Earlier today I was bored in an Intro to Film class and started browsing the internet on my Ipod. I stumbled across this gem on Mike Schramm's Blog . I found this to be an interesting read and even though it's almost a year old it made me want to try out the experiment on my own. So without further adieu here's ten influential books from my life. As a note these are just off the top of the head and won't cover everything important I've ever read.
1) The Animorphs Series by K.A. Applegate: I honestly can't think of any other book or series that's had near the impression this series did. The adventures of the Animorphs were the main reason I started to like sci-fi, which in turn brought me to the world of video games. These are obviously kids books, but I think they still hold up for adult readers. The humor and drama are top notch and I based my own brand of humor after the sarcastic wit that one of the characters, Marco, used. Not only that, but Marco's sage wisdom got me through my parents divorce. After his mother was "killed" his dad went into a state of depression and Marco was left to care for his dad and himself. When asked how he could keep laughing after the death of his mother Marco responded, "When something bad happens you can either sit around and mope about it or you can laugh your way through it." That probably quote probably isn't anywhere close to what it actually is, but the message is the same.
2) All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque: Before this book I'd never really read a book that was required in high school just because they usually couldn't hold my interest since all I read was sci-fi. This book changed my world and made me realize that I could branch out from my usual reads and pick up books from other genres. Not only that but it ignited my interest in books about war, which continues to be my second favorite genre to this day.
3) The Bible: Much like Schramm I would argue that this book has had an impact on everyone even if you're not religious. For someone who is fairly religious like myself this book has a major impact. Regardless of whether you believe or not this book teaches you the value of being a good person, which really is what everyone should be trying to do no matter what your religious preference.
4) Virtual War by Gloria Skurzynski: This is another book that's written for younger audiences, but has had a major impact on my life. This was my first book that was really about a post-apocalyptic world and when I look at my book shelf I notice that more than half of them share that. Even from an early age I could never get enough of seeing what would happen after the world ended so to speak. When I was looking up the author of this book I realized that this was actually a four part series and now I can't wait to pick up the other books, even if they were written for 12 year olds.
5) Choke by Chuck Palahniuk: The less popular, but much better Palahniuk book. Most people have read/seen his insanely popular Fight Club, but I will argue up and down the street that this one is better. Throughout the book one's jaw is sure to drop to the floor multiple times. It's simply one the most well-written books I've had the pleasure of reading. This book made me look at everything I believe in and reevaluate what I believed in. I'm not saying I lost all faith in the things I hold true, but it forces you to step back and examine your life. Sometimes you find good things and others your find bad, but no matter what it will make you think. Plus, it has my favorite quote ever: "The unreal is more powerful than the real. / Because nothing is as perfect as you can imagine it. / Because it's only intangible ideas, concepts, beliefs, fantasies that last. Stone crumbles. Wood rots. People, well, they die."
6) Bored of the Rings by The National Lampoon: I've always been very interested in film-making, but could never really come up with great ideas for movies. Then I read this book and my world changed. I realized that my sense of humor directly lended itself to making parodies of famous movies. Since that day my friends and I have made hour long productions of films like Harry Potter and the The Matrix. All of that work stems from this book and the movie Spaceballs. I'm sure there are better parodies out there, but as my first this one has been the precursor to my many film-making projects.
7) The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling: Many of these books seem to come from my childhood, but considering that I'm only 22 it could be because that's where the majority of my life was spent so far. The first book came out when I was eleven, the same age as Harry in the books. From then on I was hooked, I never missed a mid-night release and usually would get the book and then not sleep until I had finished the whole thing. I can't think of any other book that I was quite as obsessed with than this one. The character of Ron holds a special place in my heart because, along with Marco from Animorphs, he helped to shape my personality in those crucial teen years.
8) The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks: Let's be honest here, if you've read this book you're going to make it through the zombie apocalypse if you haven't...well then I guess one of us will blow your brains on the pavement. Seriously though this book was what started the modern zombie craze and I pride myself on reading it before the phase hit. If that makes me a hipster so be it, I'll just take solace in the fact that I knew what the most effective zombie killer was before it was cool.
9) Vertical Run by Joesph Garber: It wouldn't surprise me to hear that not many people have heard of this book. It's basically about a guy who has a team of killers chasing him through his 30ish story New York office. Its the most pulse-pounding, visceral story I've ever read. The reason it makes this list is because it's the one book I sit down and read at least once per year. Most of the books in my library have more than one read, but none have upwards of twenty.
10) Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls: Being from Oklahoma I feel like I pretty much have to include this book on a list of books that have impacted me. That's not the only reason though, no other book has ever made me cry, something this one has managed to do more than once. The story about a boy and his two dogs is touching and has given me a life-long love for man's best friend. If your heart doesn't move while reading this book it must not be there because this is more heart-warming tale than anything else I've ever read.
This list got a little difficult after five or six (except for ten because I knew I wanted to end with that one) because it was hard to decide between some other books. Some other books that came to mind were: Orcs, The Godfather, Lord of the Rings, and A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. I'm sure those aren't the only ones I missed, but that's all for now. See ya later, some time, same place.
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