The Books That Shape Us
January 25, 2013
“It is what you read when you don't have to that determines
what you will be when you can't help it.”
—Oscar
Wilde
Last year, as part of a multi-year “Celebration of the
Book,” the Library of Congress opened an exhibit of 88 “Books That Shaped America .”
According to Librarian of Congress James H. Billington, “This list is a
starting point. It is not a register of the ‘best’ American books—although many
of them fit that description. Rather, list is intended to spark a national
conversation on books written by Americans that have influenced our lives,
whether they appear on this initial list or not.” (The list did indeed spark
conversation—as usual there was much squabbling about what was on the list and
what was left off. Simply type “Books That Shaped America” into your search
engine for proof.) While the physical exhibit has now ended, click here for the
online version.
The exhibit got me thinking about the books that have shaped
me. Books have been my friends for as long as I can remember, and learning to
read was one of my first goals when I was a child (along with learning to
whistle and to blow bubbles with gum—I was an ambitious young lady). The books
that follow are mostly not considered “classics,” but for some reason they
resonated deeply with me, shaping my understanding of myself and the world.
Here are just a few of the books that I consider have shaped who I am:
The Anne of Green Gables
series (L.M. Montgomery). Hands down my favorite childhood books. I didn’t just enjoy the stories: I
loved Anne and aspired to be like her. She was smart, spirited, loving and she
always tried to do right and help others. A girl could do worse than emulate
Anne Shirley. Even now, every couple of years, I reread the series for the pleasure of
renewing my acquaintance.
Sidetracked Home Executives (Pam Young and Peggy Jones). I loved the system of organizing household chores that these sisters created to
move from “pigpen to paradise.” I really didn’t know how to stay on top of
cleaning when I first got married, and their advice helped me figure it out. I
still use some of their basic principles to keep my house running. This book
was funny and charming and their 3 x 5 card program was super simple to
implement.
A Walk in the Woods
(Bill Bryson). This book was a revelation of how non-fiction could be just as riveting and
entertaining as fiction. Bryson tells a great story, weaving historical
information seamlessly into the narrative of his experience hiking the Appalachian
Trail . This book is funny, fascinating and educational all at once.
I want to write like that.
The Poisonwood Bible
(Barbara Kingsolver). Another revelation. This was my first experience reading Kingsolver, and I was
forever hooked. Up until I read Poisonwood,
other than the occasional “classic,” I rarely read anything more taxing than an
Agatha Christie mystery. I’ve read nearly everything Kingsolver has written,
and continued to expand my fiction horizons.
Refuse to Choose (Barbara
Sher). I’ve read and liked several of Sher’s books, but this one helped me understand
why I flit from interest to interest, and why so many things sound fascinating
to me. I’m a “Scanner”—a person who scans the horizon, eager to explore
everything out there instead of zeroing in on a single pursuit. I want to learn
about so many things, and pursue so many hobbies, how can I do it all? My
favorite of Sher’s tools is what I call the Six-Year Calendar of Happiness: a list of the major interests I want to pursue in the next six years (as
opposed to trying to pursue them all at once). I admit I haven’t been able to
follow the calendar as well as I’d like because my current interests (my horse,
learning to sketch and paint in watercolor) are time consuming enough that I
really don’t have much time for other interests. That doesn’t mean I’ve given
up on things like learning another language or doing cross stitch projects. It
just means they keep getting bumped back on the calendar.
When Women Stop Hating Their Bodies (Jane R. Hirschmann and Carol H. Munter). Authors Hirschmann and Munter believe that dieting turns women into compulsive
eaters obsessed with food. Instead, if we stopped hating our bodies, we would
be learn to accept them, feed ourselves what we really need, and stop trying to
measure up to society’s “ridiculous and impossible standards of female beauty.”
I read this when I first noticed that I could no longer eat anything I wanted
and not put on weight. (Sadly.) I believe it did keep me from hating my body,
though I still struggle with true acceptance. I think I’m more balanced in my
approach to eating and my body because of this book.
The Alchemist
(Paulo Coelho). I read this for a book club, and I loved the simple story with its
inspirational message to follow your heart. After reading this, for the first
time I realized I actually had dreams
to follow and that it was OK to do so.
Ursula K. Le Guin said, “We read books to find out who we
are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel...is an
essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become.” Through our reading we shape and reshape our
opinions, our beliefs, our lives. These are just a few of the books that have
shaped me. What books have shaped you?
P.S. I’m excited to tell you that later today my bookshelves and I
are being featured in Danielle’s (A Work in Progress) Lost in the Stacks: Home Edition series. Come by, sneak a peek at the book
bounty and say hello.
9 comments
Sooo interesting the thoughts you have and words you write. I will have to think about the books I've read that have shaped me (or so I believe.
ReplyDeleteAt first I was a blank, but now the book titles are flooding through my brain cells!
As a teen I was moved and inspired by memorable authors Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Leon Uris, Ann Seton, and the poems of Langston Hughes and Sylvia Plath.
One book that especially moved me in adult life is "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek" by Annie Dillard. And the journals of Lewis and Clark. And...
There are so many books read that have left some piece of themselves with me. I love a good adventure story, even more so when interlaced with history (James Michener), nature (Nevada Barr), culture (Jane Austen), or science (Michael Crichton). I also enjoy nonfiction: organizational, technology, biography, ethnobotany, spiritual, and how-to.
Just a few of my favorite things!
I read Pilgrim at Tinker Creek long ago, and I would like to read it again. I like Annie Dillard's writing a lot. Sounds like you enjoy reading about a wide variety of subjects. I like that myself. There is so much of interest to learn!
ReplyDeleteI had to cut my list of books that shaped me--it would have been far, far too long for one blog post.
Interesting collection of books Kathy. I've read two of the books you mention - The Poisonwood Bible which I loved and The Alchemist which I was disappointed in. I don't have a very good memory, so it would be hard to name books that have shaped me. But I do remember reading one story by Robert Fulghum while we were on vacation that definitely affected me greatly. The story is about the difference between a problem and an inconvenience. At the time, we were having what I thought were a number of problems on our vacation, but after reading the story, I realized they were all inconveniences. A rather life altering lesson.
ReplyDeleteOh, there are so many, and I know that I will leave tons out if I try to list them. I loved, Little Women, Little House Books, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Hobbit, The Great Gatsby, The Stand, The Princess Bride, The Thorn Birds, Huckelberry Finn and many other classics ... I have been reading ever since I learned how. Barbara Kingsolver is one of my very favorites, but The Poisonwood Bible was one of the hardest ones for me to get through. I love Prodigal Summer a lot.
ReplyDeleteKathy M.
I went back and read the list and printed it out, and I have read 32 of those books and have seen a couple of movies but not read the books. I am going to try and find many of these to fill out my home library.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kathy!
Kathy M.
Kathy--Prodigal Summer is my favorite Kingsolver book! I haven't read her two newest novels--I need to remedy that.
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed that you'd read so many of the books on the list. I've only read 18 of them. I have a couple on my TBR pile already, and will probably add more of them to my list of books I want to read.
Cheryl--Good example of how books can shape us. With just a few words, Fulgrum changed how you thought about something.
ReplyDeleteHave you read Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer? That's my favorite of her books.
Love these books! Thanks for commenting about some books over at PositivelyPresent.com. I loved your suggestions and I enjoyed reading your readers' suggestions here in your comments section.
ReplyDeleteDani--I added several books to my (very long) to-be-read list after reading your post and the comments that followed. I'm so happy you stopped by--hope you find some more good reading in our recommendations.
ReplyDelete