So this post by ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
aldersprig got me thinking about the same subject in respect to myself. It's kind of a tough question, actually - I read a LOT of books and it's hard to determine which ones I just liked and which ones actually influenced the way I think or act, you know?
But let's give it a shot. In no particular order:
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
If you have ever talked to me about historical artifacts or museums, then you know that I think they are absolutely fantastic. This book is what started that. (If you don't know the book, basically: two kids run away to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.) The actual plot of the book itself didn't stick with me that much; it was the description of the kids living in the exhibits, especially the part where they sleep in one of the big fancy beds. I love big fancy beds. I got my mom to get me a four-poster canopy twin eventually, it was great.
The Black Stallion and sequels
I just really love horses okay, I don't have much else to say about this. I wanted a horse that I could bond with and have be MY HORSE and it would be super awesome and special and sigh.
Jane Eyre
This was probably my first book with a Romance in it. And it was an Angsty Gothic Romance with lots of excitement and the heroine gets amnesia and almost dies and it may have influenced my taste in romantic subplots juuuuuust a little.
Dragonriders of Pern
I'm putting this in here because I had a really huge PSYCHIC BONDED ANIMAL COMPANION thing (I still do, let's not lie here) and also a huge dragon thing and I'm genuinely not sure if this is where it started. It might be. I can't remember reading any before this, at the least.
I, Robot
If you haven't read it, then please to note: this is a short story collection! It is not a novel. It also was basically the foundation (ha) for all of my thoughts about Real Science Fiction.
The Rats of NIMH
I think this was a major contributing factor to my love for invention, engineering, adventure, and talking animals. It's so good though. I'm pretty sure it's a large part of why I started into things like Redwall.
Julie of the Wolves
My takeaway from this book was basically ANIMALS ARE GREAT I WANT TO TALK TO ANIMALS IN ANIMAL LANGUAGE. I still do that.
Three Women
These were my first Real Romance Books. They may have shaped somewhat my idea of what a Romance Novel looks like and I regret this not at all.
The Hobbit and LotR
I wanted to be a hobbit. I think that's the primary thing to understand here. Like, I walked around barefoot on our gravel driveway to toughen up my feet so I could be like a hobbit, kind of thing. Also, ADVENTURE and MUSHROOMS.
The Dark is Rising series (HOW DID I FORGET THIS)
I don't even know how to put into words how much this influenced me but BY GOD IT DID. This is the series that got me into writing, actually.
I think there are more; I might edit this later. But for now, as an honorable mention, The Horse Whisperer and some Japanese-inspired horror book I think called Oni taught me what porn looks like and I was horrified.
aldersprig got me thinking about the same subject in respect to myself. It's kind of a tough question, actually - I read a LOT of books and it's hard to determine which ones I just liked and which ones actually influenced the way I think or act, you know?But let's give it a shot. In no particular order:
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
If you have ever talked to me about historical artifacts or museums, then you know that I think they are absolutely fantastic. This book is what started that. (If you don't know the book, basically: two kids run away to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.) The actual plot of the book itself didn't stick with me that much; it was the description of the kids living in the exhibits, especially the part where they sleep in one of the big fancy beds. I love big fancy beds. I got my mom to get me a four-poster canopy twin eventually, it was great.
The Black Stallion and sequels
I just really love horses okay, I don't have much else to say about this. I wanted a horse that I could bond with and have be MY HORSE and it would be super awesome and special and sigh.
Jane Eyre
This was probably my first book with a Romance in it. And it was an Angsty Gothic Romance with lots of excitement and the heroine gets amnesia and almost dies and it may have influenced my taste in romantic subplots juuuuuust a little.
Dragonriders of Pern
I'm putting this in here because I had a really huge PSYCHIC BONDED ANIMAL COMPANION thing (I still do, let's not lie here) and also a huge dragon thing and I'm genuinely not sure if this is where it started. It might be. I can't remember reading any before this, at the least.
I, Robot
If you haven't read it, then please to note: this is a short story collection! It is not a novel. It also was basically the foundation (ha) for all of my thoughts about Real Science Fiction.
The Rats of NIMH
I think this was a major contributing factor to my love for invention, engineering, adventure, and talking animals. It's so good though. I'm pretty sure it's a large part of why I started into things like Redwall.
Julie of the Wolves
My takeaway from this book was basically ANIMALS ARE GREAT I WANT TO TALK TO ANIMALS IN ANIMAL LANGUAGE. I still do that.
Three Women
These were my first Real Romance Books. They may have shaped somewhat my idea of what a Romance Novel looks like and I regret this not at all.
The Hobbit and LotR
I wanted to be a hobbit. I think that's the primary thing to understand here. Like, I walked around barefoot on our gravel driveway to toughen up my feet so I could be like a hobbit, kind of thing. Also, ADVENTURE and MUSHROOMS.
The Dark is Rising series (HOW DID I FORGET THIS)
I don't even know how to put into words how much this influenced me but BY GOD IT DID. This is the series that got me into writing, actually.
I think there are more; I might edit this later. But for now, as an honorable mention, The Horse Whisperer and some Japanese-inspired horror book I think called Oni taught me what porn looks like and I was horrified.
