WHAT BOOKS HAVE MADE A LASTING IMPRESSION IN YOUR LIFE?

I have always loved to read. I used to read 4-5 books a week. I consider books my friends. I am very hesitant to loan out my books in fear that you will never return them, and that causes me great anxiety. I do not own a Kindle, nor do I want one. I need to dog ear my pages and underline sentences that speak to me. In my opinion, books are like going on a fantastic voyage to a far away place. You don't have to leave your chair, yet you can travel to the unknown and explore infinite emotions. I often go back and look at quotes I have underlined and it brings me right back to the story. Unfortunately, for various reasons, I have not had the attention span to read lately. Between losing my dad, divisive politics on the news all day long, Covid, and caring for an ailing Mom; reading has not appealed to me. In order to begin reading again, I need a book that will literally grab me on the first page. In the past few years, I have started so many novels and put them down never to reach for them again. This is so unlike me. I ALWAYS finish a book. But, I just haven't found one that will once again lead me back on the path of devouring a book in one day. My earliest memory of a book and still one of my favorites, was Harold And The Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson, written in 1955. Harold, a curious little boy, has the power to develop a world of his own just by drawing it. He uses his imagination to create beauty and excitement. I loved this concept. His use of an oversized purple crayon to satisfy his imagination and curiousity, is exactly how books act as my own purple crayon! As I got a bit older, Shel Silverstein was a book of poems that I often read. Ther are so many wonderful lessons for children. I especially loved this quote: "Do a loony-goony dance 'cross the kitchen floor. Put something silly in the world that ain't been seen before." He's saying don't conform. It's okay to be different, and to think outside of the box. Dare to create what has not been done before. Today, there is so much pressure on kids to conform to be accepted. This little ditty tells you to have fun; be proud of who you are; and don't be afraid to try new things! Don't give in to peer pressure. Middle School and High School took me to a new level. There was Catcher in The Rye, The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, On the Road and Howl. Jack Kerouac's book, On the Road, is considered to be one of the best novels of all time, but it was met with shock at the time of it's release. The story is about two friends who embark on a road trip of North America. Another brilliant "Beat Generation" writer was Alan Ginsberg who wailed against capitalism and societal expectations. His book of poems sums up the generation's disdain for conforming and tradition. Everyone I know has read Catcher in The Rye! J.D.Salinger's book is about a boy's expulsion from his prep school and he narrates his story from a mental institution after suffering a nervous breakdown. Through his narration, he relays how he tries to connect with many types of people, but always fails due to his lack of maturity and his attempt to delay adulthood. As I matured, I realized my love for literature was much more about the cadence of the writing and how the words were written. For me, the plot is often secondary. I like getting lost in the dialogue and reading a sentence that places me directly into the situation. Writers that I really loved reading were Harper Lee, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Updike and Tolstoy. Published in 1960 and a Pulitzer Prize winner, To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic of American Literature. It takes place in a small southern town, and is narrated by an 8 year old girl named Scout Finch. The plot explores human behavior focusing on the themes of kindness, hatred, racial discrimination and compassion. Lee's characters and writing should be cherished always. John Updike, who may be my favorite writer of all time, wrote a series of "Rabbit" books. A double Pulitzer Prize winning author, he explores middle class suburbia and the male psyche. The series starts out with Rabbit Angstrom, a "waspy" has-been high school basketball star. He hates his job, and is in a loveless marriage. He runs away from it all, drinks, has affairs, and suffers a few health scares. Updike's brilliance is in his spectacular writing. Phillip Roth and Updike are often compared and similar. Of different religions (Jewish and Protestant), they present common themes of male desires and angst. Their prose is opulent and I can't get enough! As for F. Scott Fitzgerald, it just doesn't get any better. Tender is the Night and The Great Gatsby are two books I have read over and over. Although Gatsby was a commercial failure at first, critics often refer to it as the "great American novel". The two books have some similar themes of materialism, searching for human fulfillment, and idealism. Fitzgerald's phrases are lyrical and poetic. He is a joy to read even if his stories are somewhat dark. Tolstoy is a very different writer from the others. Anna Karenina was a life changing experience for me. First, you need gumption to get through this huge book. But once you do, you will be so satisfied. Anna is a beautiful wealthy woman and mother, in yet again, another unhappy marriage. So, of course she escapes by having a tempestuous affair with Count Vronsky. Themes throughout the novel are love, religion, judgement, mental health, politics and isolation. Tolstoy's characters have so much depth and complexity, that you become intimate with each one of them.The writing is so superb you are totally absorbed in the story. Tolstoy has you hooked with the first line of the novel: "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." Finally, some of my all time favorite novels that I read once I was married were Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy, Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer, The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, and Atonement by Ian McEwan. Prince of Tides was so well written that it was very sad to finish the book. Conroy writes covers 40 years of the life of the main character, Tom Wingo and his sister, Savannah. Conroy's prose is pure perfection. I wanted to underline every sentence in the book. I would stop and read the lines out loud because they were so beautiful and descriptive. For example, "A family is one of nature's solubles; it dissolves in time like salt in rainwater." Foer's novel, too, was incredible. I remember at the end of the novel, I literally stood on my bed and cheered! The plot is about a young man who sets out to find the woman who may have saved his grandfather from the Nazi's. This was not an easy book to read. Foer's debut novel is so well written. His humor is profound and heartfelt. And, it's hilarious and heartbraking at the same time. LOVED! Donna Tartt's book was talked about by everyone at the time it was released. I am always hesitant to read what others rave about. Generally, the book never lives up to everyone's accolades. However, in the case of this Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction, I have to say I was utterly impressed. You may stay up all night to read this book. The plot is about a young boy living in New York who survives an accident that kills his mother. The book delves into the art underworld. Tartt's prose is elegant, her characters are sublime and the plot is mesmerizing. If you have not read this, I am jealous that you will be picking this up for the very first time. It is a magnificent novel. In Atonement, Ian McEwan wrotes about WWII England and a young girl who misinterprets her older sister's love affair with the family's gardener. Give the book a chance-the beginning might not be something you love, but the ending of the novel is unexpected and brilliant. If you are a lover of beautiful prose, you will enjoy reading McEwan. Upon reflection, I think a great book starts conversations. A great book develops a connection between the reader and the characters. A great book has you lose yourself in the story, and you are sad when you reach the last page. Often, great literature provokes us to think and see things that we never did before. I think a great book has you remembering and thinking about it long after you have finished it. So tell me, what was your most impactful novel? Wishing you all a VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING! There is lots for all of us to be grateful for. PEACE OUT-ONE B