Knitter, English teacher and Johnstown, Pennsylvania's self-appointed ambassador to Brooklyn, Shannon Reed is also an accomplished playwright whose plays have appeared in prestigious regional festivals. "Currently at work on a play about fairies, vicars and princesses," as she tells us, Shannon graciously laid down her quill for a moment to share these terrific thoughts on playwriting and related books:

Writing plays is a tricky business because you're writing text that will need to be brought to life. Thus, it's worth any beginning playwright's time to read the text of a play they have seen and enjoyed. You might start by watching the movie of The Crucible. The 1996 version has a powerful screenplay by Arthur Miller that skews remarkably closely to his searing playscript. Then read the play itself, an American classic.

Anastasia M. Ashman, an American writer living in Istanbul and coeditor of Tales from the Expat Harem, an anthology by foreign women living in Turkey, recommends these books on women and travel, and more:

Unsuitable for Ladies: An Anthology of Women Travellers, selected by Jane Robinson. "In this spunky companion volume to Wayward Women (her book about women travel writers through history), Robinson collects the global travels of 200 women across 16 countries. The chapters indicate that the act of travel is and has always been a transformative force in women's lives. "

The anonymous mom behind the popular parenting blog Ask Moxie wrote us to say: "Parenting is such a life-changing and inherently traumatic experience that I'd bet at least half of us have seriously considered writing a book about it. (Mine would be filled with incidents like the time my 2 1/2-year-old accidentally glued the cat to the chair.) It's hard to improve on the standards, though, so if you're too bleary-eyed and laundry-wearied* to write your own, don't feel guilty about stealing some time to read these classics of the parenting narrative genre:"

(In reverse chronological order)

Mother Shock: Loving Every (Other) Minute of It, by Andrea J. Buchanan. "A series of essays about changing identity, joy, disappointment, and negotiating the daily ebb and flow of life as a new mother, Andi's book is real and raw and encouraging. It compares the process of becoming a mother to the process of moving to a foreign country and learning the culture."

Professor Ann Curzan, the scholar on the history of English we interviewed for last week's Behind The Dictionary feature, recommends these books on the subject:

David Crystal's The Stories of English "is packed with interesting information about the history of English."

Bill Bryson's The Mother Tongue "is a very accessible history of English."

John McWhorter's Word on the Street: Debunking the Myth of "Pure" Standard English "is also accessible and treats both language change and dialectal differences."

Language Myths, edited by Laurie Bauer and Peter Trudgill, "is a collection of short, very smart essays that address a range of myths about language -- language change, dialects, the effects of TV, etc."

"Michael Adams and I have written an introductory textbook about English linguistics that people tell us doesn't read like your average textbook (which was absolutely our goal!): How English Works

"Just for girls"

Gossip Girl, by Cecily von Ziegesar
"I'm the first to admit that this series is complete fluff; there are no deep, intellectual conversations, no defining moments, and no witty dialogue. However I believe that these books provide a great opportunity for girls that don't normally read. I find that my friends that shun other reading material tend to enjoy this series."

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Ann Brashares
"The first of a series of four, this book is a great story about four girls that stay in touch over the summer through a 'magical' pair of pants. There are moments that tempt you to roll your eyes but it remains a sweet story about friendship, travel and the jeans that tie them together."

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson, by Louise Rennison
"While the title of this book makes girls in the book store blush, the story behind the title is well worth the embarrassment. Told through the diary of British girl named Georgia, this series had me crying with laughter. Georgia's British slang is so outlandish that each book requires a glossary for translations, yet her story is relatable and risible in any language."