Influential Books (Part 2: Adolescence)
Today’s post might make you feel a bit nostalgic. Keep reading and leave a comment to join this dialogue, then check out today’s writing prompt at the bottom of this post.
Lately, I’ve been thinking back on all the books that have influenced me or affected me in some way at some point in my life. There are way too many to count, really. But today I’m adding to the list of books I already started: Influential Books (Part 1: Childhood). Below is a not-so-comprehensive list of some books I read when I was an adolescent that stuck with me over the years. What books would you add to it?
Matilda by Roald Dahl is a book that taught me the importance of found family and reading, and how important it is to seek out guidance from those who truly have your well-being at heart.
Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary offered me valuable insight into what it was like to be an older sister, as I am the younger sister in real life.
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar stretched my imagination and opened my eyes to new ways of seeing my own daily life, as well as how to deal with bullies in all their various shapes and sizes.
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein showed me that reading could be wildly entertaining, but also encouraged me to reread several passages to verify what I had read in a more analytical (yet still fun) way.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz taught me how reading could be social. I never read one of these scary stories alone, but at slumber parties and Halloween events.
It's Not the End of the World by Judy Blume was the first book that spoke to me like I was a human first and a young person second. It made me feel like it was okay to be my age, but that I wasn’t being talked down to like I wasn’t old enough to handle things that I had to handle whether I liked it or not anyway.
Haunted by R.L. Stine (as well as his other Fear Street books, and the Goosebumps series) made me want to engage with what I was reading to figure out what was going on before I reached the end of the book. It also showed me that not everything you read is as it seems at first, and that it’s okay to second guess what you’re reading.
The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene, as well as all other Nancy Drew books, made me feel seen and valued as a young girl who was naturally curious and adventurous.
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is one of those books that will stay with me forever, as it introduced me to what true injustice can look like in the real world, and how certain institutions aren’t always designed to do the right thing for everyone. It also showed me the power one individual with integrity and humanity can have within those institutions.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë was the first Classic I ever read, and it pushed me into a new level of reading, where I could challenge myself intellectually while reading about complex characters and settings that were fascinating.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is the first romance novel I ever read. To say that it set a high bar for every other romance novel I read after it is the understatement of the century. I could (and might) write an entire post on how this novel has influenced me and my life, as well as society as a whole. It is so much more than a classic romance novel!
The Client by John Grisham showed me a different perspective for those who practice the law, and those who need lawyers, and even made me want to be a lawyer… for a little while at least. Regardless, it is one of the first books that made me think about potential career options.
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King is one of the best books on writing that I have ever read, still. I always recommend this book to existing and emerging writers.
I plan to share posts with more books that influenced and affected me during the later stages of my life in the future. Stay tuned! For now, however, tell me: What books have stayed with you since young adulthood? Leave a comment to join this dialogue, then share this post with others so they can join this dialogue too.
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Writing Prompt: On the Playground
Write a scene that takes place on a playground.
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