I believe that there is an infinite amount of power held within the pages of a book. Every word, sentence, space or section has an irreplaceable meaning that the author purposely placed right where they did. There are just so many authors that I'd like to thank, and so many characters that I'd like to thank, because truthfully, books really have changed my life. And I mean books. Please read books. The ones with pages that you turn and a cover that is tangible. Don't completely destroy print; it is infinitely important.
Also, try and buy used books whenever you can. One of my favorite parts about reading a used book is seeing what other people underlined and what they left behind. I was recently reading "King Lear" for a class, and the last reader had left their bookmark in it that read, "10 ways to love and be loved." Now, how damn special is that? Right now, I'm reading "100 Years of Solitude" and the previous reader highlighted random words throughout the pages like tenacious and abundance. I don't know why, and I most likely never will, but it's beautiful.
It's nearly impossible to narrow down 5 books that changed my life, but I will try in no particular order.
The "Harry Potter" Series
"The Clan of the Cave Bear"
This book is pure literary genius. A story about a young girl, who from her description looks a lot like the people you see walking around on the streets today, gets thrown into a clan much different from her own. She must learn their language, which consists of mostly hand signals. The protagonist must also learn their customs, which promote the suppression of women. This younger girl is also tasked with learning about the medicinal powers of the world around her because the clan's medicine woman took her under her wing. The book is highly visual due to its lack of dialogue and has made me a better writer. Just a wonderful story about perseverance and how love is universal.
"The Things We Talk About When We Talk About Love"
What an amazing read! Carver's short stories, the inspiration for "Birdman," transport the reader through time and place to show us how relatively screwed up we all are. We're just all at different levels (of being screwed up). Whether the story takes place at someone's kitchen table or an airport, these stories are so amazing. Upon first glance, it may not all make sense; but, once you get to the end and you reflect on what you've read, you begin to understand how the stories are all connected. Carver gave me my appreciation for short stories.
"Written on the Body"
If there comes a day when I can write like Jeanette Winterson, then I will die a happy woman. Winterson's ability to write from a non-gender-specific narrator's point of view is astonishing. You don't know the gender of the narrator or their sexual orientation throughout the entire novel, and it's utterly spectacular. It's a story about love, the loss of love and the inability to hang on to love. Just read it.
"Stupid and Contagious"
I read this about book a decade ago, which is really scary that I can say that. Nonetheless, this novel has stuck with me all these years. I have never laughed out loud this hard at a book before. I was embarrassed to read it in public (over the course of the two-day span that it took me to read it) because I actually couldn't stop myself from laughing. It's a romantic comedy, a genre I tend to not read much of, but I insist that if you need a light, funny read that you read this book. I think if an author can do funny and do it well, it's damn important.
