+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 35

Thread: Books that have influenced your life?

  1. #1
    Prolific Writer C.Gholy is on a distinguished road C.Gholy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    England
    Posts
    389

    Books that have influenced your life?

    So as he title goes, any books that have influenced something in your life like a lesson, an act, or something you've learned from a book.

    I will always remember in my first year at school our English teacher, who was also a drama teacher read us a book called the Flour babies. After reading the book, she set us a task to look after an egg and treat it like a baby for two weeks. The whole in fact was based on that book by Anne Fine.

    I do remember it was pretty funny to read. Hey the memories, it was so funny, most of us already had our egg broken the first day.
    "I am temperamental and I have imperfections and I am emotional I am unpredictable I am naked I am vulnerable I am a woman I am opening up to you"- Christina Aguilera

  2. #2
    Scribe Yustynn is on a distinguished road
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    52
    Well the Twilight series really influenced me. I guess just 'cause I keep thinking about it. It's so epic.

    I had a talk on the 8 habits of highly effective people during this school leadership training camp last month. Don't know if that counts as reading the book, but it's really affected me.

  3. #3
    Prolific Writer Tom88 is on a distinguished road Tom88's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Gold Coast, Australia
    Posts
    405
    On The Road by Kerouac.
    It showed me that there is a real romantic quality in the life of a vagabond, and that living outside of conventions can be ruthlessly exciting. Now whenever I come across one of society's expectations I ask myself why it exists, and what would happen if I chose to disregard it. There's some great power in this.

    And also....

    Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis, of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
    Whether you enjoy their music or not (I do!) I think it's a great read. A real insight into a troubled-mind who wants to be good, but keeps falling short. It's witty, entertaining, moving, and a great insight into the band's history (though the key moments are Anthony's relationships).
    That's sorta reading like a book review, but it was a huge influence because it was the first book I read that was brilliantly true-to-life witty. It showed me that writing could be cool, and that there was a market for the compounded thoughts of a witty thinker.

  4. #4
    Banned Dr. Malone will become famous soon enough
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    9,607
    The Stranger

  5. #5
    Official Curmudgeon The Backward OX will become famous soon enough The Backward OX's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Out in the bush, Queensland, Australia, far from the madding crowd
    Posts
    10,396
    The Joy Of Sex ~ Alex Comfort
    Last edited by The Backward OX; 11-14-2008 at 03:26 AM.
    Originally Posted by ppsage
    I have for a while suspected you of a conscious tendency to ribaldry

  6. #6
    Best Seller Gabriel Gray is on a distinguished road Gabriel Gray's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    624
    As painful at times it was to read; The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (first 11 and prequel anyway).

    Mainly because i have such an epic idea which i can't just put down in one or two books, I relate to Jordan who has done something i can only dream of (putting his ideas down on paper for one and being sucessful for the second).
    Something i've been working on for a while now, it has a slow start but please read it and comment - It would mean a lot to me

    http://www.writingforums.com/fiction...ml#post1211308

  7. #7
    Banned Dr. Malone will become famous soon enough
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    9,607
    I love the Wheel of Time. Only books in that genre worth reading.

  8. #8
    Wordsmith Mike C will become famous soon enough Mike C's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    South-east UK
    Posts
    6,543
    Lord of the Rings, twice. The first time when I was about 13 and read it for the first time, and thought it was the world's greatest story. The second time, a few years later, when I realised it was actually quite tedious in places, was really just a handful of set pieces tied together with string and had all the emotional depth of a wet towel.

  9. #9
    Ink Slinger seigfried007 is on a distinguished road seigfried007's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Indianapolis, IN
    Posts
    2,986
    Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. Got me turned on to redheaded guys the summer after I turned 15. That winter--scant days after I turned 16--I met a fabulous redhead who I married three years later.
    "Art=Life+Bullshit."
    --Chris Miller

    "Ammonia will disinfect sin."
    --adrianhayter

  10. #10
    Global Moderator
    Hawke is on a distinguished road Hawke's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    In front of the keyboard
    Posts
    6,031
    John Saul's Hellfire. I can't remember why, but it inspired me to write. I'm still not sure if I should bronze it or curse it.
    "Shut up and write something."~A very wise writer.
    Hawke's View
    Your Inside Look At An Online Magazine - Inside Oddville
    Click And Submit:

    "Promoting today's geniuses and tomorrow's giants."

  11. #11
    Banned Dr. Malone will become famous soon enough
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    9,607
    I should add all the books by Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume because they really made me love literature when I was little.
    Last edited by Dr. Malone; 11-15-2008 at 08:48 AM.

  12. #12
    Wordsmith moderan is on a distinguished road moderan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Tucson
    Posts
    5,850
    Blog Entries
    8
    Well, if I narrow it down to books that have influenced my writing life I'd have to cite Dr. Seuss and HP Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury and Donald Sobol, for those were the first authors who spurred me to pen things in imitation. That would be The Lorax, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, Dandelion Wine, and the Encyclopedia Brown stories.
    For life in general, I'd have to say the Books of Knowledge and the Grolier Encyclopaedia, which were kept in my room from the time I was four or so, along with a copy of the OED. Those things likely go hand-in-hand.



    ModSpace | Fallen Earring | Scriveners | ModFace
    From the moment I picked your book up until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Someday I intend reading it.
    Groucho Marx


  13. #13
    Writing Machine SevenWritez is on a distinguished road
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    1,737
    The Fountainhead
    The Catcher in the Rye
    Cloud Atlas
    Number9Dream
    Ask The Dust
    The Kite Runner
    Look Homeward, Angel
    For Whom The Bell Tolls
    The Great Gatsby
    The Beach
    The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
    The Things They Carried

    Those are the books that have made me stop, think and consider. They were all fun reads as well.

  14. #14
    Scribe ThePinkBookworm is on a distinguished road ThePinkBookworm's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    In the middle of nowhere, USA
    Posts
    77
    Unseen Hand By A. Ralph Emperson.
    Teenager Liberation Handbook By Grave Llewellyn.
    The Shack By William P. Young

    An odd variety, but have all effected me in some way: Unseen Hand by teaching me about conspiracies, the Handbook by showing me that I have been unschooling all along and The Shack by showing me how great a relationship that I can have with God.

    Just my thoughts

    "I live in my own little world. But that's okay, everyone knows me here." Steph

  15. #15
    Ink Slinger ash somers is on a distinguished road
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    2,498
    memoirs of a geisha came to me
    at a pinnacle moment in my life
    i so love that story *nod nod*

+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

     

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts