20 Books that Changed Me - Part I

I may be an avid writer (obviously), but I'm also a voracious reader. I was an English major in college, where I took a wide range of courses on the subject. Some of my favorites included "Literary Analysis," "Contemporary American Prose," "Shakespeare Studies," and "Literary and Cultural Theory." Yet I've always loved literature, so I'm here today to talk about the 20 books that changed me. These are the books that left a mark, that had an impact on my life. They aren't necessarily my favorite books, nor should they be considered "the best" in any way. This post is simply one of admiration and recognition. This literature enraptured and sustained me.

Therefore, the following list is broken down into four segments: Elementary School (ages 5-10), Middle School (ages 10-13), High School (ages 13-17), and College (ages 17-22). I will include five books for each of these sections. "Part I" will be the first ten books, from elementary and middle school.

Elementary School (ages 5-10)

- The Essential Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson: Through sarcastic, egocentric Calvin and succinct, lovable Hobbes, I learned how to enjoy literature. I was given this book when I was five years old, and haven't put it down since. As time has passed I've come to value the humor, concepts, and artistry of the latter Calvin and Hobbes comics more than the earlier ones, but The Essential is nonetheless a great book. Full of funny faces and terrific one-liners, it never fails to make me smile.   

- George's Marvelous Medicine by Roald Dahl: It's wacky, it's disturbing, it's a book by Roald Dahl. I don't think I can sum it up any better than that. I will say that I read this book in the third grade, and loved it so much the teacher asked me to read it aloud to the entire class. It took a couple weeks to get through, but I got to sit in the "Teacher's Chair" (oooooooooohhhh, I know) and read it to the class every day. I love this book and the great memories associated with it. It's a strange book, but a terrific one nonetheless.

- Animorphs series by K.A. Applegate: My buddy Brandon and I read these books together throughout elementary school. Every time we finished a new entry in the 62 part series (WOW, that's a lot) we'd stroll around the playground, discussing all the new characters and plots. After all, that was some pretty heavy science fiction we were dealing with. An invasion of evil alien slugs who control human brains? Superhero teens who can morph into animals by absorbing DNA through their hands? Dying alien princes and glowing cubes? This series showed me distant galaxies, time travel, and occasionally swirled into alternate dimensions. These books are immensely entertaining, and started my love affair with sci-fi.  

- Hatchet by Gary Paulsen: The ultimate "boy book," Hatchet follows a kid named Brian after he is the lone survivor of a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness. This book was read to me by my fifth grade teacher, and I can still vividly recall all the tense moments, all the taut action. It amped up my adrenaline and fueled my imagination. Plenty of sequels followed, and while they are all quite decent (especially Brian's Winter and The River), the original is pure, unadulterated awesomeness. What a great book.

- The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi: A swashbuckling tale of mutiny and murder, of high seas and high stakes. This was another book read aloud by my fifth grade teacher (as you can tell, she's easily one of my favorites), and she did a superb job acting it out: namely, the British accents, which ranged from cockney to RP. I've read this novel a few times, both as an adolescent and an adult, and it's still a vastly enjoyable read. An awesome cast of characters (including one of the best villains in children's literature...the best), a fabulous plot, and full of lovely little historical nuggets. What more can you ask for? Pick it up and be swept away.



Middle School (ages 10-13)

- The Giver by Lois Lowry: This was the first serious work of science fiction I'd ever read. When I first tackled it in the 6th grade, I hadn't a clue what I was truly dealing with. The themes of emotional and psychological repression escaped me, and the subtle moments of existential horror went way over my head. Instead, the book felt like a grand experiment. How long could the author hide what was truly going on? How creatively could she masquerade the inevitable? The Giver illustrates the beauty of writing and all its interlocking parts, from pacing to characterization to prose. As an eleven-year-old, it showed me how important creativity (and freedom) really is. It is a novel of the highest order.

- The Prehistory of The Far Side by Gary Larson: Hysterical, bizarre, and incredibly personal, this book is still one of my all-time favorites. Cartoonist Gary Larson takes his enormously successful comic strip The Far Side and presents it like a museum exhibit - starting with its humble origins, discussing its influence and design, and ending with a selection of his personal favorite strips. For me, this book was a teaching tool. It showed me the ins and outs of publication, with all the esoteric and obscure references still intact. Most importantly, though, this is just a really, really funny book. It helped shape my sense of humor, and therefore has helped mold who I am today.

- Monster by Walter Dean Meyers: As a twelve-year-old, I had no idea a novel could be anything more than just a novel. Thanks to Monster, I learned that literature could be tinkered with, could be built upon varying styles and contexts. Told from the point of view of a teen on trial for murder, the book bounces between a diary of his incarceration during the trial, and a screenplay that the main character is writing about the trial itself. Not only is this a riveting novel, but the contrasting styles result in a very unique reading experience. I absolutely adore this book. It's surprising, unexpected, and completely satisfying.

- Sphere by Michael Crichton: I read this novel in the 7th grade, and it catalyzed a 2-year obsession with Michael Crichton. Not a day went by that I wasn't reading Jurassic Park or Timeline or Congo - my head reeled with new ideas and possibilities. Although I've now gone about a decade without reading another Crichton novel, they are truly the foundations on which my current literary taste was built. Sphere is an overlooked sci-fi classic. Following a team of scientists as they investigate a crashed alien spacecraft at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, the book is a wonderful combination of high-concept thrills and intriguing characters. It's Crichton at his best, and it's a book I'll never forget.

- The Shining by Stephen King: If Sphere introduced me to "adult" fiction, then The Shining threw me in it head-first. I was thirteen when I gave this one a look, and it had quite the effect on me. I can recall reading this book in school, and literally gasping aloud in a silent classroom. All the other kids looked at me. I didn't care - Jack was terrorizing Wendy on the stairs, and I couldn't look away. I've never reread the book (which means it's been over ten years), but I can still remember plenty of moments: the creeping hedge animals, the cloying hand in the snow fort, Dick Hallorann's blood curdling temptation in the shed, and (of course) Jack and that murderous mallet ambling through the haunted corridors. While this isn't my favorite Stephen King novel (Hearts in Atlantis, 11/22/63, and The Dark Tower series spring to mind), it was certainly my first. It thrilled and terrified me.