"Books are a uniquely portable magic."--Stephen King
Recently, everyone on Facebook seems to be posting what their 10 most influential books are. It's crazy that people can have ONLY ten.
I mean, most books have affected me in some way. They taught me about the world, how things are, how they were, how they could possibly be one day.....
They've taught me compassion, equality, fighting for justice, what love is, and how to really laugh.
What surprised me most is....that out of all of my facebook friends, no one has tagged me yet. I read all the time....so it kind of amazed me.
Something that bugs me though is that everyone seems to list tons of classics or philosophical books. I mean, with a couple of my friends that's not surprising.....they read and enjoy those kind of books. But with a lot of people....it just seems to be a way of showing of how many "literary" books they happen to have pawed through.
Mine.....are mostly from childhood. I read a lot back then. And they all affected me in some way to change what kind of reader and writer I am and what kind of person I am as well.
So...I guess I'll try to pick my top influential books.
Where the Sidewalk Ends--Shel Silverstein
This was the first real collection of poetry I ever read. I mean, if you don't count a big book o' nursery rhymes. The poems were funny, weird, and filled sometimes with a little bit of wisdom. It lead me to read more of his work, as well as spark my interest in poetry.
Favorite poem: Magic
"Sandra's seen a leprechaun,
Eddie touched a troll,
Laurie danced with witches once,
Charlie found some goblins gold.
Donald heard a mermaid sing,
Susy spied an elf,
But all the magic I have known
I've had to make myself."
Matilda--Roald Dahl
This might have been the first book by Dahl that I read. If it was, it made me an instant fan. The humor of his style was hilarious and probably responsible for my seeking out his other books, as well as others by British authors. I connected very deeply with Matilda. I learned to read at a young age as well. I also read a lot and sometimes above my reading level. My parents, unlike hers, encouraged reading but I knew how it felt to be treated unjustly by adults. I was also very shy and did not really have many playmates outside of school so I also understood the feeling that your books could be some of your best friends. Books never let you down.
Favorite quote: "So Matilda's strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone."
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone--J.K. Rowling
This is what started it all. I think what I love most about this book is the sentimental feeling I get when I read it. I can remember the magic of hearing this story for the first time. There's something warm, cozy and comforting about slipping into this book. This is only the beginning...but it's a good one. This taught me about loyal friendships, strength in the face of adversity, following your instincts, and being brave because it's the right thing to do. It also made me long for a Hogwarts letter.
Favorite quote: “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that.”
Fahrenheit 451--Ray Bradbury
I first read this in the 10th grade and it pretty much changed my life. The horror of a society that would willingly destroy knowledge by burning books has stayed with me. Books are some of the most precious things in the world.
Favorite quote: "There must be something in books, something we can't imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don't stay for nothing."
The Princess Diaries--Meg Cabot
I am Mia. Or, at least I used to be. This was so close to my own personality it was frightening. I connected with this character in a way that I've never connected with another since. This was a comfort to me in high school. This series taught me that it was okay that I was weird, a little anxious, awful at math and having no luck in the love department. It taught me that everything was going to be okay....because yes you make mistakes in life. But you can always make up for them.
Favorite quote: "Needless to say, the fact that he actually spoke to me at all practically caused me to pass out. And then the fact that he was actually saying something that sounded like it might be a prelude to asking me out - well, I nearly threw up. I mean it. I felt really sick, but in a good way."
Harold and the Purple Crayon--Crockett Johnson
This has been a favorite since I was very small. Something about Harold being able to use his imagination to create the world around him really stayed with me. Probably one of my favorite parts is when he's making a city of windows, looking for his own.
Favorite quote: "So he left the path for a short cut across a field. And the moon went with him."
The Westing Game--Ellen Raskin
This is probably responsible for my love of mysteries. The twists and turns of the story were always fascinating to me. Every time I read it, I would find something new. A foreshadowing thing, a betraying speech. Something every time that would lead me to he culprit, which of course, I already knew. Still, it was interesting to pick apart the story and see how the author got to the conclusion. It fueled my interest in writing my own mysteries.
Favorite quote: "Sunset Towers faced east and had no towers."
Hamlet--William Shakespeare
This was not the first Shakespeare I ever read but it is the one to have the most profound effect on me. I read this for the first time in high school. I had a hard time really understanding it at first but I came to really enjoy it, especially some of the usual Shakespearean jokes. I read it the second time in college. This time was easier since I knew the basics and for the first time, I really started to sympathize with the characters more....even Ophelia, who's kind of a drip. The last time I read it was when my grandmother died suddenly. For the first time I truly understood the despair that Hamlet was wading through. The words became.....not really a comfort but more like an outlet, a momentary relief that someone else, long ago, had felt that bad too.
Favorite quote(s): "I am but mad north-northwest. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw."
"There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."Murder on the Orient Express--Agatha Christie
This was the first Agatha Christie I ever read. Therefore, it is the most important. While The Westing Game was the start of my love affair with mysteries, this was the book that began my deep and unending love for Hercule Poirot and his little grey cells. The little bald man is potentially more intelligent and badass than Sherlock Holmes,(which is saying a lot since I also love his adventures) mainly by the fact that he is a more believable and sympathetic character. What strikes me about Poirot is even when someone has done evil, he feels truly terrible about that person's fate....something that is not always shown in the stark black and white divide in a lot of entertainment. Agatha Christie had a way of making real characters with all their flaws and quirks. Reading this led me to her other work, as well as her autobiography.....something that was highly influential on me. I always thought I was destined to be some kind of serial killer because of the morbid thoughts, anxieties and odd images of what ifs that entered my mind.....but Dame Agatha also would wonder daily stuff like....."What if that champagne had arsenic in it? What type of poison would go undetected? Why do people use letter openers when they're so readily made into a dagger?" So I wasn't crazy....I just probably should write mysteries like she did.
Favorite quote(s): "I am not one to rely upon the expert procedure. It is the psychology I seek, not the fingerprint or the cigarette ash."
"The impossible could not have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances."
Wait Till Helen Comes--Mary Downing Hahn
This is one of the reasons I like horror books. Not kidding. This was the first story I ever read that had a really creepy ghost in it. It scared me but opened the door to a morbid fascination with things that go bump in the night. Despite the fact that I have a lifelong fear of those possible things in the dark (like ghosts), this made me sympathize with a ghost....and start to ask myself if maybe, they were around because they were lonely or needed help. It humanized spooks. I also got to meet the author when she visited my elementary school, which was pretty cool.
Favorite quote: "She has a maddening habit of drifting away into her private dream world just when you need her most."
These were the books that had the most profound effect on my life. There are countless more that I've read within the past few years that have also changed me in some way....Letters to a Young Poet, On Writing, Tales of a Burning Love, and Pride and Prejudice to name just a few. But the fact is, every book changes the people who read them, whether just a smidge or in an earth-shattering way. That is the beauty in reading.
"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers."--Charles William Eliot
