10 Books

I read this article the other day about the 10 books that have most influenced you. It took me about 10 minutes to come up with a list. I love reading other people's lists but they all seem to sound more intellectual than mine. . . oh well. Anyway here's my list and I'd love it if other people would share their list! These are not in any particular order

Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien - One of my favorite books. I've read it probably 20 times. I can quote portions of it. I'm not sure how to explain how it influenced me but I'd definitely be a different person if I hadn't read this book. I doubt a better one.

Little Women - Louisa May Alcott - I read this so many times when I was a teenager which probably explains a lot. I was always torn between wanting to be Meg or Jo.

The Symposium - Plato - I first read this in a philosophy class many, many years ago. The professor in his introduction said that the best things don't come easily so beware of falling in love overnight. Advice I should have heeded. . .

Harriet the Spy - Louise Fitzhugh - Another one I read & reread when I was young. I'm pretty sure it contributed to my overly secretive nature!

Cities in Flight - James Blish - I'm not much of a sci-fi fan but I love this story. I don't think I can explain how it influenced me, it's just one my favorite books. Definitely one I'd take to a desert island. I've read 4-5 times and will read it again.

The Artist's Way - Julia Cameron - If I hadn't read this I doubt I'd have been able to share my writing, do a bead project or anything else creative. It helped me believe in and trust myself.

Perry Mason Books - Erle Stanley Gardner - Ok, this is kind of a cheat because it's way, way more than one book! I read all the Perry Mason books when I was young. I'm an avid mystery lover and attribute that to reading these.

The Four Loves - C.S. Lewis - I'm a C.S. Lewis fan and have read most everything he wrote. This has always been my favorite.

A Crown for Elizabeth - Mary M. Luke - This was one of the first, if not the first, book that I read about Elizabeth Tudor. I was about 13 or 14 I think and it started a lifelong interest in Elizabeth and Tudor England.

Cannery Row - John Steinbeck - I like Steinbeck, he's one of my favorite writers. And I love the opening to this story: "Cannery Row in Monterey in California is a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream."