Today's question.

[jessipsaloquitur]

Thank you all for the responses to the last question. I tend to agree with most, if not all, the comments.

Today's question: What is the first book you remember reading? What is the one book that's impacted you most? What are some of your all-time favorite books?

Yes, I know that's several questions. Deal.

Comments

[chryssaliss.livejournal.com]

The first book I remember is "The Monster at the End of This Book" which was a Sesame Street book. I don't remember anything between then and my Middle School and Jr. High Years when I discovered my all time favorite series: Lord of the Rings, Hitchikers Guide, Pern, and Dragon Lance. After college I stopped reading for years until a few years ago when I picked up Harry Potter to see what all the fuss was about. I've been reading happily ever since.

The book that has impacted me the most has been Illusions by Richard Bach.

I read a lot of non-fiction now, which is something I almost never did when I was younger. I had always preferred to immerse myself in realms of high fantasy. These days I'm more likely to immerse myself in books about religions, emotional eating, spirituality, mythology, feminism, etc...

[dramoth.livejournal.com]

OOh! My favorite subject! :)

I seriously think it was.. Jean Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear. I remember *trying* to read Rober Louis Stevenson's Last of the Mohican's, and getting frustrated that I needed a dictionary. This was when I was 11 or 12 years old, in middle school.

I've read so much I'm actually surprised I *can* pick a book that has had the biggest impact upon me. Tara K Harper's scifi books, and her website and biography and just.. her entire approach rocked my world view, I think. I was so used to a light and fluffy book, a happy ending.. smooth sailing on a strictly plausible yet uncomplicated plotline and story arch... Her works are so emotional and heart breaking, or I was very open to such at the time I read them, that they really sunk deep, I guess.

I love romance books, particularly erotic romance and romantic suspense. Maybe because there is a happy ending after a decent amount of angst, emotional upheaval and sweat and tears. Anne McCaffrey's novels are my favorite, closely followed by Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series and Tara K Harper's works. Considering all three of those write either fantasy of scifi or a mix between, I think there is a definite trend showing...

[hewet-ka-ptah.livejournal.com]

Yes, I know that's several questions. Deal.

Slavedriver.

What is the first book you remember reading?

I don't remember the first one, but I remember the first time I finished a book without pictures in a single day. It was "Charlotte's Web" and was the first book that made me cry.

What is the one book that's impacted you most?

"Conceptions of God in Ancient Egypt: The One and the Many" by Hornung

What are some of your all-time favorite books?

Oh gods.... here we go:

Zen Flesh, Zen Bones
Meditations - Marcus Aurelius
Passionate State of Mind - Eric Hoffer
Everything (so far) by Harlan Ellison, Neil Gaiman, Julia Quinn, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and JK Rowling
Grass Dancer - Susan Power
In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Phantom Tollbooth - Norton Juster

I could go on for days listing books that I've read, loved, reread, and loved again. They're all my favorites.

I may be a bookslut.

[herbwife.livejournal.com]

The first book I remember reading is THE POKEY LITTLE PUPPY. Little golden books in the '60s...... As for impact that is a tough call. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath made a big impression on me and I still hear it rattling around in the back of my head sometimes. All time favorites is tough too..... The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon is a true read over and over favorite.... Then classics like 1984 and Tolkien. The Foundation trilogy by Isaac Asimov, The Mists of Avalon. Robert Graves The White Goddess..... this could take me places I am not ready to go cause I don't have time to reread it all....

[ladycelt.livejournal.com]

<>

I've got that one on my Amazon wish list. :)

[bulvai.livejournal.com]

What is the first book you remember reading?
Babar

What is the one book that's impacted you most?
The Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

What are some of your all-time favorite books?
Stinger by Robert R. McCammon
The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest -- by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
Bulfinch's Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch
The Dark Tower series by Stephen King
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gorden, also by King
Elements of Ritual by Deborah Lipp
(Not the most well read, but books I've really enjoyed).

[ladymairwen.livejournal.com]

There's no one book I remember reading first. I've just been reading incessantly since I was 4.

Impact, Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley.

All time faves, alot of "kids books"...
Anne of Green Gables
Peter Pan
Secret Garden
Little Princess

Stuff like that.

[ladycelt.livejournal.com]

One of the first books I remember reading is "Are You My Mother?" and the Dr. Seuss books. There was also a book of children's poetry that had a hilarious poem about an elephant and a telephone.

Books that impacted me most growing up were Marguerite Henry books, particularly "King of the Wind" and "Born to Trot". Both featured main characters with a disability or major illness, and her books in general inspired me to write my own stories. Most recently the book that has impacted my life the most is Sue Monk Kidd's "Dance of the Dissident Daughter."

Some of my favorite books are
Mists of Avalon
Firelord by Parke Godwin
Beloved Exile, Parke Godwin
Outlander, Diana Gabaldon (just that one - she lost me after the second in the series!)
Secret Garden
Redwall series, Brian Jacques
To Kill a Mockingbird
Almost anything by Caitlin and John Matthews :)
Tolkien
Paula Horan's books on Reiki
The Dark is Rising series

Ok, I'll stop. :)

[erianne1.livejournal.com]

The first book I ever read was one of those Dick, Jane and Sally things at age 3. The one book that has impacted me the most was "The Art of Happiness" by the Dalai Lama. I just love that man. As for all-time favs...that's a tough one because I read mostly non-fiction. I guess I would rate all the books by the Dalai Lama in my favorites list. Good questions by the way. :)

[morrigandaughtr.livejournal.com]

What is the first book you remember reading?

The Black Stallion

What is the one book that's impacted you most?

Stephen King's The Stand. Directly responsible for my wanting to be a writer.

What are some of your all-time favorite books?

King:
The Stand, Firestarter, Salem's Lot -- all early King, plus the Dark Tower series

Guy Gavriel Kay:
The Summer Tree, The Wandering Fire, The Darkest Road, Tigana

Phillip Pullman:
the His Dark Materials trilogy

Kris Nelscott:
A Dangerous Road, Thin Walls, Smoke-Filled Rooms, Stone Cribs, War at Home, Days of Rage

Jane Yolen:
Briar Rose

This could take some time... ;-)

[mysanal.livejournal.com]

I've been reading since I was 3. As far as I can tell (and my mom can tell), the first books I read were comic books (which I still read). I had a vivid image memory I couldn't place for years that turned out to be from a JLA comic from the year before I was born - I have to assume my parents had it around the house. ;->

The first books I really *remember* reading were in 8th grade: we read The Hobbit, and I read 2001: A Space Odyssey & I, Robot on my own, as well as several kid-friendly bios including Elton John and Diana Ross. Heh - that really sums me up: fantasy, science fiction and music! ;-)

I can't pick ONE book, but here's an off-the-top-of-my-head bunch that have heavily impacted Who I Am: The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Campbell; The Spiral Dance (and all the other Starhawk books); Stranger In A Strange Land (and all Heinlein); The White Goddess; 70's Batman & Green Arrow comics by Denny O'Neil; everything by Alan Moore (especially V for Vendetta & Promethea & his run on Swamp Thing), Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, and Harlan Ellison; The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller; The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury; Asimov's Lije Bailey & R. Daneel books; Sherlock Holmes stories; Z. Budapest's books.

Faves: In addition to the above, I loved McCaffrey's Harper Hall of Pern trilogy; I have a few favorite Star Trek novels I read over and over; Songs of Distant Earth by Clarke (short stories); all the other Bradbury books; The Lord of the Rings; The Bodacious Book of Succulence by SARK; Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud; Book of Shadows by Phyllis Currott; Jamabalaya by Luisa Teish.

I'll give comics their own little section here: Brian Michael Bendis' runs on Ultimate Spider-Man and Daredevil (EVIL book!); Joe Straczynski's Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four and Squadron Supreme; Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men; Warren Ellis' Planetary; the original Chuck Dixon run on Birds of Prey *and* the current run by Gail Simone; Y the Last Man by Brian Vaughn; Fables by Bill Willingham; Peter David's Fallen Angel; Zot! by Scott McCloud (unfortunately un-collected); Scary Godmother by Jill Thompson (safe for kids!); Love & Rockets by Los Bros. Hernandez; The Adventures of Barry Ween by Judd Winnick; Girl Genius by Phil Foglio; Mike Grell's Green Arrow & Jon Sable: Freelance.

Want more? ;-D

[reverendstyx.livejournal.com]

First Book: It was The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. I didn't like it because the Cat was obnoxious.

Most Impact: Erm... AD&D Monster Manual. Damn thing was like a drug.

All Time Favorites: Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker series, Terry Brooks' Shanarra series, Rowling's Harry Potter Series, Effinger's Budayeen series, Gibson's Sprawl trilogy, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, Anne McCaffrey's Dragonrider series, Katherine Kurtz's Deryni Series, Joan De Vinge's Cat series, Tailchaser's Song by Tad Williams... Those are just a few, mind you.