Influential Books That Made Me The Person I Am Today
Hi everyone! I was inspired to discuss about all the books that has shaped me to be the person that I am today after seeing Whittynovels' video! I thought it'd be fun to do the same, so I'm bringing together six books that have been influential to me in lots of different ways!
Full disclaimer: These opinions are mine and mine only! People are entitled to their own opinions, so please respect what I have to say about each book! This is in no way a "recommendation" blog post :) Just know that these books have all left really positive impacts on me, and that could be due to a) reading the book at the right place and at the right time b) having a very personal connection to the characters/stories.
Alrighty! With that out of the way, let's get into the books!
Anna and The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
This book was the reason why I joined Bookstagram in the first place! I was about 14 years old when I finished reading the book, and I immediately needed to talk to someone about it! You won't see the picture anymore, but my very first Instagram post was of a very saturated picture of this book right here! That's six years ago now, and I still look back to that memory fondly <3 I don't have the same feelings for this book than I had six years ago, but the memory is still there! Honestly, things may have gone so differently for me if I decided to read this book at a different time. I cannot imagine my life without Bookstagram :')
The Witches by Roald Dahl
If you read my Get To Know The Blogger blog post, you will know the cheeky little story of how I first got into reading! Long story short, I was sick and could not get close to anyone for two weeks (feels like a major déjà vu moment at this point in time haha), so I opted for one of the many books that my mom has constantly nagged me to read - one of which was The Witches by Roald Dahl! I had the BEST time reading this book. I was SO invested in the story, the adventure, and just the general outlandish charm of the quirky art and narrative! I think I might have devoured two more Roald Dahl books in that 2-week period, but I can't say for sure - I only vividly remember reading and absolutely loving The Witches. It is also the book that got me into reading and eventually made me the reader that I am today - one who has a soft spot for immersive reads and fun tales <3
The Lunar Chronicles Series by Marissa Meyer
I remember moving to Australia for high school and was ecstatic about going to school SOLELY for the fact that they had a library with a huuuge range of options. I have just finished Cinder before I went abroad and was super keen to pick up Scarlet when I had the chance. It took me pretty much the whole school year to complete the whole series, and that was because I could not always borrow the books I wanted (they were really popular among the student body!). But that did give me the chance to savour my time with each book. This series was also what got me through all of high school, especially the first year I was in Australia! They were the perfect escape to my (then) dark year, and it has remained a favourite to this day <3
Made You Up by Francesca Zappia
Made You Up was the first ever book I annotated! I remembered getting REALLY lightheaded and shaky when I used my permanent ballpoint pen to highlight my first sentence :') I was highly against annotating back in the days because I saw annotations as "stains", and I definitely did not want any "stains" getting near a book that I bought using my own pocket money! Of course, that has all changed. I now annotate every single book I read, whether it's one word, one sentence, 50 pages... I basically write on my books and dog-ear the heck out of my books whenever I want, and honestly? It feels amazing. I know there are lots of people out there who don't agree with me (believe me.. I still get quite a few negative comments whenever people see me dog-earing my books or bending the cover flaps until it creases), but embracing this freedom on books has been a major change for my reading experience. I find that I connect with the characters more and even understand why authors use certain words choices, sentence structures, etc. I have to give my kudos to Made You Up though, because that book was SO good that it made me WANT to start annotating, and has definitely made me the reader and book destroyer lover that I am today! <3
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Literary Fiction is evidently one of my most favorite genre to date, and I have The Night Circus to thank for that! I love my atmospheric and immersive literary stories, and Erin Morgenstern has managed to pave the way for me as I got older and started reaching out for "heavier" reads. It's the best feeling ever when you find yourself falling for a genre you never thought you'd get into, so thank you Erin Morgenstern for showing me how beautiful this genre can be!
Off-Campus series by Elle Kennedy
Ahh, the world of New Adult romance. I found that some of the most influential books are the New Adult books that I read very recently. Of course, this is subjective. I am fond of these books because I relate to the problems that the characters in this genre go through. The series that first had the biggest impact on me was the Off-Campus series by Elle Kennedy. That series hit home SO HARD, and I couldn't get enough. The series has put into words emotions and struggles that I haven't been able to voice out for the longest time, and ever since then, my university days have been filled with endless New Adult romance. Sure there's lots of smut involved, but honestly it just makes it so much more fun! You get a genre that's meaningful, honest, funny, sexy, angsty... it's a genre made for everyone, and no matter where you stand in the genre, I think there's a New Adult book out there for you that will definitely leave a mark on you.
I'd also like to give a special shout out to the Sinners of Saints series and Fall Away series for being there for me during my hardest and darkest times. Truly, this genre is a godsend. But of course, my kudos goes to the Off-campus books - the ones that started it all for me! <3
And that's the end of my list! I hope you all enjoyed reading my short but impactful list :') Let me know some of your influential reads! Take care everyone x
xx Cath