I am a voracious reader and every week I come across either a book, online piece or website I want to share with others. I’ve decided to curate these gems and highlight them on Friday. I hope you find these faves as insightful as I do.

• I read Brain Pickings everyday. It features articles on culture, books and a variety of insightful subjects. Maria Popova wrote about her 9 Learnings from 9 Years of Brain Pickings. Here is a preview: Lesson #7: ““Expect anything worthwhile to take a long time.”  – Debbie Millman

• This week I am attending the Nonfiction Now Conference and had the pleasure of listening to Brian Doyle. Although this piece was published a few years ago, I only read it this past week. Doyle asks the question, “How Did You Become a  Writer?” The line which resonated the most: ‘The best writers do not write about themselves but about everyone else. The best writers are great listeners. Learn to ask a question and then shut your mouth and listen. Use silence as a journalistic tool; people are uncomfortable with it and will leap to fill the holes, often telling you more than they wanted to.”

• Lindsey Mead is a writer I’ve followed for the last 6 years. Her words are insightful and lyrical. Her musings often push me to tilt my perspective in some way. Her letter to her daughter on her 13th birthday brought me to tears – Lindsey captures the passage of time which lingers days after you read her pieces. I urge you to read her work – you won’t regret it.

• This piece by Kristin Shaw tackles heartbreak in an unexpected way. What do we sacrifice to keep things together? Have your tissues handy when you read A Man and His Dog Were Harmful to Me. And Yet I Stayed.    

What were your favorite reads this week?