@adamswomanback wrote a post yesterday asking people what is a book that is important to them and why. Well, I have more than one and I've decided to share them.
I know it might be hard to believe, but I wasn't always the big reader that I am. I think it's mainly because I had difficulty learning to read and this took away my desire to read. But there are two books that got me into reading. The first being The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I was 13 or 14 when I read it and didn't know at the time it was a classic. I didn't know who the author was, or that it was written in the 1960's. But when I read it, none of that mattered. I was instantly taken into Ponyboy's world and it has left an everlasting impact on me. It was a surprise because I didn't know books could do that, but they do and they can very much become a part of you and who you are. I learned this with The Outsiders. I could relate to the characters as I felt like an outsider sometimes and my teen years were a difficult time for me. The book very much an escape for me, a place I could go that would take me away from my life.
And another impact it had on me is that I started writing stories because of the book and its author, S.E. Hinton. She was only 16 when she first wrote it. She inspired me and it's because of S.E. Hinton I want to be an author.
The second book that got me reading is Slam! by Walter Dean Myers. I haven't read all of his books, but Walter Dean Myers is a good writer and like with S.E. Hinton, I'm happy to discover his books. Walter Dean Myers and S.E. Hinton helped me find my love of reading.
Like I said, my teen years were difficult for me. But there was another book that helped me to feel better and know eventually everything would be okay. If Only by Geri Halliwell is that book. It was the first biography I ever read and growing up, the Spice Girls were my role models. I still look up to them. I read If Only to try and get a better understanding of Geri and of why she left. She's not perfect, she's made mistakes, but she was very determined to become famous. She worked hard, as did the other Spice Girls and she is a inspiration to me.
The next biography I read was Catch a Fire by Melanie B, who is better known as Scary Spice. I have always thought she is an amazing woman. When I first became a fan, she was the one that stood out to me. She had big hair, she was crazy (in a good way), spoke her opinion and loves leopard print. As some of you know, when I was a teenager I hated the fact that I had white skin. I wish that I was like other members of my family and looked Cherokee. It was something I struggled with for a long time and I experienced a lot of racism as well. Well, Melanie is biracial. Her mother is English (white, if that's what you prefer) and her dad is Nevisian. She has always said she is proud of being biracial and even said it again in her book. She has never identified as just black, or just white because she is both and proud of that fact. She even said that she was teaching her daughter that too, that she is both too. I didn't quite realize it at the time, but she planted a seed in me and maybe it took a while to grow, but it did. She helped me to learn to be happy with who I was and be proud of what I am, a Cherokee of a mixed heritage.
The next is a trilogy, but I think it definitely did change the way I think, even if it was just fiction. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman are some of my favorite books. They are very well-written, but the main character, Lyra, is just great and is a strong female character. I felt I could relate to her. She spoke her mind, but the trilogy itself just gave me a lot to think about. I know a lot of bad things have been said about the trilogy, but it's not bad, it's not evil and teaches whoever reads it good lessons. These are books that will always stay with me.
And some books don't need to be very long to leave an impact. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt is a good example of this. I watched the movie many years before reading the book. The movie is good, but has some differences. To me, the book has a summery feel, a very calming and slow kind of feel to it. Would I want to live forever like the Tucks? I don't really know. But what I lived from the book is that you doesn't matter how long you live, but that you live. And I do my best to live each moment, to do what I want and go after my dreams. After all, life isn't about being miserable. It's about learning, growing and being happy.
The next book is one I've blogged about often and the author too. I read it shortly after reading Tuck Everlasting. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones is a fantasy book. It has its funny moments, but I found myself connecting to the main character Sophie. She was the oldest and therefore, doomed to never seek her fortune. She would just have to be happy with whatever life gave her, even if it meant just working in her father's hat shop. Well, the Witch of the Waste turns Sophie into an old woman and you would think this would be horrible for her. But no, this form of being an old woman, Sophie changes. She's not the same girl content with whatever life gives her. She wants more, she just wants to do what she wants.
For a few years I had quit writing because of what someone said to me. But after reading Howl's Moving Castle and discovering Diana Wynne Jones, I started writing again. This time, I started to write fantasy and that is my trilogy is, young adult fantasy. Diana Wynne Jones has been a huge inspiration to me and since Howl's Moving Castle was the first book I read by her, it means a lot to me.
The next is a manga series and it's called Revolutionary Girl Utena. I love this series. Utena is a strong female character and really shows that a girl can do anything she wants, even be a prince.
And there is The Last Apprentice series by Joseph Delaney. I read the first book in 2009 and I'm not sure why I waited so long to continue the series. But this year, I decided to continue it and I'm caught up on all the books now. Book number 12 comes out in September. I'm not going to say too much because I'm waiting until the final and 13th book comes out and I read to give my complete thoughts on the series. I will say all the books really make me think and all in their way, have left an impact on me.
I could probably name some more books, but I'll stop here.
What book or books are important to you?
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