A former classmate tagged me on Facebook and asked to write a list of 10 books that have influenced my life.
What an unfair and impossible task. How can you choose just ten books? Looking at my bookshelves I started making my pile. Then I realized that many of my childhood and youth books are at my parents' place. Yet, I had an itch to answer this task. I made the process easier. I decided to leave all the children literature and educational books aside even though they continuously shape my thinking and enrich my world. I decided to shorten the time period to recent years. I ended up with a longer list than ten. Deleting, adding back, adding new ones, I struggled with making ten. Eventually I just decided to stop messing with the list. There was no way to be entirely happy with the result. I called the list "10 books that have moved my emotions and thoughts lately."
1. Kätlin Kaldma "Islandil ei ole liblikaid."
2. Richard P. Feynman "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"
3. Kazuo Ishiguro "Never Let Me Go."
4. Khaled Hosseini "Tuhat ergavat päikest." (Thousand Splendid Suns)
5. David Mitchell "Varikirjas." (Ghostwritten)
6. Anne Lamott "Bird by Bird."
7. Haruki Murakami "Elevant haihtub." (The Elephant Vanishes)
8. Sue Monk Kidd "The Secret Life of Bees."
9. Donna Tartt "The Goldfinch."
10. Joel Haahtela "Liblikakoguja."
After the list was published I had a second list of books "Another 10 books I wish I could have included."
- Carlos Ruis Zafon "The Shadow of the Wind" (trilogy)
- Malala Yousafzai "I am Malala"
- Jodi Picoult "The Pact"
- Markus Zusak "The Book Thief"
- Arundhati Roy "The God of Small Things"
- Doris Lessing "The Diaries of Jane Somers"
- Mitch Albom "The Five People You Meet in Haven"
- Kathryn Stockett "The Help"
- John Green "The Fault in Our Stars"
- Susan Cain "Quiet"
I could have continued. More books looked at me from my shelves wondering whether they had played part in shifting my views and feelings. Not to mention the books that have visited me from the library.
Reading my lists I wonder whether I truly know how much the books have influenced me. I have finished reading and put aside many books, pausing and reflecting on the life of others, of old age, relationships, choices, the questions raised, the problems solved and unsolved, often appreciating my life more than before.
I recommend that you try this exercise. It will challenge you but at the same time take you on a reading memory lane.
(I later read that I was supposed to make the list without much thinking, kind of subconsciously letting the titles to surface. That list would have probably included Astrid Lindgren and fairy tales, Tolstoy and Dostojevski, Tammsaare and Tuglas, Balzac and Ibsen, Goethe and Bulgakov)
I have been asked to write a list like this and it is so hard. But I love reading others' lists. I'm going to look into "The God of Small Things," and "Quiet"... It is so wonderful to connect with readers who write. Thanks for sharing your list.
ReplyDeleteTerje, there are quite a few books on this list that I have loved in recent years. I love that you tried, & laughed when you wrote "Another 10 books I wish I could have included." I've seen the lists, too, & have never tried it. Maybe next time? For me, I would add an all-time favorites I return to again & again. I'll check back to see what others share.
ReplyDeleteTerje, such lovely titles. I am not sure I can even make 1 (or 2) lists! House Rules, while not life changing (or even that good I thought), was the last book I read with my Grandmother. And then I started flipping through my goodreads app. Oh there are some good ones I've read this year. You may have inspired a post! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a difficult task! This would take a LOT of consideration. I love many books on your lists!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great set of lists. I'm re=reading Bird by Bird now, Terje - such a soul satisfying book!
ReplyDeleteI see some familiar titles among your lists! These challenges intrigue me and depress me. :) Love your twist...adding another list! :)
ReplyDeleteA tough task indeed. I see some titles on your list that I've read and enjoyed and that have moved me. How can one list just ten books when there are so many that have influenced our lives? Thanks for sharing your picks.
ReplyDeleteI have been asked to list my 10 favorite books. Only 10? Hard to do when there are so many. After I wrote my list and posted it, I immediately thought of books that I should have added. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteIt seems it would be a different list at different points in my life. I'm sure a few would remain constant, but I bet there would be some real differences between my top 10 now and my top 10 30 years ago. Although the essential me has remained the same, some of my priorities have shifted with life experience. I almost wish I had done this every 10 years!
ReplyDeleteI did that challenge, too! I have "categories" of 10 books -- how can you choose only ten? I see you sort of did what I did! It's fun to think about life-changing reads, though.
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful! I don't think I could have chosen just 10 books (or even 20). The Finnish author on your list intrigued me.
ReplyDeleteTerje,
ReplyDeleteI received this challenge, but just didn't know where to begin. It might be easier to make a list of 10 books that had no impact on my life or ten titles I could have put down, but to pick 10 that have been the most significant is truly a challenge. You have several titles here that are new to me. Thanks for sharing your lists. Maybe I'll get brave and give this a try.
Cathy