Darlene Pineda

via Facebook... Maggi challenged me to name a bunch if books that had an impact in my life. Don't have to be grand literature, just those books I still cling to and re-read every year. So in no particular order: There's a Monster at The if This Book. (I read that about elebenty gazillion times as a child. My mom would patiently act out all the terror with me at every turn of the page). Before school every started A Little Princess. I wanted to be Sara Crewe SO BADLY. I always thought, and still do, that her genuine compassion and kindness was something to be emulated. The first boom that taught me the joys of giving--even if it's your last bit of food, because someone else is much hungrier than you. Little Women. Yes, I'm Jo. Gone With The Wind. Yeah, as I got older I started seeing all the sweeping issues, but even at nine I had issues. But Rhett was my first real literary crush. Isaac Asimov: I, Robot. The cleverness and humanity of the robots and the human detectives. Never a fan of Foundation, but the Robot stories won my heart. High school Why I Am Not A Christian, Bertrand Russell. Also high school. Catholic high school. Teachers loved me :) Death bird Stories; Harlan Ellison. Because an introduction to some of the most power damned writing ever. Read it. Today. Good Omens. Gaiman and Pratchett. Funny, witty, clever, satirical, pointed, and naked truth. All wrapped in dry British humor. Read it today. The works of both those authors. Trust me. A Prayer For Owen Meany. Read the first sentence and if that doesn't intrigue you I don't even know who you are. It is the only book that I spend an hour weeping during, no matter how many times I've read it. The Lucifer Effect; Zimbardo. Why people do evil things. It matters. The Killing Joke; graphic novel. Because all the separates me from evil is one bad day. The Watchmen; graphic novel. Because it matters. Also, Rorschach is my fav. He needs a hug so bad. All of Poe and HP, of course. Les Miserable because me daddy spent months reading it aloud to me. I was seven. It was magic. Okay. I'm in transit and could probably think of others were I looking at my shelves, and on a different day I'd have a different list. I'm going to tag Ashley Campbell, David Rain Beverly, Mark Williams to do the same. If you do so, I owe you a bottle of your choice :)