memes, books, and ponderings
Mar. 13th, 2008 11:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowedge613I procrastinated for a good long while on this meme, despite the fact that I love books. Or perhaps because I love books, since I have so many that are important, picking out a few seemed a task too daunting by half. But here we are, after much time:
So, what books have changed your life? Shifted your paradigm? Turned your world and perceptions upside down? They don't have to be "significant" books to anyone but you. They can be fiction, they can be non-fiction, they can be graphic novels.
What are the 10 (or so) books that changed YOUR life? And, if you would like to, and can, share how each changed your life.
"The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" by Robert Heinlein -- shaped me into the polyamourist I am today. Not that I thought so when I read it at the tender age of 9 or so. Rather, I read it, and the insidious idea that loving only one person for ever and ever was, shall we say, horse monkey, worked its way into my skull. It eventually found a happy home in my world view and practice, with some help from Pairadox.
"Moretta: Dragon Lady of Pern" by Anne McCaffery -- After a steady diet of Nancy Drew and "The Secret Garden" like books, I found this book in the children's section( goodness only knows why) at the public library. I devoured it in an evening, and sobbed at the end. But I had found a female heroine, who did heroic things, had responsibilities, respect, a sex life, and well... not a happy ending. But here was a woman who went out and did things. Real things that mattered, and was nothing but herself. This lead me to a great deal of McCaffery, which shaped my life in interesting ways, I'm sure. For one thing, I still want a fire lizard.
"Wyrd Sisters" by Terry Pratchett -- this was handed to me by my 6th grade teacher at a rummage sale, with the recommendation of: "The rest of these books are not very good. But you will like this one." She was right. A fascination with Pratchett, footnotes, and "the Scottish play" followed in short order. Later, Pratchett also game me: my theory on how gods and belief work (Small Gods), a temporal theory (Thief of Time), and a great respect for tyrants.
"Monsters of Mythology" series by Bernard Evslin -- Taught me most of the mythology that I know. I was forbidden from the fiction section, after a series of parent teacher conferences about my habit of ignoring class to read my book. But mythology is technically non-fiction... Also: illustrated by classical works of art. Mythology and art, all at the same time.
I'm going to have to come back to add more at a later time: the hour grows late, and my head is tired.
So, what books have changed your life? Shifted your paradigm? Turned your world and perceptions upside down? They don't have to be "significant" books to anyone but you. They can be fiction, they can be non-fiction, they can be graphic novels.
What are the 10 (or so) books that changed YOUR life? And, if you would like to, and can, share how each changed your life.
"The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" by Robert Heinlein -- shaped me into the polyamourist I am today. Not that I thought so when I read it at the tender age of 9 or so. Rather, I read it, and the insidious idea that loving only one person for ever and ever was, shall we say, horse monkey, worked its way into my skull. It eventually found a happy home in my world view and practice, with some help from Pairadox.
"Moretta: Dragon Lady of Pern" by Anne McCaffery -- After a steady diet of Nancy Drew and "The Secret Garden" like books, I found this book in the children's section( goodness only knows why) at the public library. I devoured it in an evening, and sobbed at the end. But I had found a female heroine, who did heroic things, had responsibilities, respect, a sex life, and well... not a happy ending. But here was a woman who went out and did things. Real things that mattered, and was nothing but herself. This lead me to a great deal of McCaffery, which shaped my life in interesting ways, I'm sure. For one thing, I still want a fire lizard.
"Wyrd Sisters" by Terry Pratchett -- this was handed to me by my 6th grade teacher at a rummage sale, with the recommendation of: "The rest of these books are not very good. But you will like this one." She was right. A fascination with Pratchett, footnotes, and "the Scottish play" followed in short order. Later, Pratchett also game me: my theory on how gods and belief work (Small Gods), a temporal theory (Thief of Time), and a great respect for tyrants.
"Monsters of Mythology" series by Bernard Evslin -- Taught me most of the mythology that I know. I was forbidden from the fiction section, after a series of parent teacher conferences about my habit of ignoring class to read my book. But mythology is technically non-fiction... Also: illustrated by classical works of art. Mythology and art, all at the same time.
I'm going to have to come back to add more at a later time: the hour grows late, and my head is tired.
