Scribbles & Munch

      Camela keeps tagging me with these great writer's prompts, so how could I resist? This one's pretty straight forward: list ten books I've read in my life that really stuck with me, and say why.

1) Holes - Louis Sachar

What is it about children's books that they can somehow get away with things adult fiction really can't? Perhaps it's the permission to write simply--it paradoxically allows some of the greatest complexity of expression. I loved this book from the moment I started reading it, because of its social messages, its startling accurate depiction of at-risk juvenile interaction, and its true character psychology. Plus it's FUN!

2) Dreams Underfoot - Charles DeLint

This was the first urban fantasy I'd ever read, and also the first collection of short stories I'd ever read outside of a school assignment. I love DeLint's imagination, and I love how well he writes female protagonists, a gift that has stayed with him through every written piece.

3) Zen Flesh, Zen Bones - compiled by Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki

Previous to this book, I had only ever read about Zen Buddhism from an academic perspective. These little stories actually gave me a feeling for what Zen belief is about. I still flip it open from time to time when I want to feel grounded and clear.

4) The Last Samurai - Helen DeWitt

THIS BOOK HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE TOM CRUISE MOVIE!!!! Like, nothing to do with that movie! It's about a genius child being raised by a single mom in contemporary Great Britain, and it's brilliant. When I think of a truly great contemporary novel, that's the one I think of.

5) The Sandman Series - Neil Gaiman

If you've read them, you know why. If you haven't, I won't ruin it for you by trying to explain. Just go read them.

6) Complications - Atul Gawande

I've read a lot of good non-fiction over the years, including all of Gawande's books, but this one was my favorite because of the author's vulnerability. This physician did such a remarkable job of laying bare the truth - including both his talents and his mistakes - and in doing so, showed how honesty and sincerity can turn weakness into a strength. It gave me new insight and increased respect for the medical profession.

7) The Darkangel - Meredith Ann Pierce

This is a YA novel which I read, appropriately, in middle school. I was an avid reader of fantasy fiction at the time and the creativity of this book floored me. I later learned that it was inspired by a transcript of a dream disclosed by a woman undergoing Jungian psychoanalysis, and now that I've had plenty of psychology training I get even more out of it. It was the first book of a trilogy, and I was furious with how it ended, so even though I own books 1 & 2, I have never yet re-read the final book. I'm kind of nervous about re-reading it now--I wonder if it will still piss me off so much?

8) PostSecret - Frank Warren

PostSecret is an on-going online community art project, organized by its founder, Frank Warren, inspired by the AA truism: You're only as sick as your secrets. So Warren invited people to creatively put their secrets on an anonymous postcard and mail them to him. This book was the first collection of postcards that he published. It's amazing to me how close I feel to these complete strangers, just seeing these random snippets of humanity.

9) Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier

The original mind-bender suspense story. Forget "Memento," forget "The Sixth Sense," this is the brilliant one. I think I just decided to re-read it this October.

10) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling

Oh yeah, I went there. Sure, I could have finished this list with Jane Eyre (still one of my all-time favorites) or Illusions: Tales of a Reluctant Messiah (which had a profound impact on my life), but if I'm being honest, it's gotta be Harry. My brother gave me that book as a Christmas present when I was in college, and I could NOT put it down. I stayed up nearly all night in my grandparents guest bedroom, every cell in my body filled with delight. When I finished it less then 48 hours after receiving it, I went with my Dad to the bookstore and gleefully purchased the two sequels with the gift card in my stocking. Aside from the marvelousness which is Sorcerer's Stone, I also associate the book with several cherished memories: my grandparents and my dad (who have passed on), my brother, Christmases with my extended family, the smell of that guest bedroom, the freedom of that age in my life. For all of those reasons combined, that book will forever hold a particularly special place in my heart and soul.