I’ve always loved reading, and loved the power of a good story. My grandmother used to tell me stories to my heart’s content. She used to tell me the story of “Snow White and Rose Red,” which was different from the Grimm’s Fairy Tale version. My parents read Cinderella to me more times than they care to remember. There are some stories and some books that stick with you forever, and here are mine.
1. Orange Oliver, The Kitten Who Wore Glasses, by Robert Lasson- I remember this book appealed to me because Orange Oliver couldn’t see anything, and others made fun of him just for that. I always championed the underdog… cat… 🙂
2. The One in The Middle is the Green Kangaroo, by Judy Blume- I only remember this one because it was the last “kid’s” book I read. I was home sick from school, and my mom brought it home for me. When I got through it in pretty much no time at all, my mom told me that she wasn’t buying me any more kid’s books. It was adult books from there on out. Which brings me to…
3. Watchers, by Dean Koontz- My favorite Koontz book and ironically the first one I ever read. I picked it because it had a picture of a dog on the front, but I was hooked. This book is probably the reason I fell in love so much with horror and suspense. After Koontz, I started reading Stephen King and John Saul.
4. Watership Down by Richard Adams- I was on the waiting list for a book in 6th grade, and I really don’t remember what the book was about. The librarian handed me this book instead and thought I might like it, even though she thought it might be a little big for me. It wasn’t.
5. Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K Hamilton- A friend of mine bought me this book, and then I never read it. Years later, I picked it up at a flea market (not realizing I already owned it) and loved it. This is the book that introduced me to the alternate universe idea, because in her universe, vampires and shapeshifters are just part of every day life. No explanation. It’s just business as usual. At the time I read this, it was a revolutionary idea for me.
I’m sure there are more I’m not thinking about, but these were the 5 off the top of my head. What books most influenced you?
Doree Weller 