Books that change you
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The Executioner's Song helped forge my view/stance on the death penalty.<br><br>
The Metamorphosis described the way I was feeling at the time I read it. In that way it brought me comfort.<br><br>
The Road touched my heart and disturbed my soul but I'm not sure it changed my life. I suppose it did teach me to appreciate the relationships which help define who I am.
The Metamorphosis described the way I was feeling at the time I read it. In that way it brought me comfort.<br><br>
The Road touched my heart and disturbed my soul but I'm not sure it changed my life. I suppose it did teach me to appreciate the relationships which help define who I am.
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This book made me so angry, I threw it hard against the wall and have pretty much avoided fiction ever since. It's very good. It doesn't give you the ending you want, which I admire. I just hated how hopeless it made me feel:<br><br><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/55/A_Fine_Balance.jpg/200px-A_Fine_Balance.jpg" style="border:0px solid;"><br><br>
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These three short stories changed me...deepened my faith, or perhaps hunger and thirst for God:<br><br><img alt="" src="http://www.mercuryhouse.org/images/thirst.jpg" style="border:0px solid;">
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These three short stories changed me...deepened my faith, or perhaps hunger and thirst for God:<br><br><img alt="" src="http://www.mercuryhouse.org/images/thirst.jpg" style="border:0px solid;">
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<span style="text-decoration:underline;">The Eden Express</span> by Mark Vonnegut, I've reread it many times and passed it to many friends and family. It's a really interesting look into the mind.
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hmmm. That is an interesting one.<br><br>
In highschool there were a handful of books that i was, for a lack of a better word, obsessed with. Some of them are pretty obvious ones, like <b>Catcher in the Rye</b>, but there were a few others that i think were crucial to my high school experience and coming of age.<br><br>
The first would be <b>Bret Easton Ellis</b> and my obsession with him and his books. This obsession made me almost want to go to Bennington and follow in his footsteps, but i digress.<br><b>American Psycho, Rules of Attraction, Less than Zero, The Informers</b><br><br>
Then the other obvious-- <b>The Bell Jar</b> <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"> as well as her complete works and many biographies i read on her.<br><br><b>Ethan Frome</b> is another book that i was enthralled by and reread many, many times.<br><br>
As an adult, a few books have had a strong effect on my life.<br><br><b>The Food Revolution</b> is one. It really put a lot of evidence and research behind how i had been living my life since a young teenager.<br><br><b>To The Edge</b>, this book i have read many, many times. It is written by <b>Kirk Johnson</b>, who is a NY Times journalist who reported on the Badwater 135 mile race. His book chronicles his journey from non-runner and reporter, to Badwater runner and finisher (in like a year!!) it is an amazing and inspiring journey and every time i read it, i feel like i get a step closer to my goal of running and completing that race.<br><br>
The <b>Lonesome Dove</b> series, which included a prequel as well. That series, as well as "the <b>Last Picture Show</b>" series, both by <b>Larry McMurtry</b>, were just incredible journeys for me. In both series, it follows the lives of people all the way into their older age and to death. As someone in their mid-20s when reading those series, they were really enlightening to me.
In highschool there were a handful of books that i was, for a lack of a better word, obsessed with. Some of them are pretty obvious ones, like <b>Catcher in the Rye</b>, but there were a few others that i think were crucial to my high school experience and coming of age.<br><br>
The first would be <b>Bret Easton Ellis</b> and my obsession with him and his books. This obsession made me almost want to go to Bennington and follow in his footsteps, but i digress.<br><b>American Psycho, Rules of Attraction, Less than Zero, The Informers</b><br><br>
Then the other obvious-- <b>The Bell Jar</b> <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"> as well as her complete works and many biographies i read on her.<br><br><b>Ethan Frome</b> is another book that i was enthralled by and reread many, many times.<br><br>
As an adult, a few books have had a strong effect on my life.<br><br><b>The Food Revolution</b> is one. It really put a lot of evidence and research behind how i had been living my life since a young teenager.<br><br><b>To The Edge</b>, this book i have read many, many times. It is written by <b>Kirk Johnson</b>, who is a NY Times journalist who reported on the Badwater 135 mile race. His book chronicles his journey from non-runner and reporter, to Badwater runner and finisher (in like a year!!) it is an amazing and inspiring journey and every time i read it, i feel like i get a step closer to my goal of running and completing that race.<br><br>
The <b>Lonesome Dove</b> series, which included a prequel as well. That series, as well as "the <b>Last Picture Show</b>" series, both by <b>Larry McMurtry</b>, were just incredible journeys for me. In both series, it follows the lives of people all the way into their older age and to death. As someone in their mid-20s when reading those series, they were really enlightening to me.
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On the Road...I first read it about 40 years ago and every few months I pick it up and read a bit. Makes me want to pull the Porsche out of storage and head for California.<br><br>
Like Meri I found To The Edge to be inspiring. Unlike her, it inspired me never to even think about an ultra, let alone Badwater. I did, however, go to Death Valley and run the Death Valley Marathon as a result of the book. That was ample for me, thank you very much.
Like Meri I found To The Edge to be inspiring. Unlike her, it inspired me never to even think about an ultra, let alone Badwater. I did, however, go to Death Valley and run the Death Valley Marathon as a result of the book. That was ample for me, thank you very much.
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The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy<br><br>
Carlos Castaneda's works<br><br>
Both have greatly influenced how I accept/reject the things around me.
Carlos Castaneda's works<br><br>
Both have greatly influenced how I accept/reject the things around me.
"The Once and Future King" gave me all sorts of lenses through which to view the world when I read it as a young girl.<br>
"Cider House Rules" made me think very hard about abortion -- not the right for women to choose it, just the process itself.<br>
"The Omnivore's Dilemma" made me take a hard look at some of the foods we eat.
"Cider House Rules" made me think very hard about abortion -- not the right for women to choose it, just the process itself.<br>
"The Omnivore's Dilemma" made me take a hard look at some of the foods we eat.
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"Animal Farm" and "1984" made quite an impact on me in high school. i often go back re-read them just to recapture those moments when I saw through the story to the dark underbelly of the time it was written.<br><br>
"To Kill a mockingbird" is one of my all time favorites.<br><br>
"The celestine prophecy" was an important book during my college years...it was a source of mny enlighting discussions among my friends, which led to a greater understanding of eachother and our spirits.
"To Kill a mockingbird" is one of my all time favorites.<br><br>
"The celestine prophecy" was an important book during my college years...it was a source of mny enlighting discussions among my friends, which led to a greater understanding of eachother and our spirits.
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