A friend posted one of those Facebook posts where you answer questions, then tag others to answer the same questions. It instructed me to “name 10 books/series that have remained with me/influenced me throughout my life.”
Well, Readers, I thought you might enjoy that list too, so here it is, in approximate chronological order of reading:
- A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L’Engle
- The Dream of the Stone, Christina Askounis
- The Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien
- Dragon Prince, Melanie Rawn
- Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
- The Skystone, Jack Whyte
- Julie, Catherine Marshall
- Margaret and I, Kate Wilhelm
- Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman, Alice Steinbach
- Good In Bed, Jennifer Weiner
- Persuasion, Jane Austen
I feel like these are the stories I go back to the most, the images with the most resonance, the imaginative elements that I find myself wishing were real…
Making these recommendations work for you:
If you like classics, try Bronte and Austen
If you like fantasy, search Tolkien, Rawn, L’Engle, and Askounis
If you like psychological thriller-mysteries, look up Wilhelm or Weiner (specifically the two here, their other stuff pushes into sci-fi and chick-lit, respectively)
If you like women discovering more of life than they knew before, pick up Steinbach or Persuasion.
And if you love historical fiction, try Marshall or Whyte (So. Good.)
Do any of these ring a bell for you?
What’s the first book that popped into your head when you read the title of this post?
Images via When Every Penny Counts and Science Fiction Ruminations
Interesting! I’ve only even read two of the books on your list, and heard of two more. I loved a Wrinkle In Time, too, though I liked the later ones, when everyone was grown up, better. I read the Lord of the Rings, but I always liked the Hobbit better.
I think the book that shaped my life in the most lasting way was The Count of Monte Cristo, but there are dozens from my childhood that remain foundational bits of my character– like the Protector of the Small series by Tamora Pierce.
I wondered why Tamora Pierce sounded familiar, then realized I’d just Alanna a few months ago. Pretty good. Count of Monte Cristo, eh? Tried to read that when I was too young for it, and never picked it back up… fascinating stuff, eh? Hope you get to pick one up from my list some time… 🙂
I liked Alanna a LOT but I just reread both series this winter, and the Protector of the Small series spoke more to me. Alanna does Big Things. Kel does small things… but they’re the things that affect the commoners. It’s rare to find fantasy that deals with the ordinary people as anything more than redshirts.
It was in the Protector of the Small series that I found the source of one of my more peculiar beliefs– rules exist for a reason, but if you need to break one, break it and bear the consequences without complaining. It’s harder to find a just way to make exceptions to rules, and you *did* break it knowingly. If you did it for a good reason, the consequences don’t tend to phase you much.
Count of Monte Cristo is a rich and satisfying read, but a tad too wordy. Nevertheless, make sure to read the unabridged version if you do pick it up, because the abridged version is like fat-free ice cream– so unsatisfying you wonder why you ate it at all.
Skystone looks interesting, and I’m wondering if I read some of Melanie Rawn’s work… the name is familiar to me.
I have great memories of A Wrinkle in Time, and the sequels as well! I read them around the same time as a certain Black Cauldron series….
Haha! There may yet be time for me to try it… and Many Waters was actually my favorite! Back when sequels could be good…