What were the books most influential on your reading interests?

Question

What were the books most influential on your reading interests?

Answer 1

Roald Dahl books completely captured my imagination from the age of about 5 or 6 when we were read the BFG at school. I devoured all of his book and read them all over and over again. I enjoyed the Worst Witch books too, and the Demon Headmaster.



Tyke Tyler was another book we did at school and it was brilliant. I am thinking of getting it for my nearly 8 year-old daughter actually as she can read very well but doesn't have the enthusiasm for it yet, and I think she may enjoy that one.

Answer 2

Lol I had to do Hard Times for 'A' level....Thomas feckin Gradgrind!!!!!



The very very first thing I loved to read was the Whizzer and Chips comic. I think it got absorbed into the Beano/Dandy eventually. I used to get 50p pocket money I would go the shop and buy that comic and a pack of Galaxy Counters.( buttons basically)



I grew up 30 steps ( I know I counted them ) from a library. The staff knew me and would save books for me. Mrs Fitton was the librarian and she introduced me to Dodie Smith. 101 Dalmatians, twilight Barking and later I capture the castle.



I've always read anything and everything. I even read my Nans Mills and Boons when I was a kid and Catherine Cookson ;-)



If I had to choose just one truly influential book it would be Precious Bane By Mary Webb. No book has ever affected me so emotionally as that one. It is basically just a plain old girl meets boy but the character of Prudence Sarn the heroine with a hare lip is so real to me that I used to think " what would Prue do?" if I faced an adversity. Sad I know :-)



Loved Skidoo's answer. yay moomins :-)))))) I love the sound of that Tyke Tyler as well Om :-)



Skidoo- I nearly put When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit too!!!! Btw how much do you want o go out to a cafe and eat sausage,chips and ice cream when reading the Tiger Who Came to tea?

Answer 3

Green Mansions-W.H.Hudson

Catcher In The Rye-J.D.Salinger

Answer 4

The most influential book in my life has been The Outsider by Albert Camus. That book affected my quite deeply, i was just in awe of the way it made me feel. It opened up my eyes to new worlds and beliefs. And helped me work out my own beliefs.

And, it made me passionate about literature again. It had been a while since i had loved books but The Outsider lead me to read so many new things and develop a deep love of Philosophy.

Answer 5

The first book I reeeeally loved was A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I read it again about 20 yrs later and still found it great. Someday day I'll read it again.



The second best book of my childhood is another classic: Daddy-long-legs by Jean Webster.



I remember the first summer I spent reading these, the revelation of how engrossing and intriguing reading can be. And I can still remember pondering over the picture of the snake who had eaten an elephant in The Little Prince!

Answer 6

One of the first books I read was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl and I thought it was brilliant. When I told my teacher, she encouraged me to read other novels. And so I did and I built up my reading skills and vocabulary. I then moved onto more complex books such as Harry Potter and The Hobbit/LOTR. Then I started reading adult novels when I was 12, like The Da Vinci Code, Dickens and Dostoyevsky (I struggled a little with these but still loved them) and Animal Farm. Now, 17 years old, I'm addicted to crime/thrillers and horror books; my favourite authors are Michael Connelly and Stephen King. I have a vast collection of books. And it's all thanks to Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. Thank you Mr. Dahl.



:)

Answer 7

i find your question and your observations very interesting. as a young girl, i read a lot of fairytales. i was very fond of comic books and read everything - superheroes, archie and friends , mythology , history etc. i had benefitted so much from reading history as a kid in illustrated form, i never had to study for history in high school. i was also very fond of enid blyton and read everything she wrote. the st. clare series and the five find-outers series were my favourites. however, the book that really molded me and changed my life was little women, which i read when i was 10. i read it, loved it and i decided to be like Jo. i have been a tomboy since then and it was then that i decided i am going to be a writer. i am still an aspirant, but i don't think ill ever give up.



in later years quite a few books have influenced me. as an english literature student i also have been exposed to a lot. a book that had a huge impact on me is the outsider by albert camus. i have come across a lot of other good books besides but that one in particular really left a deep impression on me.

Answer 8

I read, and still have, the Enid Blyton books. They really got my interest going with nature and stuff.



I also tried to read Lord of the Rings a few times but couldnt really get into it until I was in my teens.

Answer 9

As I was growing up I read all the Series of Unfortunate Events books, by Lemony Snicket. They really encouraged me to read more, as when I was little I was never really into reading much, that was my brother's thing. Nowadays I read much more, and I enjoy it most of the time. I recently read Catcher in the Rye, which I thoroughly recommend to those who haven't read it, and also The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak. That is probably the best book I ever read. It's about a little Jewish girl in the second world war. I can tell you now that you won't shut that book without tears coming out of your eyes.



But, there are books I hate. Especially the ones I am forced into reading. For English I have to read "The Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens...*YAWN*



Edit: Why do we even have to read Dickens? I mean, it's not like his books are amazing and after the first page you say *WOW!!!!*. And half the words are incomprehensible anyway!

Answer 10

When I was younger I read alot of Enid Blyton.

But I remember reading a book called Dreamrider and it was so sad, a few months ago I read Before I Die, which was so sad also, I cried throughtout the book.



I am 16.

Answer 11

What a great question!



After a rocky start, I've always been a voracious reader with wide ranging tastes. I remember reading Tove Jansen and John Steinbeck with equal fascination the summer before I was 9 and later loved John Wyndham's thought provoking novels and stories. As well as 'The Day of the Triffids' and 'The Midwich Cuckoos' I remember a short story about a passenger space flight that goes wrong leaving the occupants with no option but to eat each other to survive. One passenger is a pregnant woman who claims 2 tickets in the 'lottery'; she and her baby are the only ones found alive months later...



I also loved Alan Garner, Ursula Le Guin and Robert C O'Brien.



Thanks for the reminder; I'm going to get some of these for my step-kids this christmas!



EDIT - Helena - my step-son took a long time to learn to read and was very resistant. Then, one day, he picked up the first Lemony Snickett book and just didn't put it down. He read the first 6 or 7 books before branching out to other books. I, however, was hooked and was reading the 13th while in hospital before and after the birth of my baby!



EDIT - was just reading about the 40th anniversary of 'The Tiger who Came to Tea' - the author also wrote 'When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit' an absolutely fantastic novel I wept over as a child. Even now I get emotional thinking about it.



Haz - Great answer! I'd forgotten about '101 Dalmations' and 'I Capture the Castle' - great books. Apart from the adventure I remember being fascinated by the idea of the dog of dogs who appears to all dogs as their own breed. Interesting thought. No-one else remembers that bit though, so maybe I should re-read it just to check I didn't make it up!



And, yeah, I do get a yen for sausage and chips and ice-cream when I read 'The Tiger..' to my little one ;o)



Aurora - I remember being very excited by the idea of 'Black Beauty', but it do go on a bit ;o)

Answer 12

I wouldn't say "changed my life" but I got a wonderful jolt from it: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Not only Wilde an entertaining and incredibly witty writer, he is vastly intelligent and has created a collaboration of outrageous characters who have fairly radical outlooks on life. Amongst others it explores the themes of corruption, influence and youth centered around the lifes of Lord Henry, Dorian and Basil. Basil who is a celebrated current artist, meets Dorian Gray the most beautiful, innocence creature ever beheld. He asks the boy to stand for a painting and using his fascination and utter adoration of the young Dorian paints his portrait. Lord Henry, Basil's friend, persuades the painter to introduce the two. Lord Henry (my personal favourite) is utterly immoral but in a completely charming manner, he speaks constantly in epigrams and paradoxes and is v. amusing, but has questionable motives when he takes on Dorian as a "project" corrupting the boy with his views on life and the social scale. Clever, funny, and tragic - this book is really brilliant. --- For something lighter: Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman A book written for teens, about a society where Black (Crosses)people are superior and Whites (Noughts) are inferior. In the time setting, equality is being laid down in law but there is still much racism very much like the reverse 1960's America and England (? - ugh my history is terrible). Sephy, a black girl and Callum, a white boy are friends and it follows their friendship which blossoms into a Romeo and Juliet romance. It's a great deal more complicated but it's beautiful, insightful and deeply moving. Not just for teenagers but for adults too, the subject is touching and painfully realistic. 10/10 defs, (the sequels personally were a mistake) hope those help - an Eng Lit student.

Answer 13

I remember my very first book. It was about Old Lob who was a farmer. He had a dog called Mr Dan!! This was the book I learned to read with. I was only 4 and since then I have been totally hooked, so I guess that was the most influential book I ever read.



One that I simply hated, and I know I'll get TDs for this was Black Beauty. we had it a a class reader, you know when each pupil has to read a section out loud. it went on forever!!!!! I have never been into horses, and I blame Annna Sewell for that. LOL



EDIT.



Further to Haz and her comics. My mum bought me Mickey Mouse comic when I was little. I could only look at the pictures though as this was before I could read. I loved it, it was all in colour. Next week she bought it for me again, and I cried, because to me, it was just exactly the same as the one I had the week before!!!



Ah, you are bringing back all my childhood memories. : - D



EDIT2



OMG, Reading all these answers, I think we should form the Yahoo Readers Group. We could all just bring our books, chuck them onto the table and then each dive in.

I have loads of books that I would love to share and pass around to all the others on this Q. lol xx



Cakeface. I too love Paullina Simons. The Girl in Times Square is so very, very fantastic!!! And I have The Summer Garden. As yet unread.

Answer 14

Some book series would be great. Babysitters Club, Sweet Valley High or Goosebumps.

Answer 15

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons.

That was AMAZING and my most favourite book.

I think after I read that, I kind of realised that I like historical fiction books like the Other Boleyn Girl etc.

Answer 16

The Magic Tree House books definitely shaped my interest. I wrote tons of fanfiction on those books when I was eight.

Answer 17

All the C.S Lewis books and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.