This came to me by means of a challenge from my high school librarian and book club leader. She tagged me in a post with hers and passed it on to me because I was one of the more active students in the book club all those years ago. We’ve kept in touch via Facebook and this wasn’t the first time she’s tagged me in something relating to reading or books.

I would like to note these are my most influential books at the moment. A huge part of living your life is evolving and as I evolve I am sure this list will alter.

1: Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill. It’s my favorite book but I love rock stars, music and ghosts and this little gem combines all three.

2: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Do I really need to explain?

3: Richard III by William Shakespeare. No, not a book but I read it in a book. It’s all about the loopholes. As an admitted Shakespeare nerd, I think Richard III is my favorite mostly because of the opening soliloquy and Richard’s ability to be a silver-tongued master manipulator.

4: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. A classic and starts with one of my all-time favorite hooks, “It was a pleasure to burn.” I know own a copy printed in the sixties as part of my antique book collection.

5: Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. My love of vampires is border line obsessive and they way I turned out is mostly because of Anne Rice’s works. This one is the first really “adult” (by that I mean a huge book with small print and lots of big words for an 11 year-old) I read.

6: Wake by Lisa McMann. In a time when supernatural storylines were beginning to cross into the territory of annoying, Wake became one of those books you remember because it was just different and refreshing.

7: The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling. I can’t choose just one book. This series truly defined my generation and as a self-proclaimed Potterhead I was no exception. These books got me back reading and heighted my love for magic.

8: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson. I’ve never read such an intricate and detailed mystery that catches you off guard more than once and leaves you running for the next book in the series. And I’ve always been able to identify with the leading lady, Lisbeth, because of how different she is.

9: Mightier than the Sword: How the News Media Have Shaped American History by Roger Streitmatter. This was supposed to be a boring “textbook” for one of Jack Lessenberry’s classes but it turned into one of the best books I’ve had to read for any class I’ve ever had.

10: Born on the Fourth of July by Ron Kovic. I had to read this one for one of my freshmen history classes. It was an honest portrayal of a boy growing up with stars in his eyes only for them to burst and fade when he was pushed into the reality of war.

*Images obtained via Google Images