15 Books in 15 Minutes

15 Books in 15 Minutes

You have fifteen minutes to list the top fifteen books that have influenced you as a person.

I admit-I used more than 15 minutes. The first 10 came easily to mind, but then...these are books that have been with me for a LONG time, I was concentrating on the influencing part. I'm not sure if these influenced me as a person as much as me as a reader, and thinker.

1. OK, I don't know the title or author of this first book-but I still think about it. I checked it out from the school library of St. John the Baptist school where I attended from kindergarden through 4th grade. The book was a large picture book, mainly brown in color and had to do with a dragon. I really wish I knew the name!
2. The Secret World of Og by Pierre Berton
3. Half Magic by Edward Eager I adored all of his magic books, this one was the first.
4. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg Who wouldn't want to live in a museum?
5. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (the whole series about the Murry and O'Keefe families, this is the first.)
6. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
7. The Last Temptation of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis
8. In Dubious Battle by John Steinbeck ( I love all of Steinbeck-but this is one of my favorites-try To a God Unknown and Cannery Row if all you've read is the Grapes of Wrath-which is probably my least favorite.)
9. Madame de Sade by Yukio Mishima OK, it's a play-but it's the work that introduced me to this brilliant writer. His many novels are wonderful, but I really like this play as well as his Noh plays.
10. Earthbound by Rebecca Flanders My first paranormal romance.
11. The 3 Investigators Mystery series, created by Robert Arthur Jr. It started as Alfred Hitchcock Presents the 3 investigators and Arthur wrote the first of the books...the series continued even after Hitchcock's death. This series, along with The Hardy Boys, probably instilled my love of mysteries-especially those with comedy and a touch of the supernatural!
12. The Circle of Light series by Niel Hancock-Greyfox Grimwald is the first. Talking animals, fantasy adventure.
13. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams..and the rest of the "trilogy".
14. Polish American Folk Tales collected by Catherine Harris Ainsworth. Honoring my heritage as well as paranormal study!
15. Redwall By Brian Jacques. The whole Redwall series. I'll never forget Jacques' advice to writers-"paint a picture with words". I hope my writing can do that!

OK-what are your 15?