10 Books

My brother tagged me on this meme... I guess that's what little brothers are for.

Here is my list of 10 books that have stayed with me. The instructions said to "only take a few minutes and don't think too hard. They don't have to be the "right" kind of books or great works of literature, just books that have affected you in some way." It took me about 30 minutes, but most of the time was spent reminiscing about the memories associated with those books. 

The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien (made me want to write fantasy)

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley (This novel showed me there can be women in fantasy, and they don't always get to make good choices)

The Princess Bride by William Goldman (a love story to die for, repeatedly)

The Republic by Plato (When I first fell in love with philosophy, and the inspiration for my sci-fi world)

Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder (Best history of philosophy I've ever read)

The Neverending Story by Michael Ende (How I would love to really get lost in a book)

Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd (The novel I started 5 times but could never finish... premise isn't everything)

Memorias Postumas de Bras Cuba by Machado de Assis (My favorite Brazilian author. This book made me think that reflecting on your mistakes is what the afterlife is all about)

Capitaes de Areia by Jorge Amado (Heartbreaking, but you gotta play with the cards you're dealt)

A Ilha Perdida by Maria Jose Dupre (Not much to the story on a superficial level, but there can be a lot of symbolism in children's books. A friend and I spent a whole night analyzing this for a test that was way easier than the teacher threatened.)

Post your list if you feel like it and leave me a comment with a link if you do. I'd love to see the books that affected you the most.