Scholastic has a great site called You Are What You Read, where celebrities name the five books that most influenced them. Now, I’m no celebrity (to say the least), but I thought it still might be an interesting exercise to undertake. So, with no further ado, the five books that most influenced me, as a reader and a writer.
1. THE DOLL IN THE GARDEN, by Mary Downing Hahn
I must have read this a dozen times, if not more. It’s the first book that I remember reading and absolutely adoring, so it gets pride of place as the first title on this list. I haven’t read it in years, so I don’t know if it stands up to the test of time, but I don’t care. It will always have a special place in my heart.
2. USER UNFRIENDLY, by Vivian Vande Velde
I was around 14 or so for this one. I had read books with fantasy elements in them before, but this was the first book that I read that was really in the classic fantasy style (although there are also scifi elements). When I finished reading this book, I made both my parents read it. I even read it to my husband, when we were in college together. I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that this book is part of the reason why I write fantasy.
3. THE DEED OF PAKSENARRION, by Elizabeth Moon
This is technically three books, but I’m counting them as one, since they’re in an omnibus edition. If the book above was kind of my introduction to fantasy, then this was my reintroduction when I was in college. After I read this trilogy, I began to seek out anything fantasy-related. As you can imagine, I’m thrilled that the author has returned to this world. The new books are just as good.
4. HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE, by Diana Wynne Jones
This is my perfect book. I wouldn’t change a single word of it. I know that I read this book as an adult, but I don’t remember when. What I do remember is that, while I enjoyed it, I didn’t appreciate how good it was until I reread it later and enjoyed it just as much. That’s when I started to seek out the author’s other books. I’ve reread this book so many times, but I never tire of it. It’s my ultimate comfort book.
5. THE CURSE OF CHALION, by Lois McMaster Bujold
I honestly had a hard time choosing a fifth book. Maybe I haven’t read the one that belongs here yet. In the meantime, I’ve substituted one of my other read-over-and-over books. There have been others that I’ve read that were just as good, but there’s just something about this book and its incredible characters that told me that it deserved to be on this list. At least for now.
I’d love to hear what anyone else’s five books are. I love lists like this, especially when they come with explanations for each one. So fascinating! There are a ton of lists on the site from different celebrities, too. Go check it out!
(images copyright Scholastic, HarperCollins, Harcourt Childrens Books, Baen, Greenwillow Books, and HarperTorch; used without permission)
