A book about the Divine? Really?

Intrigued, I borrowed the book from the library and started reading it. It didn’t take long–just a few chapters–for me to realize this book was written just for me (and people like me). People who wonder, “How do I stop worrying? How can I feel safe? Why do I feel so alone?” And also, “Who am I really?”

Outrageous Openness gave me answers to many questions I’ve had throughout my life. I could relate to it on so many levels. For example, although I’m not religious, I’ve always believed in God. But, I don’t see God as this old man or old woman in the sky. When Tosha described God as the Divine Spirit that’s inside of you, not some figure in the heavens, it made so much sense.

The book also greatly appealed to me because it’s written in very short chapters. How I love short chapters! Each chapter is a story from Tosha’s life or from the life of one of her friends or former clients. I learn best through stories. We all do. Unlike many self-help or spirituality books out there, this book doesn’t focus on explaining its philosophy in an expository or pedantic way; instead it’s explained through stories, lots and lots of stories, and many of them are funny, touching, and “irreverently relevant.”

I read two to three chapters a day–only two to six pages each time–so I could really draw out and enjoy this book. It was the right pace. I was able to digest its contents and start putting Tosha’s tips to use right away.

One key tip was to take action toward what you want, but stop focusing on outcomes.

This is something I’ve been struggling with since I started writing full-time. My goals haven’t felt right, sometimes even a day after I make them. I think it’s because I’m too focused on reaching a particular outcome. For almost three years, I haven’t met my goals in the time that I set for them, and many I’ve simply discarded. But when I’ve let go of goals and outcomes, I’ve been able to move forward and accomplish things that I wanted to do (and some I didn’t know I wanted to do).

I’m so glad my therapist decided to mention this book to me. You never know how mentioning something can change someone’s life. (Remember that next time your intuition tells you to give someone a tip or a resource.)

I’m now letting the Divine take the lead. I still take action, but I’m trying to not focus on outcomes. I do what feels right. If it doesn’t feel right, I don’t do it. It takes practice. I’m finally trusting my inner Divine and it’s changed everything. A thousand thank you’s, Tosha.

Hope you’ll give Outrageous Openness a chance. Like my therapist warned, it’s pretty out there and outrageous. Then again, couldn’t we all use some outrageousness in our lives?

Peg Cheng is the author of The Contenders, a middle-grade novel that asks, can enemies become friends? She is currently querying a novel that is a re-imagining of the Snow White fairy tale set in 1980s Seattle. Peg is also the creator of Fear & Writing, a workshop for procrastinating writers from all walks of life.

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Books I Read in 2017 (and My Top 10)

In 2017, I read 48 books. This is a big decrease from the 67 books I read last year. Part of this drop is due to reading too much about the deterioration of America in the news. The other reason is because I was dealing with a family death, and was reading much slower.

Here are the 48 books I read in 2017. They are listed in the order in which I read them.

Like I did in 2016, I picked the top ten books that I especially enjoyed and/or changed me for the better. These books are in bold. While I enjoyed many of the books I read this year, these ten hold a special place in my heart and I highly recommend them.

  1. Maman’s Homesick Pie by Donia Bijan
  2. Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughn & Cliff Chiang
  3. Keith Haring: The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing by Kay A. Haring & Robert Neubecker
  4. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
  5. A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen
  6. This City by Claudia Castro Luna
  7. Found Poetry Review, Vol. 7, edited by Jenni B. Baker & Beth Ayer
  8. Working Days: The Journals of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck & edited by Robert DeMott
  9. Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon *
  10. Make Trouble by John Waters
  11. Sunday Sketching by Christoph Niemann
  12. Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell
  13. Of Lamb by Matthea Harvey & Amy Jean Porter
  14. The Turner House by Angela Flournoy
  15. You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero
  16. Death at Glacier Lake by Pam Stucky
  17. My Mother Was Nuts by Penny Marshall
  18. The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck by Sarah Knight
  19. Northwest Cartoonists Cookbook by various cartoonists & artists
  20. The Round House by Louise Erdrich
  21. Theft by Finding: Diaries (1977-2002) by David Sedaris
  22. Orange Ginger Jam by frannerd
  23. Perfect Tree Shapes by frannerd
  24. Boogie-Woogie Crisscross by Tess Gallagher and Lawrence Matsuda
  25. Chinook & Chanterelle by Robert Michael Pyle
  26. Chibi Samurai Wants a Pet by Sanae Ishida
  27. The Way of the Writer by Charles Johnson
  28. Poetry, March 2017
  29. IBS–Free at Last! by Patsy Catsos
  30. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
  31. Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living edited by Manjula Martin
  32. The Autobiography of an American Buffalo by Oscar Zeta Acosta
  33. Why We March: Signs of Protest and Hope by Artisan
  34. Radiant Child: the Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe
  35. The Jones Family Express by Javaka Steptoe
  36. Inspirations: Poems of Life and Love by Kathryn Carole Ellison
  37. Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
  38. Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy
  39. Calling a Wolf a Wolf by Kaveh Akbar
  40. Americus by MK Reed and Jonathan Hill
  41. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
  42. Ms. Marvel: No Normal: Issues 1-5 by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona
  43. Perennial Seller by Ryan Holiday
  44. Enginerds by Jarrett Lerner
  45. Invisible Dead by Sam Wiebe
  46. The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins
  47. Monstress, Volume II, by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
  48. I Am Pusheen the Cat by Claire Belton

* indicates that I read this book in a previous year and read it again this year

Hope this list gives you good ideas for books to read in 2018. And if you’ve read any of these already, please let me know what you thought of them in the comments box. Happy New Year and happy reading!

Peg Cheng is the author of The Contenders, a middle-grade novel that asks, can enemies become friends? She is currently writing another novel that is a re-imagining of the Snow White fairy tale set in 1980s Seattle. Peg is also the creator of Fear & Writing, a workshop for procrastinating writers from all walks of life.

Photo by Jaredd Craig.

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Favorite Tools for Writers

Tools by Philip Swinburn

It seems fitting that I’m writing about tools during the time when my pop-in-law, a man who deeply loves his tools, is about to depart from this earth. Mr. Mark was a carpenter, and I’m a writer, but we’re both storytellers.

For the last five weeks, I haven’t had the energy to write much of anything. Add to this that my father was also hospitalized last month for a blood clot, and you can understand why my suspense novel manuscript has been collecting dust.

Some writers find that stress spurs them on to write more. Not me. When I’m worried and anxious, the only things I can do are eat, sleep, clean, watch TV, read, and walk just enough so my muscles don’t atrophy.

So, I haven’t been writing much, but there is something I’ve been working on for months that I think I’m ready to share.

For six months, I’ve been racking my brains and writing and rewriting descriptions of my favorite writing, creative living, and business tools. I added some on and took others off until I had narrowed the list down. All these tools are ones that I’ve personally used, tested, and highly recommend. The list will likely change over time, but for now, I feel good about sharing them with you.

Here they are: my FAVORITE TOOLS for better writing and creative living. I hope these will be helpful to you, and may some of them even bring a smile to your face (like Mr. Mark did for me for nine years).

Peg Cheng is the author of The Contenders, a middle-grade novel that asks, can enemies become friends? She is currently writing another novel that is a re-imagining of the Snow White fairy tale set in 1980s Seattle. Peg is also a writing teacher giving help and encouragement to writers from all walks of life.

Photo of tools by Philip Swinburn.

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Books I Read in 2016 (and My Top 11)

reading-books-friendsTo me, reading is as essential as breathing, eating, and sleeping. If I didn’t do it, I’d be miserable.

What disturbs me is that I spent years reading what I was required to read, and hardly any time reading what I wanted to read.

I read for pleasure from age five to eighteen, but after I started college, my pleasure reading dropped like an anvil from a cliff. From about age 18 until my early 30s, I read mostly textbooks, books, newspapers, case studies, and articles related to my studies and work, but hardly any marvelous novels or great works of non-fiction. I’m extremely bummed that I will never get that time back to read. And I have no one to blame but myself.

To make up for lost time, this first year of being a full-time writer has also been my year of being a full-time reader. Here are the 67 books I read in 2016. They are listed in the order in which I read them.

I decided to challenge myself and pick the Top 11 Books (I tried to pick ten but it was too hard) that I really enjoyed and/or changed me for the better. These books are in bold. While I enjoyed many of the books I read this year, these eleven hold a special place in my heart, and I highly recommend them.

  1. Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin
  2. Cracked Pomegranate by Fae Bidgoli
  3. Swimming in the American: A Memoir and Selected Writings by Hiroshi Kashiwagi
  4. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert
  5. Blood, Bones & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton
  6. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
  7. Writing the Heart of Your Story: The Secret to Crafting an Unforgettable Novel by C.S. Lakin
  8. 30-Day Author: Develop a Daily Writing Habit and Write Your Book in 30 Days by Kevin Tumlinson
  9. Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds and Peter Brown
  10. Kaline Klattermaster’s Tree House by Haven Kimmel
  11. Secret Coders by Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes
  12. Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms by Katherine Rundell
  13. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
  14. I’d Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman
  15. Rules by Cynthia Lord
  16. The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma
  17. The Xenophobe’s Guide to the Icelanders by Richard Sale
  18. Humans of New York Stories by Brandon Stanton
  19. Post-Dated: The Schooling of an Irreverent Bonsai Monk by Michael Hagedorn
  20. Little Kunoichi: The Ninja Girl by Sanae Ishida
  21. Sewing Happiness: A Year of Simple Projects for Living Well by Sanae Ishida
  22. Figgs & Phantoms by Ellen Raskin *
  23. As I Knew Him: My Dad, Rod Serling by Anne Serling
  24. Invisible Ink by Brian McDonald *
  25. The Art of Slow Writing: Reflections on Time, Craft, and Creativity by Louise DeSalvo
  26. Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell
  27. Dani Noir by Nova Ren Suma
  28. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
  29. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
  30. The Good Times Are Killing Me by Lynda Barry
  31. The Face: A Time Code by Ruth Ozeki
  32. Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo and Me: A Graphic Memoir by Ellen Forney
  33. Cruddy by Lynda Barry
  34. At a Crossroads: Between a Rock and My Parents’ Place by Kate T. Williamson
  35. My Town by David Lee
  36. The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye by Sonny Liew
  37. Porcelain by Moby
  38. The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
  39. I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi
  40. Involuntary Turnover by Cheri Baker
  41. Monstress by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda
  42. Rock Paper Tiger by Lisa Brackmann
  43. Matthew Looney’s Voyage to the Earth by Jerome Beatty *
  44. Art & Fear by David Bayles & Ted Orland
  45. Writer’s Doubt: The #1 Enemy of Writing (and What You Can Do About It) by Bryan Hutchinson
  46. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary *
  47. Clementine by Sara Pennypacker *
  48. Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
  49. Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol
  50. Amulet, Book One: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi
  51. Amulet, Book Two: The Stonekeeper’s Curse by Kazu Kibuishi
  52. How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams
  53. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
  54. Wool by Hugh Howey
  55. This is Not a Werewolf Story by Sandra Evans
  56. A Little Yellow Dog by Walter Mosley
  57. Double Cup Love: On the Trail of Family, Food, and Broken Hearts in China by Eddie Huang
  58. The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
  59. Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys by Bob Raczka
  60. Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo
  61. Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes
  62. Zek: An American Prison Story by Arthur Longworth
  63. The INFJ Writer by Lauren Sapala
  64. Robot Dreams by Sara Varon
  65. Friends With Boys by Faith Erin Hicks
  66. Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook by Anthony Bourdain
  67. The Education of Kevin Powell: A Boy’s Journey into Manhood by Kevin Powell

* indicates that I read this book in a previous year and read it again this year

Hope this list gives you good ideas for books to read in 2017. And if you’ve read any of these already, please let me know what you thought of them in the comments box. Happy New Year and happy reading!

Peg Cheng is the author of The Contenders, a middle-grade novel centered on the question, can enemies become friends? She is currently writing another novel that is a re-imagining of the Snow White fairy tale set in 1980s Seattle.