In this list you name fifteen books, not just writers, which have inspired or influenced you. These are not necessarily the books you most liked, but the books that shaped you. In no particular order, with comments:
- Fatal Vision - the first non-fiction book I ever read by choice. I was working in a library as a page and pulled it from my cart, and instead of shelving it, checked it out and read it.
- The Stand - by far the best of the Stephen King books. If you are familiar with the miniseries, get the book. It's so much better.
- Salem’s Lot - also by Stephen King and the first one of his books that I read. In Maine. In a cabin on a lake. By myself. Think I slept with the lights on for the rest of the vacation?
- My Brother Sam is Dead - a children's book by Christopher Collins, I read it as part of a summer reading program and it made a big impact. I think it's part of why I am such a big history geek.
- I’ll Love You Forever by Robert Munsch - from my son's library. I can't get all the way through it without choking up at the end.
- A Walk in the Woods - Bill Bryson's escapades on the Appalachian Trail. The best first book to explore if you want to get into the Bryson genre.
- From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - as My Brother did for history, it's possible this book did it for me for museums.
- John Adams - from my favorite period in history, by one of the greatest writers of our generation. A stellar examination of our second president.
- Ordeal by Fire - required reading for a class I took in college on the Civil War. While a textbook, by strict definition, it read really easily, though that may have had a lot to do with the professor teaching the class.
- The Flowers in the Attic books - no snickering. So what, I read them. And since we're talking impact here, um, yeah.
- The Beverly Cleary genre - and while we're on the subject of pre-teen reads, I hope I'm not the only one waiting for the Encyclopedia Brown movie to come out. Am I? Anyone? Anyone?
- Catcher in the Rye - because it did. Sure, it was required in High School English, but what high school teenage boy couldn't identify with some part of Holden Caufield?
- 1984 - More required reading but on the edge of my reading spectrum. If it's Orwell, I preferred Animal Farm.
- Boy’s Life - the magazine of the Cub and Boy Scouts. From the era when one looked forward to getting mail addressed to you. There's always Highlights Magazine here as well, but that just makes me think of the dentist [shudder].
- Tao of Pooh - read in college. It goes back to that whole thing about me trying to be a better person.
8 comments:
Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler...I think I have a new respect for you Mr. Astronaut.
what a grand idea! i'll have to do this one, sugar! thanks for the link! xox
(came over from eryl's place)
Via Eryl too! At last, someone who rates The Stand! I think it's better than The Road.
Keep that a secret.
Totally agree on the scariness of Salem's Lot.
Randy & I LOVED the Frankweiler movie, as I recall. We'd never miss it, if we could help it. Pipi Longstockings was fairly high on our respective lists, too. But that's all TV...he was never a big reader.
Ironically Charles & I were just talking about King's books last night & he counts "Salem's Lot" among his top 3 faves in the genre. Watching that on TV once, laying on my stomach on mom's bed, at a key moment when the characters are looking at the sleeping vampire in the coffin, when he suddenly opens his eyes, hissing, the fitted sheet popped off the corner of the bed & wrapped around my foot. I think I made it downstairs w/o touching a single step.
But I ramble...as for books that have changed my life, I'd put "The 21 Lessons of Merlyn" on top of the list. Although it contained a lot of mystical claptrap, there were some really good words to live by in there, too. "Ghost Story" by Peter Straub chilled me to the bone--even on my second reading. I also enjoyed Mark Helprin's "Winter's Tale." I'd be remiss in leaving out Rick Shaffer's "Your Guide to the Sky" which helped indulge & expand upon my love of all things astronomical. He even contacted me once (having seen my mention of his book on my old page,) to ask if I had any suggestions for his 2nd book, & to invite me to come visit him the next time I went to Sedona. That was pretty cool.
In a sense, I'd have to include Charles' books, in that I put myself into the publicist's role for him, setting up newspaper & magazine interviews, book signings & (most recently,) a spot as a "guest author" at this coming Oct.'s "Louisiana Book Festival." If only I was as successful in promoting my art!
Anna - thanks for the praise. You can read our copy again if you like when you visit in a few weeks.
Savannah and Titus - welcome to the Brave Astronaut orbit!
Titus - I read The Road - but The Stand is a much scarier read.
Terry - As noted, still can't read some of King's stuff alone.
Lana - great comments. And a nice list.
They're making an Encyclopedia Brown movie?! Sign me up.
C - Me, too!
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