My friend Lynsie posted on Facebook: “I was tagged by Mario
to list ten books I care about. I included some epic poems and essays, cause
I'm grown, and I do what I want. I tag Jane, Brittany, and Angel to tell me ten
books that changed you.”
I’m grown too, so I also choose poems and collections of
essays. And one play. And a textbook. And a business book. And a humor/religion
book. Cause I’m really rebellious like that. And when I started thinking about books that have changed
me, it brought so much to mind that I decided to answer here on this blog where
I have more room. Told you- rebellious.
1.
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
This book is the earliest novel I have clear memory of
reading and loving. And so I honor it for starting a life long love of books.
There are only two other novels on this list of 10. But
that’s not because I don’t love reading novels. I do. And I have loved too many
to really pick favorites. It would be like choosing favorite students. Well, to
be fair, we all choose favorite
students, but it isn’t polite to name them. So instead of favorites, I’ve
picked 3 that inspired me to read more.
And the first of those is Where the Red Fern Grows.
2.
A Summer to Die by Lois Lowry
I read this sad, sad book over and over as a pre-teen. And
every time I would cry and cry. I remember my mom asking, “Why do you keep
reading that book when it makes you cry like that?” And I would say
through tears, “because I love it.” And I really did.
And I continue to love books and movies that make me
cry. I prefer fiction that makes
me cry actually. Non-fiction, I want to make me laugh. But fiction, I’ll take
the cathartic experience of crying over a fictional character’s pain any day of
the week.
3. “Barbie Doll”
by Marge Piercy
Not sure if Mr. Geyer or Mrs. Farry at Whitehall-Yearling
High School introduced me to this poem. But they both introduced me to so many
things I am eternally grateful to them for, so I’ll just thank them both.
This poem absolutely changed me. It awoke a feminist
consciousness in me. Taught me the power of poetry. And introduced me to the
work of Marge Piercy. All three things I have drawn from in my life.
Ok this one I'm sure I read in Mrs. Farry's class. I chose it from a list for my senior project. And I loved everything about it. I loved the post-modern techniques in a novel from the 1600's. I loved the theme and the characters. I loved the original plot and all the variations in work inspired by it. It is not my favorite book of all time, but it is my favorite story of all time. To dream the impossible dream. And you know I live to charge windmills...
5. It was on fire when I lay down on it by Robert Fulghum
Like Marge Piercy, once I was introduced to Fulghum, I read everything he wrote. He's been like my personal adviser for living a good life. The title essay from this collection has always stayed with me as a cautionary tale. He tells the true anecdote of a fireman who asks someone how the fire started on the bed they were laying on. Answer- I don't know it was on fire when I lay down on it. Fulghum reminds us that before we get too smug, we should remember we all lay down in burning beds. "I knew he was trouble when I started dating him."
6. Language Files Fifth Edition Department of Linguistics/The Ohio State University
Ok, this book really did change my life. Literally. You need a little background to understand how. So when I was a freshman in college I took a sociology course. One day we read about a girl who had been locked in a closet for most of her childhood and the effects that had on her. One of course being a lack of language abilities. This got me thinking about how one could even think without language. I became slightly obsessed with this question for about a month. I would argue both sides with myself because my friends quickly tired of the debate. And I tried to find psychology or sociology books that would help answer my question. All without satisfaction. Some of the books would get close to the issues I was trying to examine, but none ever honed exactly in on what I wanted to know. So eventually I dropped it.
Fast forward a couple years and I was a junior in another college and an International Studies student. I decided to get a certificate to Teach English as a Second Language just as an add-on to my degree. My thinking was I could travel the world teaching English. The first required class was "Introduction to Linguistics." I had no idea really what linguistics was. I suspected it was like grammar.
I showed up the first day and opened my textbook. There was a heading in the table of contents- "Language and the Brain." It was like a light bulb went off over my head. I can still feel the joy of that discovery. Armed with the word linguistics, I immediately went to the Used Bookstore and bought like 10 books and read them all. Suddenly everything I had wanted to talk about years before was possible. I immediately changed my major to English with a concentration in TESOL so that I could take every class the University offered in Linguistics. And thus altered my life. As an English major I decided to apply for a job at the Writing Center. Where I met a physics student... But that's another story.
7. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare (allegedly)
Lynsie put books she likes teaching on her list, and that reminded me of my love of teaching Julius Caesar. I only taught American High School students for 2 years while Jason was in graduate school in Virginia. But the experience of teaching High School will change anyone! My sophomore students were required to read this play. And I was so thankful to be teaching great political speeches and intrigue and betrayal instead of Romeo and Juliet...
8. First Break All The Rules by Marcus Buckingham, Curt Coffman
This is the best management book I've ever read. And I've read a lot to be honest. More than necessary really. But more than a management book, this book is a philosophy for how to value and maximize the strengths of people in all areas of your life. And the Strengthfinders stuff to come out of this book is fantastic. I live my life by it.
9. Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs
Readers of my blog, and friends of mine offline know I adore AJ Jacobs. This book is why. It tackles serious issues with humor and heart. I read it at the exact moment in my life when I needed to hear the answers he found. I know I said I wasn't going to name favorite novels, but when asked what my favorite book is- this is always the answer I give.
10. “I Dwell in Possibility" by Emily Dickinson
This poem doesn't just speak to me. It speaks for me. Across time and space I found a kindred spirit.
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