homeOur reading habits change throughout the years. It's inevitable that your tastes will have expanded from the books that interested you as a child to the books that are sitting on your nightstand today. We are often asked what our favourite books are, but those titles aren't always the most important. What we read very much so shapes who we are, what we're interested in, how we view the world around us. I've been considering lately what books shaped my literary life. The following titles, although not always my favourites, had a profound effect on my reading habits and certainly meant a lot to me at the time.
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The Archie Comics
Before any books had the chance to win a place in my heart, I was fully dedicated to Archie comics. My mom used to have a booth at the weekly flea market in my childhood town where we sold all sorts of handmade items. Every Sunday, I would trade in my current Archie comics for new titles with the vendors that sold them (and buy a pack of peach chewing gum to last me throughout the week).
Danny The Champion Of The World by Roald Dahl
This book was a recommendation from my 3rd grade teacher. I always had trouble finding books when we went to the library at our elementary school. Our school was very small, our library even smaller, and the books my peers were reading (The Babysitters Club or anything to do with horses) didn't interest me. My teacher introduced me to Roald Dahl and my love for reading quickly grew from there.
Sweet Valley Twins & Friends (Series) by Francine Pascal
This was the first series of books I collected. I know most people were into Sweet Valley High, but I never got past the middle grade books. I owned every single one. Whenever they were featured in a Scholastic order form, my mom bought me as many as possible. I was always searching for the next one in the series. Sadly, I don't have any of these books anymore, but I would love to read one again.
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
I bought this book on a whim in grade six, completely attracted to the cover and nothing else. There was something about a book cover with no words that caught my attention. I read Stargirl in one afternoon. It's my first memory of being completely lost in a story.
Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare
Back in high school, I loved everything Shakespeare. Romeo & Juliet was the first Shakespeare play that I read and the old writing compelled me rather than pushed me away. I'd go to local bookstores and ask where to find the Shakespeare section, only to have booksellers stare at me like I was from another planet. You don't find too many fourteen year olds that love William. (Unfortunately, taking a Shakespeare class during my undergraduate degree made me despise his plays. I'm not so fond of him now.)
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
I read Wicked as part of a school assignment in 12th grade. We were able to choose our own novel, but had to put together a report and write two creative pieces based on the book. Thank goodness I chose Wicked from the bookstore because it became an instant favourite (it is still my favourite to this day). Maguire's writing proved to me that literature really could be magical. My copy of Wicked is my most prized possession. I re-read the book every year, so the margins are filled with personal notes. The cover may be falling apart, but I will never replace it.
Fables (Series) by Bill Willingham
After four years of completing an English degree, I stumbled upon Fables. While I loved being an English major, it was tiresome to read the novels that were assigned and critique every single sentence of a book. Fables was a well-needed break and introduced me to the graphic novel genre (before which I had always written off as 'not for me').
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I could have selected many more books that had a say in my literary life, but those are the ones that really stand out in my memory. I can't wait to find the next book that changes the way I think about literature.
Can you think of any books that changed your literary life? Let me know in the comments!
----
The Archie Comics
Before any books had the chance to win a place in my heart, I was fully dedicated to Archie comics. My mom used to have a booth at the weekly flea market in my childhood town where we sold all sorts of handmade items. Every Sunday, I would trade in my current Archie comics for new titles with the vendors that sold them (and buy a pack of peach chewing gum to last me throughout the week).
Danny The Champion Of The World by Roald Dahl
This book was a recommendation from my 3rd grade teacher. I always had trouble finding books when we went to the library at our elementary school. Our school was very small, our library even smaller, and the books my peers were reading (The Babysitters Club or anything to do with horses) didn't interest me. My teacher introduced me to Roald Dahl and my love for reading quickly grew from there.
Sweet Valley Twins & Friends (Series) by Francine Pascal
This was the first series of books I collected. I know most people were into Sweet Valley High, but I never got past the middle grade books. I owned every single one. Whenever they were featured in a Scholastic order form, my mom bought me as many as possible. I was always searching for the next one in the series. Sadly, I don't have any of these books anymore, but I would love to read one again.
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
I bought this book on a whim in grade six, completely attracted to the cover and nothing else. There was something about a book cover with no words that caught my attention. I read Stargirl in one afternoon. It's my first memory of being completely lost in a story.
Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare
Back in high school, I loved everything Shakespeare. Romeo & Juliet was the first Shakespeare play that I read and the old writing compelled me rather than pushed me away. I'd go to local bookstores and ask where to find the Shakespeare section, only to have booksellers stare at me like I was from another planet. You don't find too many fourteen year olds that love William. (Unfortunately, taking a Shakespeare class during my undergraduate degree made me despise his plays. I'm not so fond of him now.)
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
I read Wicked as part of a school assignment in 12th grade. We were able to choose our own novel, but had to put together a report and write two creative pieces based on the book. Thank goodness I chose Wicked from the bookstore because it became an instant favourite (it is still my favourite to this day). Maguire's writing proved to me that literature really could be magical. My copy of Wicked is my most prized possession. I re-read the book every year, so the margins are filled with personal notes. The cover may be falling apart, but I will never replace it.
Fables (Series) by Bill Willingham
After four years of completing an English degree, I stumbled upon Fables. While I loved being an English major, it was tiresome to read the novels that were assigned and critique every single sentence of a book. Fables was a well-needed break and introduced me to the graphic novel genre (before which I had always written off as 'not for me').
----
I could have selected many more books that had a say in my literary life, but those are the ones that really stand out in my memory. I can't wait to find the next book that changes the way I think about literature.
Can you think of any books that changed your literary life? Let me know in the comments!
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