Jinx the cat (and the Author’s agent when in a good mood) writes: “The Old Kingdom” books by Garth Nix are my favourite, because they feature a VERY IMPORTANT CAT, called Mogget. Why you-know-who couldn’t take the hint and write me a key role in the Middengard Sagas is anybody’s guess. Talk about loyalty.”
Hugh Mackay: The Good Life. This one’s from me (Author here). I read this book a couple of year’s ago. I don’t read a lot of non-fiction (except history and biography) but this sounded really interesting. Social researcher Hugh Mackay poses some challenging questions: what constitutes a good life? How can I live a life worth living? When he posited the view that we can all lead a good life, or at least a better life, by looking outwards and not always inwards, by thinking about other people and not always ourselves, I wanted to cheer. He doesn’t tell you to be a dogsbody, but he does tell you to help others, in whatever way you can. It really is that simple. Read it and learn.
The wonderful Meg writes: “Interesting question June “what book changed my life”, but hard to answer as I have always been a voracious reader, devouring books from family bookshelves and the public library at the rate of at least 6 a week -incidentally I think the free public library is one of the treasures of western democracy. However, with a little thought I’d like to mention “Testament of Youth” by Vera Brittain. I had always been fascinated (and appalled) by the first World War, but had never read such a hugely powerful book from a woman’s perspective who survived terrible grief and went on to be such a strong woman, a faithful friend and a powerful feminist……… I read the book back in the 70s when I was exploring feminism and my life as a woman and it brought a new perspective to that struggle.” (Author’s note here: Meg, I am super-impressed that you knew Vera Brittain…how wonderful to have had such a formative relationship, fairly early on in your life).
Do you have a book that made an impact on your life? If you do, please share! Everyone love’s to hear everyone else’s stories. You can contact me via the website here or via the FB author page: @ June Wilson Author.
My favorite book since childhood –and I began my journey towards bookworm status at the age of three–has easily remained The Jungle Book: first the Disney children’s picture book version which gradually morphed into a love of Rudyard Kipling’s version.
The book that replaced my life-long favorite is Dawn of Wonder, published in 2015, and it was still very new to the public when I chanced upon the free book on Amazon. I read it on my Kindle since I am no longer able to hold regular books for more than a couple of minutes (head-injury which resulted in physical and mental limitations). I finished the book and sat there in awe (and wonder!). Afterwards, I bashed, nagged, and pleaded with family members until my husband, Brian, and 13 year old son, Xander, gave in and read the book. (I have forced knowledge of this book to many other in the past four years as well.)
The book profoundly affected both me and my son. I’m fact, Xander wrote and entered into Georgia’s Young Authors contest a short story that was loosely based on Jonathan Renshaw’s world. Unfortunately, Xander wrote a bit more than he was allowed, turning in over 50 pages to his eighth grade teacher for entry into the contest. Xander then had only a few minutes to shuffle the ending around enough and write “to be continued” before the now 5 page story joined the writings of his classmates upon which time the collection of student “masterpieces” was sent into the contest (which required a solid ending for each piece.) Even without a solid conclusion, Xander still won each stage of the contest until the story got to the state level. Xander, inspired by Renshaw’s book, has continued to write as time allows, now nearing his 100th page.
dawn of Wonder is well researched, well edited, and well written. the details entrance and the plot ensnares the reader. But more than ANY book I have read (with a M. A. in English), Dawn of Wonder is art itself: each word and phrase like strokes of a brush on a canvas; it is a masterpiece that leaves the reader stunned and breathless. Walking away from Rensaw’s book, the reader has been reforged, reality has been reshaped, and one beholds the world with just one layer of its mask stripped away.